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The differences between claims adjusters and claims administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a claims adjuster and a claims administrator. Additionally, a claims adjuster has an average salary of $51,116, which is higher than the $36,432 average annual salary of a claims administrator.
The top three skills for a claims adjuster include insurance carriers, auto claims and customer service. The most important skills for a claims administrator are data entry, customer service, and process claims.
| Claims Adjuster | Claims Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $51,116 | $36,432 |
| Hourly rate | $24.57 | $17.52 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -3% |
| Number of jobs | 13,221 | 59,006 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Claims administrators are professionals who are responsible for performing administrative duties related to insurance claims. These administrators must collaborate with insurance companies so that they can analyze claims and determine the extent of the company's liability. They must review billing and process claims correctly by identifying provider information and other documentation to ensure a prompt payout. Claims administrators must also maintain and manage the compensation files of all workers in order to conduct preliminary investigations on work-related injuries for worker's compensation claims.
Claims adjusters and claims administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Claims Adjuster | Claims Administrator | |
| Average salary | $51,116 | $36,432 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $64,000 | Between $29,000 And $44,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | Reno, NV |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Merchants Insurance Group | ABB |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Hospitality |
There are a few differences between a claims adjuster and a claims administrator in terms of educational background:
| Claims Adjuster | Claims Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between claims adjusters' and claims administrators' demographics:
| Claims Adjuster | Claims Administrator | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 28.9% Female, 71.1% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 3.9% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 11% |