State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators earn a median of $78,000 per year ($37.50/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 5.1% through 2034, with about 21,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 13-1031Business and Financial OperationsLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $78,000
- Projected growth
- -5.1%
- Openings a year
- 21,100
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Claims Adjuster, Claims Analyst, Claims Examiner, Claims Representative, Claims Specialist, Corporate Claims Examiner.
How much do Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators make?
10th percentile$48,850
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$61,160
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$78,000
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$98,030
Upper quartile
90th percentile$117,040
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $78,000 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $37.50/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $80,470 |
| People employed | 324,230 |
Versus all US occupations
At $78,000, Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators earn 53% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $27,020 a year.
Versus business and financial operations occupations
Inside the Business and Financial Operations group, where the middle occupation pays $80,730, this is 3% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $117,040 or more while the bottom 10% earn $48,850, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 63% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $101,150, and still leads at $92,037 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101,150 | $92,037 | 360 |
| New Jersey | $95,690 | $87,946 | 9,650 |
| Maryland | $95,560 | $91,045 | N/A |
| California | $91,790 | $82,903 | 24,290 |
| Connecticut | $88,330 | $85,252 | 3,190 |
| Alaska | $87,670 | $85,650 | 220 |
| New York | $87,130 | $80,735 | 17,330 |
| Rhode Island | $86,520 | $84,591 | 1,150 |
| Vermont | $83,970 | $85,720 | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $83,890 | $80,536 | 880 |
Is Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator a growing career?
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators-5.1%
All US occupations3.1%
-5.1% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators to change -5.1% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 18,200 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 21,100 openings are projected each year, 5.9% of the 356,100 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators is projected to grow 5 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Technology is expected to automate some of the tasks that these workers currently perform. For example, computer software can evaluate photographs of damaged property and calculate an estimated claim amount. In addition, data processing speed and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities will continue to increase, which will improve efficiency and make workers more productive.
The number of natural disasters, such as floods and fires, influences demand for claims adjusters in property and casualty insurance. Future increases in the number of natural disasters could result in some demand for claims adjusters in the field.
How to become a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for a person to work as an entry-level claims adjuster, examiner, or investigator, although some positions require a bachelor’s degree or insurance-related work experience. Auto damage appraisers typically have either a postsecondary nondegree award or work experience in identifying and estimating the cost of automotive repair.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Medium preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Long-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators.
- Bachelor's Degree55.8%
- High School Diploma13.1%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)12.0%
- Some College Courses11.9%
- Doctoral Degree4.0%
What does a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator do?
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.
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators evaluate insurance claims. They decide whether an insurance company must pay a claim and if so, how much.
Day-to-day tasks
- Examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
- Interview or correspond with claimants, witnesses, police, physicians, or other relevant parties to determine claim settlement, denial, or review.
- Review police reports, medical treatment records, medical bills, or physical property damage to determine the extent of liability.
- Analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations.
- Adjust reserves or provide reserve recommendations to ensure that reserve activities are consistent with corporate policies.
- 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.
- Refer questionable claims to investigator or claims adjuster for investigation or settlement.
- Interview or correspond with agents and claimants to correct errors or omissions and to investigate questionable claims.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators work
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 35% |
|---|---|
| Agencies, brokerages, and other insurance related activities | 28% |
| Federal government | 15% |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 7% |
| State government, excluding education and hospitals | 3% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1/5
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Critical Thinking4.0/5
- Speaking3.9/5
- Writing3.6/5
- Monitoring3.4/5
- Active Learning3.3/5
- Mathematics2.9/5
Transferable skills
- Judgment and Decision Making3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.5/5
- Social Perceptiveness3.4/5
- Coordination3.3/5
- Negotiation3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Systems Analysis3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
Tools and software
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Video conferencing software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Access software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Computer aided design CAD software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realistic1.2
Investigativeprimary3.5
Artistic1.0
Social2.6
Enterprisingprimary4.8
Conventionalprimary6.2
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator: frequently asked questions
How much do Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators make?
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators earn a median of $78,000 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 53% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $37.50/hr. The middle half earn between $61,160 and $98,030. The top 10% earn $117,040 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 55.8% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 5.1% over 2024–2034, a loss of 18,200 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 21,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator do?
Claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators evaluate insurance claims. A core O*NET task: examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage. Employers most often ask for Data base user interface and query software, Electronic mail software, Internet browser software.
Which states pay Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators the most?
The highest state medians for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators are District of Columbia ($101,150), New Jersey ($95,690), Maryland ($95,560) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator?
O*NET scores Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ESTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.