Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between adjusters and senior 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 a senior claims adjuster. Additionally, a senior claims adjuster has an average salary of $58,688, 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 a senior claims adjuster are customer service, litigation, and coverage issues.
| Adjuster | Senior Claims Adjuster | |
| Yearly salary | $49,396 | $58,688 |
| Hourly rate | $23.75 | $28.22 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 7,936 | 11,495 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 2 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 senior claims adjuster is in charge of inspecting and analyzing insurance claims to validate and adjust payments. Among their responsibilities include reviewing and verifying claims documents, visiting sites to investigate property damages and personal injuries, gathering evidence such as photos and videos, and conducting interviews with witnesses and clients. Moreover, as a senior claims adjuster, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to fellow claims adjusters while enforcing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.
Adjusters and senior claims adjusters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Adjuster | Senior Claims Adjuster | |
| Average salary | $49,396 | $58,688 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $68,000 | Between $37,000 And $91,000 |
| Highest paying City | Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ | Roseville, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | FCCI | EMC Insurance |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an adjuster and a senior claims adjuster in terms of educational background:
| Adjuster | Senior Claims Adjuster | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between adjusters' and senior claims adjusters' demographics:
| Adjuster | Senior Claims Adjuster | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1% | Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8% |
| 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, 11.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |