Claims adjuster vs senior claims examiner

The differences between claims adjusters and senior claims examiners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a claims adjuster, becoming a senior claims examiner takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a claims adjuster has an average salary of $51,116, which is higher than the $50,962 average annual salary of a senior claims examiner.

The top three skills for a claims adjuster include insurance carriers, auto claims and customer service. The most important skills for a senior claims examiner are customer service, litigation, and property damage.

Claims adjuster vs senior claims examiner overview

	Claims Adjuster	Senior Claims Examiner
Yearly salary	$51,116	$50,962
Hourly rate	$24.57	$24.50
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	13,221	10,931
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	6

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.

What does a senior claims examiner do?

Senior claims examiners review, assess, and process the insurance claims of their clients. The examiners provide recommendations for claims-related resolution. It is their responsibility to examine and authorize the investigation of insurance claims as conducted by insurance adjusters. They check the claims and the insurance policies to ensure that all the information is right. During the settlement, they are expected to be careful in keeping the records with details of the process.

Claims adjuster vs senior claims examiner salary

Claims adjusters and senior claims examiners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Claims Adjuster	Senior Claims Examiner
Average salary	$51,116	$50,962
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $64,000	Between $34,000 And $75,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Urban Honolulu, HI
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Hawaii
Best paying company	Merchants Insurance Group	W. R. Berkley
Best paying industry	Insurance	Finance

Differences between claims adjuster and senior claims examiner education

There are a few differences between a claims adjuster and a senior claims examiner in terms of educational background:

	Claims Adjuster	Senior Claims Examiner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Claims adjuster vs senior claims examiner demographics

Here are the differences between claims adjusters' and senior claims examiners' demographics:

	Claims Adjuster	Senior Claims Examiner
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%	Male, 29.6% Female, 70.4%
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, 10.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between claims adjuster and senior claims examiner duties and responsibilities

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

Senior claims examiner example responsibilities.

Manage day-to-day operations of claims department and provide general oversight and direction of all claims activity.
Coordinate vendor referrals for additional investigation and/or litigation management
Maintain office records of various types of complaints, conciliation, administrative decision, private litigation resolution, gather detailed information.
Ensure all HIPPA regulations are followed in the creation and release of all confidential records.
Coordinate vendor referrals for additional investigation and/or litigation management

Claims adjuster vs senior claims examiner skills

Common claims adjuster skills

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

Common senior claims examiner skills

Customer Service, 21%
Litigation, 11%
Property Damage, 9%
Claims Handling, 6%
TPA, 4%
Coverage Issues, 4%

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Claims Adjuster vs Senior Claims Examiner

Updated January 8, 2025

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