Claim investigator vs claims adjuster

The differences between claim investigators and 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 a claim investigator and a claims adjuster. Additionally, a claims adjuster has an average salary of $51,116, which is higher than the $49,415 average annual salary of a claim investigator.

The top three skills for a claim investigator include scene investigations, insurance claims and property damage. The most important skills for a claims adjuster are insurance carriers, auto claims, and customer service.

Claim investigator vs claims adjuster overview

	Claim Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Yearly salary	$49,415	$51,116
Hourly rate	$23.76	$24.57
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	8,738	13,221
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a claim investigator do?

Claim Investigators are professionals who are responsible for examining facts of insurance claims to determine their extent and validity to prevent any cases of fraud. These investigators must use a combination of tools such as cutting-edge software to help insurance companies to settle claims quickly by evaluating them. They are required to manage multiple cases by investigating defective products or events such as an oil spill. Claim Investigators must also prepare reports while keeping track of evidence trails.

What does a claims adjuster do?

A claim's adjuster is responsible for the handling of the insurance claims and investigating the extent of property damage and processing the business or a person's liability. Claims adjusters have a broad range of duties such as damage inspection to evaluate incident reports, communicating with property owners and spectators as well as referring to legal documents. They must also have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills to calculate payments and analyze the complexities of multiple sources. Claims adjusters should also provide timely reports for reference and possible disputes.

Claim investigator vs claims adjuster salary

Claim investigators and claims adjusters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Claim Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Average salary	$49,415	$51,116
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $65,000	Between $40,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	New Jersey
Best paying company	Health Alliance	Merchants Insurance Group
Best paying industry	Finance	Insurance

Differences between claim investigator and claims adjuster education

There are a few differences between a claim investigator and a claims adjuster in terms of educational background:

	Claim Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Claim investigator vs claims adjuster demographics

Here are the differences between claim investigators' and claims adjusters' demographics:

	Claim Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between claim investigator and claims adjuster duties and responsibilities

Claim investigator example responsibilities.

Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Coordinate with SIU investigators in their investigations of the same claimant or insure.
Collaborate with SIU, fire, and police personnel in an effort to resolve investigations.
Conduct extensive field investigations and interact with staff attorneys on litigation matters.
Prepare and/or review property and content estimates for settlement using Xactimate and XactContents software programs.
Conduct complete assessment of interior and exterior damage to create a detail repair estimate within Xactimate software.

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Claims adjuster example responsibilities.

Achieve targeted performance goals to manage costs and support Allstate's industry-leading operational standards.
Maintain a full caseload of WC files for a Louisiana customer, for six months, while managing this team.
Manage California branch operations including supervision of 5 WC adjusting and support staff
Apply strong customer service, organizational and multitasking skills to efficiently manage auto insurance claims.
Manage strict confidentiality of documents and comply with HIPAA regulations stipulate by the facility and government.
Manage file inventory by utilizing CCC pathways diary system documenting claim file activities in accordance with establish procedures

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Claim investigator vs claims adjuster skills

Common claim investigator skills

Scene Investigations, 11%
Insurance Claims, 7%
Property Damage, 5%
Fraud Claims, 5%
Background Checks, 5%
Litigation, 4%

Common claims adjuster skills

Insurance Carriers, 13%
Auto Claims, 8%
Customer Service, 8%
Litigation, 7%
Xactimate, 6%
Claims Handling, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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