Claim investigator vs subrogation specialist

The differences between claim investigators and subrogation specialists 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 subrogation specialist. Additionally, a subrogation specialist has an average salary of $52,739, 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 subrogation specialist are insurance carriers, arbitration, and subrogation claims.

Claim investigator vs subrogation specialist overview

	Claim Investigator	Subrogation Specialist
Yearly salary	$49,415	$52,739
Hourly rate	$23.76	$25.36
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	8,738	22,219
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Claim investigator vs subrogation specialist salary

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

	Claim Investigator	Subrogation Specialist
Average salary	$49,415	$52,739
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $65,000	Between $40,000 And $69,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	-
Highest paying state	Alaska	-
Best paying company	Health Alliance	-
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between claim investigator and subrogation specialist education

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

	Claim Investigator	Subrogation Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 55%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Claim investigator vs subrogation specialist demographics

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

	Claim Investigator	Subrogation Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%
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, 10.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between claim investigator and subrogation specialist 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.

Subrogation specialist example responsibilities.

Apply strong customer service, organizational and multitasking skills to efficiently manage auto insurance claims.
Finalize claim settlements, process reimbursement checks and forward unsettled claim files to litigation or arbitration.
Run CCC evaluations to determine vehicle values for proper settlement negotiations.
Claim handling, negotiation and settlements of files within the CCC guidelines.
Review and complete title and DMV transfer forms to process and dispose salvage vehicles.
Assist auto owners with salvage title guidelines respective to their state DMV's rules.

Claim investigator vs subrogation specialist skills

Common claim investigator skills

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

Common subrogation specialist skills

Insurance Carriers, 15%
Arbitration, 10%
Subrogation Claims, 7%
Litigation, 6%
Workers Compensation, 6%
Liability Claims, 6%

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Claim Investigator
Claim Investigator vs Subrogation Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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