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The differences between adjusters and auto claims adjusters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an adjuster and an auto claims adjuster. Additionally, an auto claims adjuster has an average salary of $52,621, which is higher than the $49,396 average annual salary of an adjuster.
The top three skills for an adjuster include customer service, strong customer service and litigation. The most important skills for an auto claims adjuster are repair process, body shop, and strong customer service.
| Adjuster | Auto Claims Adjuster | |
| Yearly salary | $49,396 | $52,621 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $25.30 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 7,936 | 16,187 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An adjuster is responsible for evaluating the extent of loss in the company by calculating the damage costs, determining the settlement payment to the client, and managing the reputation of the company for claims accountability. Adjusters must have extensive knowledge of the insurance principles and processes, following the state and federal regulations to protect clients and the business from insurance fraud. They collect documents from different organizations, perform field research, and interview witnesses to verify the accuracy of claims statement.
A claims adjuster inspects insurance claim liability for property damage or personal injuries and calculates payments. They can either work in-house for insurance companies or as external freelancers. They collect gathered information from different reliable sources to determine insurance obligations based on the degree of damage caused. It is part of their responsibility to interview claimants and witnesses and refer with experts like engineers or policyholders to estimate the damage and if it's covered by insurance policies.
Adjusters and auto claims adjusters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adjuster | Auto Claims Adjuster | |
| Average salary | $49,396 | $52,621 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $68,000 | Between $38,000 And $71,000 |
| Highest paying City | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Alaska |
| Best paying company | FCCI | EMC Insurance |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an adjuster and an auto claims adjuster in terms of educational background:
| Adjuster | Auto Claims Adjuster | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between adjusters' and auto claims adjusters' demographics:
| Adjuster | Auto Claims Adjuster | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |