Claims director vs senior claims adjuster

The differences between claims directors and senior claims adjusters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a claims director, becoming a senior claims adjuster takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a claims director has an average salary of $118,250, which is higher than the $58,688 average annual salary of a senior claims adjuster.

The top three skills for a claims director include customer service, litigation and oversight. The most important skills for a senior claims adjuster are customer service, litigation, and coverage issues.

Claims director vs senior claims adjuster overview

	Claims Director	Senior Claims Adjuster
Yearly salary	$118,250	$58,688
Hourly rate	$56.85	$28.22
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	13,299	11,495
Job satisfaction	-	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	6	4

What does a claims director do?

A claims director spearheads and oversees the daily operations of an insurance company's claims department. They have the authority to make decisions and changes, set goals and timelines, establish guidelines and budgets, liaise with key external partners, coordinate managers and teams, delegate responsibilities, and conduct research and analysis to find opportunities that will optimize the department's operations. Moreover, a claims director leads and encourages staff to reach goals, all while implementing the company's claims policies and regulations, developing new ones as needed.

What does a senior claims adjuster do?

A senior claims adjuster is in charge of inspecting and analyzing insurance claims to validate and adjust payments. Among their responsibilities include reviewing and verifying claims documents, visiting sites to investigate property damages and personal injuries, gathering evidence such as photos and videos, and conducting interviews with witnesses and clients. Moreover, as a senior claims adjuster, it is essential to lead and serve as a mentor to fellow claims adjusters while enforcing and promoting the company's policies and regulations.

Claims director vs senior claims adjuster salary

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

	Claims Director	Senior Claims Adjuster
Average salary	$118,250	$58,688
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $190,000	Between $37,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	-	Roseville, CA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	EMC Insurance
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between claims director and senior claims adjuster education

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

	Claims Director	Senior Claims Adjuster
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Claims director vs senior claims adjuster demographics

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

	Claims Director	Senior Claims Adjuster
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 58.2% Female, 41.8%	Male, 48.2% Female, 51.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 62.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.9% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between claims director and senior claims adjuster duties and responsibilities

Claims director example responsibilities.

Create project team that comply with new Medicare reporting requirements achieving successful reporting to CMS.
Maintain relationships with attorneys and manage litigation strategy; ensure strong relationships with insureds, brokers and third party administrators.
Redesign processes and procedures for managing litigation through the implementation of an aggressive process for managing discovery and case typing.
General knowledge of CPT, ICD-9, HCPCS, DRG and Medicode (UCR), bundling and unbundling.
File and respond to online arbitration matters.
Facilitate annual updates to all new and revise CPT codes assuring accurate claims payment.

Senior claims adjuster example responsibilities.

Manage file inventory by utilizing CCC pathways diary system documenting claim file activities in accordance with establish procedures
Experience litigation adjuster proactively investigating, evaluating, and negotiating commercial and homeowner general liability casualty and property damage liability claims.
Prepare and calculate consumer pensions as well as variable & fix annuities.
Develop relationships with other departments such as sales, underwriting, and SIU in order to meet business goals.
Prepare property repair estimates utilizing Xactimate estimating software.
Structure settlement options with annuities and Medicare set-aside programs.

Claims director vs senior claims adjuster skills

Common claims director skills

Customer Service, 17%
Litigation, 11%
Oversight, 9%
Coverage Issues, 6%
Claims Handling, 5%
Claims Operations, 5%

Common senior claims adjuster skills

Customer Service, 25%
Litigation, 9%
Coverage Issues, 6%
Strong Customer Service, 5%
Settlement Authority, 5%
Claims Handling, 3%

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Claims Director vs Senior Claims Adjuster

Updated January 8, 2025

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