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The differences between auto claims adjusters and field 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 auto claims adjuster and a field adjuster. Additionally, a field adjuster has an average salary of $54,120, which is higher than the $52,621 average annual salary of an auto claims adjuster.
The top three skills for an auto claims adjuster include repair process, body shop and strong customer service. The most important skills for a field adjuster are customer service, xactimate, and strong negotiation.
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Field Adjuster | |
| Yearly salary | $52,621 | $54,120 |
| Hourly rate | $25.30 | $26.02 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,187 | 51,071 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A field adjuster is an individual who creates property and contents estimates based on the field inspection using the Xactimate estimating software with photos and diagrams. Field adjusters are required to investigate and evaluate property damage to determine and negotiate a monetary settlement for each claim. They must complete reports and itemize billing to be submitted to insurance companies for services rendered. Field adjusters must provide exceptional customer service to all parties involved to aid in the settlement process and maintain customer satisfaction.
Auto claims adjusters and field adjusters have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Field Adjuster | |
| Average salary | $52,621 | $54,120 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $38,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | Alaska |
| Best paying company | EMC Insurance | Zurich |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between an auto claims adjuster and a field adjuster in terms of educational background:
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Field Adjuster | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between auto claims adjusters' and field adjusters' demographics:
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Field Adjuster | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 12.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |