Insurance adjuster vs claim investigator

The differences between insurance 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 an insurance adjuster and a claim investigator. Additionally, an insurance adjuster has an average salary of $57,315, which is higher than the $49,415 average annual salary of a claim investigator.

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

Insurance adjuster vs claim investigator overview

	Insurance Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Yearly salary	$57,315	$49,415
Hourly rate	$27.56	$23.76
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	44,837	8,738
Job satisfaction	3	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Insurance adjuster vs claim investigator salary

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

	Insurance Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Average salary	$57,315	$49,415
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $80,000	Between $37,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Hagerstown, MD	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	Alaska
Best paying company	Cunningham Lindsey	Health Alliance
Best paying industry	Insurance	Finance

Differences between insurance adjuster and claim investigator education

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

	Insurance Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 58%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Business	Criminal Justice
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Bakersfield

Insurance adjuster vs claim investigator demographics

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

	Insurance Adjuster	Claim Investigator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 66.6% Female, 33.4%	Male, 52.5% Female, 47.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.0% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 60.8% 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 insurance adjuster and claim investigator duties and responsibilities

Insurance adjuster example responsibilities.

Achieve targeted performance goals in every aspect to manage costs and support Allstate's industry-leading operational standards.
Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Train in Xactimate estimation and sketch programs.
Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Skil in complex arbitration and mediation negotiations.
Recommend files for arbitration or litigation base on evidence available and inability to compromise with adverse party.

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.

Insurance adjuster vs claim investigator skills

Common insurance adjuster skills

Insurance Policies, 15%
Customer Service, 15%
Liability Claims, 9%
Auto Claims, 7%
Catastrophe Claims, 5%
Public Adjusters, 4%

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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Insurance Adjuster
Insurance Adjuster vs Claim Investigator

Updated January 8, 2025

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