Claim investigator vs investigator

The differences between claim investigators and investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a claim investigator, becoming an investigator takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an investigator has an average salary of $71,406, 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 an investigator are law enforcement agencies, management system, and customer service.

Claim investigator vs investigator overview

	Claim Investigator	Investigator
Yearly salary	$49,415	$71,406
Hourly rate	$23.76	$34.33
Growth rate	-6%	6%
Number of jobs	8,738	5,085
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	6

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 an investigator do?

Criminal investigators play an essential role in criminal justice and law enforcement. Their job entails solving open cases that may take them weeks or even months to accomplish. Collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, and arresting suspects are among their many tasks. They work at every level of criminal justice and law enforcement. For criminal investigators to succeed in their profession, they should have sound judgment, strong communication skills, ethical standards, physical fitness, and empathy. They also benefit from strong job prospects, in addition to an exciting and rewarding job.

Claim investigator vs investigator salary

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

	Claim Investigator	Investigator
Average salary	$49,415	$71,406
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $65,000	Between $42,000 And $119,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Alaska	California
Best paying company	Health Alliance	Apple
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between claim investigator and investigator education

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

	Claim Investigator	Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Criminal Justice
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Claim investigator vs investigator demographics

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

	Claim Investigator	Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%	Male, 56.6% Female, 43.4%
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, 13.5% Unknown, 5.8% Hispanic or Latino, 19.2% Asian, 4.7% White, 56.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	10%	8%

Differences between claim investigator and investigator 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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Investigator example responsibilities.

Participate in and lead the controlled purchase of illegal narcotics and firearms to apprehend suspects.
Manage all business reporting to include; payroll, taxes, client billing, account reconciliations and compliance reports.
Manage corporate-wide document production relative to complex litigation cases.
Receive multiple letters of commendation for effective investigations that lead to successful prosecutions.
Collaborate with federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, ATF and IRS.
Write a detail case report, and attach all supporting documentation necessary to write up SAR's where necessary per BSA.

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Claim investigator vs investigator skills

Common claim investigator skills

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

Common investigator skills

Law Enforcement Agencies, 7%
Management System, 6%
Customer Service, 5%
Criminal Justice, 5%
Senior Level Management, 4%
Child Abuse, 4%

Claim Investigator vs. similar jobs

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Updated January 8, 2025

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