Insurance investigator vs claims adjuster

The differences between insurance investigators and claims adjusters 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 investigator and a claims adjuster. Additionally, a claims adjuster has an average salary of $51,116, which is higher than the $40,373 average annual salary of an insurance investigator.

The top three skills for an insurance investigator include insurance claims, insurance benefits and general liability. The most important skills for a claims adjuster are insurance carriers, auto claims, and customer service.

Insurance investigator vs claims adjuster overview

	Insurance Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Yearly salary	$40,373	$51,116
Hourly rate	$19.41	$24.57
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	38,201	13,221
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does an insurance investigator do?

A claims investigator is responsible for examining and investigating in a particular insurance claim is valid. They ensure that the insurance company will settle claims as soon as possible. They resolve issues to prevent fraudulent allegations. This career also requires effective communication. Claims investigators must often conduct interviews.

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.

Insurance investigator vs claims adjuster salary

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

	Insurance Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Average salary	$40,373	$51,116
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $61,000	Between $40,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Merchants Insurance Group
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between insurance investigator and claims adjuster education

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

	Insurance Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 62%	Bachelor's Degree, 66%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Insurance investigator vs claims adjuster demographics

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

	Insurance Investigator	Claims Adjuster
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0%	Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between insurance investigator and claims adjuster duties and responsibilities

Insurance investigator example responsibilities.

Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Research commercial coverage plans and government plans such as Medicare and Medicaid.
Follow all HIPPA guidelines and procedures to protect patients and company interest.
Analyze high risk transaction activity and provide final approval of investigative case analyses utilize for SAR preparation and filing.
Prepare facility specific HIPAA authorizations for release of records.

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

Insurance investigator vs claims adjuster skills

Common insurance investigator skills

Insurance Claims, 14%
Insurance Benefits, 12%
General Liability, 9%
Scene Investigations, 7%
Insurance Laws, 6%
Consumer Complaints, 6%

Common claims adjuster skills

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

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Insurance Investigator vs Claims Adjuster

Updated January 8, 2025

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