SOC 13-1031.00

    Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators

    Review settled claims to determine that payments and settlements are made in accordance with company practices and procedures.

    Median pay
    $78,000
    Growth
    -5.5%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    20,900
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $48,850
    Median
    $78,000
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $117,040
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    324,230 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators review settled insurance claims, determine appropriate payments, and resolve disputes. This career offers a median annual pay of $78,000, with earnings ranging from under $48,850 to over $117,040.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Review settled claims to determine that payments and settlements are made in accordance with company practices and procedures. Confer with legal counsel on claims requiring litigation. May also settle insurance claims.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Professionals in this field evaluate insurance claims to ensure settlements align with company policies and legal guidelines. Day-to-day activities involve gathering information, analyzing data, and identifying specific actions or events related to a claim. These specialists document their findings, make decisions to solve complex problems, and consult with legal counsel when litigation is necessary. They also negotiate settlements and resolve conflicts directly with claimants.

    Success in this role requires strong skills in reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, and clear communication. Workers must be comfortable using computers and navigating administrative systems. Knowledge of customer service, the English language, mathematics, law, and economics is highly beneficial. Because the work involves sensitive financial decisions and negotiations, individuals must demonstrate attention to detail, integrity, dependability, and self-control. This career strongly appeals to people with conventional interests who enjoy structured, detail-oriented tasks.

    How to get there

    To enter this career, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that a high school diploma is the typical minimum education required. However, many positions are classified as requiring considerable preparation, meaning most professionals in the field hold a bachelor's degree and have several years of experience in a related role. Relevant college majors include insurance as well as health and medical administrative services.

    Depending on the location, some states list a license for this work. Professionals can also earn voluntary certifications to demonstrate their expertise. Examples of these credentials include the Accredited Insurance Examiner from the Insurance Regulatory Examiners Society, and several designations from The Institutes, such as Associate in Claims, Associate in Claims - Management, Associate in National Flood Insurance, Associate in Regulation and Compliance, and Associate in Reinsurance.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators was $78,000. The lowest 10 percent of earners made less than $48,850, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $117,040. There were 324,230 people employed in this field.

    Between 2025 and 2035, employment in this occupation is projected to decline by -5.5%. Despite this projected decrease in total jobs, the field is still expected to offer approximately 20,900 openings each year as workers retire or transfer to other occupations.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    4 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    42 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    27 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    63 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    87 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CEI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Working with Computers
    92
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    90
    Getting Information
    89
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    87
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    87
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    85
    Documenting/Recording Information
    84
    Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
    82
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    81
    Analyzing Data or Information
    77
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Reading Comprehension
    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Speaking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Writing
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Monitoring
    • Social Perceptiveness
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Customer and Personal Service
    • English Language
    • Administrative
    • Mathematics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Law and Government
    • Administration and Management
    • Economics and Accounting
    • Education and Training
    • Psychology

    Abilities

    • Written Comprehension
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Near Vision
    • Written Expression
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Information Ordering

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Cautiousness
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Cooperation

    Also called

    Accident Investigator · Adjuster · Adjustment Clerk · Auto Claims Adjuster (Automotive Claims Adjuster) · Auto Damage Claims Adjuster (Automotive Damage Claims Adjuster) · Benefit Authorizer · Bodily Injury Claims Adjuster · Bodily Injury Claims Examiner · Claims Account Specialist · Claims Adjuster

    Career pathway

    From your interests to claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators$78,000 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $143,686
      Median debt
      $11,000
    2. 2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus logo
      University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Main Campus

      Chapel Hill, NC · Health and Medical Administrative Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $44,456
      4 yrs after
      $110,204
      Median debt
      Not reported
    3. 3University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus logo
      University of Wisconsin-Madison Main Campus

      Madison, WI · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $80,508
      4 yrs after
      $105,992
      Median debt
      $15,000
    4. 4St. John's University-New York logo
      St. John's University-New York

      Queens, NY · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $73,673
      4 yrs after
      $105,688
      Median debt
      $19,500
    5. 5Saint Joseph's University logo
      Saint Joseph's University

      Philadelphia, PA · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,669
      4 yrs after
      $101,930
      Median debt
      $22,375
    6. 6
      Georgia State University

      Atlanta, GA · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,639
      4 yrs after
      $101,040
      Median debt
      $22,875
    7. 7University of Houston-Downtown logo
      University of Houston-Downtown

      Houston, TX · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $70,256
      4 yrs after
      $98,510
      Median debt
      $24,500
    8. 8
      University of South Carolina-Columbia Main Campus

      Columbia, SC · Insurance · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $69,288
      4 yrs after
      $96,539
      Median debt
      $21,000

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Health/Medical Claims Examiner
    • Insurance

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    43 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for this career?

    People in this field are also called accident investigators, adjusters, adjustment clerks, auto claims adjusters, benefit authorizers, bodily injury claims examiners, and claims account specialists.

    Is a college degree required to become a claims adjuster?

    While a high school diploma is the typical entry-level education requirement, most people in the field hold a bachelor's degree and have several years of work experience.

    Are there professional certifications available for this field?

    Yes, professionals can earn credentials such as the Associate in Claims, Associate in National Flood Insurance, or the Accredited Insurance Examiner certification.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.