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Material damage adjuster vs insurance investigator

The differences between material damage adjusters and insurance 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 material damage adjuster and an insurance investigator. Additionally, a material damage adjuster has an average salary of $53,724, which is higher than the $40,373 average annual salary of an insurance investigator.

The top three skills for a material damage adjuster include insurance claims, policy coverage and repair estimates. The most important skills for an insurance investigator are insurance claims, insurance benefits, and general liability.

Material damage adjuster vs insurance investigator overview

Material Damage AdjusterInsurance Investigator
Yearly salary$53,724$40,373
Hourly rate$25.83$19.41
Growth rate-6%-6%
Number of jobs28,60538,201
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Material damage adjuster vs insurance investigator salary

Material damage adjusters and insurance investigators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Material Damage AdjusterInsurance Investigator
Average salary$53,724$40,373
Salary rangeBetween $36,000 And $80,000Between $26,000 And $61,000
Highest paying CityFlorence, KY-
Highest paying stateAlaska-
Best paying companyErie Insurance-
Best paying industryInsurance-

Differences between material damage adjuster and insurance investigator education

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

Material Damage AdjusterInsurance Investigator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 68%Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common majorBusinessCriminal Justice
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleCalifornia State University - Bakersfield

Material damage adjuster vs insurance investigator demographics

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

Material Damage AdjusterInsurance Investigator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 61.2% Female, 38.8%Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%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%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between material damage adjuster and insurance investigator duties and responsibilities

Material damage adjuster example responsibilities.

  • Apply strong customer service, organizational and multitasking skills to efficiently manage auto insurance claims.
  • Review files for SIU investigations for all fire and theft losses.
  • Resolve total loss claims using CCC evaluations for market evaluation of vehicles.
  • Research and resolve total loss claims, while obtaining reports from CCC.
  • Create summaries explaining repair cost differences for arbitration purposes.
  • Research and review delinquent mortgage cases, financial scenarios and individual homeowner situations to develop solutions compliant with investor policy.
  • Show more

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.

Material damage adjuster vs insurance investigator skills

Common material damage adjuster skills
  • Insurance Claims, 21%
  • Policy Coverage, 19%
  • Repair Estimates, 7%
  • ISO, 6%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Police Reports, 5%
Common insurance investigator skills
  • Insurance Claims, 14%
  • Insurance Benefits, 12%
  • General Liability, 9%
  • Scene Investigations, 7%
  • Insurance Laws, 6%
  • Consumer Complaints, 6%

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