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The differences between insurance examiners and total loss specialists 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 examiner and a total loss specialist. Additionally, a total loss specialist has an average salary of $51,718, which is higher than the $50,967 average annual salary of an insurance examiner.
The top three skills for an insurance examiner include EKG, financial statements and blood pressure. The most important skills for a total loss specialist are customer service, HR, and outbound calls.
| Insurance Examiner | Total Loss Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $50,967 | $51,718 |
| Hourly rate | $24.50 | $24.86 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 39,601 | 33,617 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A claims examiner is responsible for conducting a claim review of a client against a particular insurance company--usually a health and life insurance company. An examiner must review claims and then approve them, reject them, or develop a possible settlement. They need to communicate with policyholders and insurance agents to assess if all the information under the company's claims guidelines and policies are correct and accurate.
As a Total Loss Specialist, your job will involve appraising the damage and determining the salvage value on the total-loss vehicle. You will be tasked with examining the damaged vehicle to ascertain the extent of damage done to its body and structure and other mechanical, electrical, and internal damage. You'd also have to arrange with another appraiser to resolve any disagreement with the shop on the cost of repair after determining the extent of the damage to the vehicle.
Insurance examiners and total loss specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Insurance Examiner | Total Loss Specialist | |
| Average salary | $50,967 | $51,718 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $76,000 | Between $32,000 And $81,000 |
| Highest paying City | Farmington, CT | - |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | - |
| Best paying company | RSM US | - |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | - |
There are a few differences between an insurance examiner and a total loss specialist in terms of educational background:
| Insurance Examiner | Total Loss Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 46% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between insurance examiners' and total loss specialists' demographics:
| Insurance Examiner | Total Loss Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 24.1% Female, 75.9% | Male, 35.7% Female, 64.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 6.0% White, 61.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 14.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 5.4% White, 59.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |