Job Description of an Insurance Claims Adjuster

Insurance Adjusters Investigate House Fires

Any time you file a claim for loss with an insurance company, the insurance carrier assigns someone to work with you to settle your claim. That someone is an insurance claims adjuster.

Duties

Insurance adjusters investigate claims, negotiate settlements with the insured and issue payments. They may take pictures of the damage, interview witnesses and review medical records, according to the job description in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Types of Adjusters

Many adjusters specialize. One may work only on property damage to cars following an accident, while another may evaluate the claims of people injured in that accident, and still another will handle house-fire claims, for example.

Education

No formal education is needed, the handbook says, but it notes that companies prefer to hire people with college degrees or a background in insurance. Once on the job, continuing education courses may be required.

Training

Most training is acquired on the job as beginning adjusters initially work on small claims then advance to the bigger ones. But an auto damage adjuster should have experience in auto body repair, according to the handbook.

Salary

The median annual wage for insurance adjusters is $55,760, the agency reports. District of Columbia adjusters have the highest annual mean wage at $68,110.

References

• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
• BLS Salary Statistics