Insurance processing clerk vs claim processor

The differences between insurance processing clerks and claim processors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an insurance processing clerk, becoming a claim processor takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a claim processor has an average salary of $41,201, which is higher than the $39,273 average annual salary of an insurance processing clerk.

The top three skills for an insurance processing clerk include customer service, insurance policies and data entry. The most important skills for a claim processor are customer service, data entry, and medical terminology.

Insurance processing clerk vs claim processor overview

	Insurance Processing Clerk	Claim Processor
Yearly salary	$39,273	$41,201
Hourly rate	$18.88	$19.81
Growth rate	-3%	-6%
Number of jobs	106,381	11,542
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	6

Insurance processing clerk vs claim processor salary

Insurance processing clerks and claim processors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Insurance Processing Clerk	Claim Processor
Average salary	$39,273	$41,201
Salary range	Between $31,000 And $49,000	Between $26,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	-	Columbia, MD
Highest paying state	-	Connecticut
Best paying company	-	NTT Data International L.L.C.
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between insurance processing clerk and claim processor education

There are a few differences between an insurance processing clerk and a claim processor in terms of educational background:

	Insurance Processing Clerk	Claim Processor
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 35%	Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	Stanford University

Insurance processing clerk vs claim processor demographics

Here are the differences between insurance processing clerks' and claim processors' demographics:

	Insurance Processing Clerk	Claim Processor
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 12.4% Female, 87.6%	Male, 22.9% Female, 77.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.4% Asian, 3.9% White, 63.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.7% Asian, 5.2% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	11%	10%

Differences between insurance processing clerk and claim processor duties and responsibilities

Insurance processing clerk example responsibilities.

Manage database by processing renewals and endorsements.
Communicate directly with providers and patients in order to obtain all necessary information and documentation require for proper billing of claims.
Process insurance forms for many companies including Medicare and Medi-Cal.

Claim processor example responsibilities.

Experience in many facets of the managed healthcare insurance business.
Manage claims, route/queues, and ECHS, within specify turn- around time parameters.
Use ICD-9, CPT-4 and other medical manuals to adjudicate claims.
Analyze claims submit by providers and facilities for appropriate ICD-9, CPT and HCPCS codes against charges that are being bill.
Call DME and HME companies to correct invoices.
Coach and assist in the training of new EMR databases.

Insurance processing clerk vs claim processor skills

Common insurance processing clerk skills

Customer Service, 26%
Insurance Policies, 17%
Data Entry, 11%
Worksheets, 10%
Insurance Carriers, 8%
Claims Process, 5%

Common claim processor skills

Customer Service, 20%
Data Entry, 8%
Medical Terminology, 5%
CPT, 5%
Claims Processing, 4%
Medical Insurance Claims, 4%

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Office and Administrative Industry
Insurance Processing Clerk
Insurance Processing Clerk vs Claim Processor

Updated January 8, 2025

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