General adjuster vs claim investigator

The differences between general adjusters and claim investigators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a general adjuster and a claim investigator. Additionally, a general adjuster has an average salary of $62,495, which is higher than the $49,415 average annual salary of a claim investigator.

The top three skills for a general adjuster include customer service, xactimate and claims handling. The most important skills for a claim investigator are scene investigations, insurance claims, and property damage.

General adjuster vs claim investigator overview

	General Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Yearly salary	$62,495	$49,415
Hourly rate	$30.05	$23.76
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	47,263	8,738
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a general adjuster do?

In insurance companies, a general adjuster is responsible for studying and analyzing insurance claims to identify the company's financial liability. As a general adjuster, they must personally assess the extent and cause of property or physical damages, including the cost of repairs. They may also conduct interviews with witnesses or experts to ensure the eligibility of claims. Furthermore, as a general adjuster, it is essential to maintain records and documentation of procedures and cases, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

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.

General adjuster vs claim investigator salary

General adjusters and claim investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Average salary	$62,495	$49,415
Salary range	Between $41,000 And $94,000	Between $37,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Health Alliance
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between general adjuster and claim investigator education

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

	General Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Bakersfield

General adjuster vs claim investigator demographics

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

	General Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 73.0% Female, 27.0%	Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between general adjuster and claim investigator duties and responsibilities

General adjuster example responsibilities.

Apply strong customer service, organizational and multitasking skills to efficiently manage auto insurance claims.
Investigate and evaluate bodily injury and property damage automobile and homeowner claims.
Respond to arbitration responses when need.
Investigate, inspect, scoped and estimate in Xactimate every loss assign.
Evaluate and estimate homeowner property damage.
Evaluate cost benefits so early settlement versus further litigation and negotiate settlement.

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.

General adjuster vs claim investigator skills

Common general adjuster skills

Customer Service, 19%
Xactimate, 17%
Claims Handling, 11%
Litigation, 10%
Commercial Property, 9%
Insurance Coverage, 7%

Common claim investigator skills

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

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General Adjuster vs Claim Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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