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Claims Adjuster

$78,000
median / year
$48,850 – $117,040
what most earn per year (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Investigate insurance claims, inspect damage, and decide how much a company should pay.

You may also see this posted as: Claims Analyst, Claims Examiner, Claims Representative, Claims Specialist, Corporate Claims Examiner, Field Claims Adjuster.

Where you work

Offices, plus field visits to homes and vehicles.

The hours

Full-time, with travel and occasional surge hours

The day to day

What you'd actually spend time doing

  • Examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
  • Analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations.
  • Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
  • Investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.
  • Verify and analyze data used in settling claims to ensure that claims are valid and that settlements are made according to company practices and procedures.

Good fit if you like…

Conventional

organizing information, following systems, and getting details right

Enterprising

leading, persuading, selling, or turning an idea into action

Investigative

solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work

O*NET job zone 4 of 5

High preparation—usually a four-year degree plus experience—is common.

Work styles that matter most

Attention to DetailDependabilityIntegrityCautiousness

Software that shows up in the work

Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.

Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookXactware XactimateApple SafariMicrosoft Access

By the numbers

May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$78,000
per year
Hourly median
$37.50
per hour
What most earn
$48,850–$117,040
yearly, 10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~21,100
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
-5.1%
Declining
Working in the U.S.
324,230
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

BLS estimates 2.2% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.

What it pays in your state

Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.

BLS state wage tables

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: On-the-job training, paid.

Related work experience: None.

On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training.

License or certification

Most states require a license to adjust claims, earned by exam.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

Check the path where you live

Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.

What it takes

InvestigationNegotiationReport writingAttention to detail

The honest take

Solid pay you can reach from high school, though automation is thinning the field.

Standard Occupational Classification 13-1031. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.