Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators pay in the United States

Goes furthest in District of Columbia
·Business and Financial·
324k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$37.50/hr median
324,230 employed
-6% to 2035
62% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

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.

Where the money actually goes furthest

District of Columbia pays the most both before and after cost of living — $101,150, worth $92,038 once local prices are counted.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
District of Columbia$48.63/hr$101,150$92,038$95,393360
Maryland$45.94/hr$95,560$91,044$91,201Not published
Alabama$38.32/hr$79,710$89,743$75,9144,040
South Dakota$37.93/hr$78,900$89,061$78,9001,030
Mississippi$37.07/hr$77,100$88,671$73,808Not published
New Jersey$46.01/hr$95,690$87,942$91,7209,650
Kansas$37.16/hr$77,290$85,811$73,2654,570
Vermont$40.37/hr$83,970$85,718$80,365280
Alaska$42.15/hr$87,670$85,648$87,670220
Connecticut$42.47/hr$88,330$85,252$84,2213,190
Arkansas$35.54/hr$73,920$85,024$71,2132,660
Tennessee$37.50/hr$78,010$84,913$78,0106,390
Rhode Island$41.60/hr$86,520$84,591$83,6711,150
Nebraska$36.46/hr$75,830$84,162$72,7963,160
Missouri$36.46/hr$75,840$83,505$73,1326,200
Wisconsin$37.58/hr$78,160$83,060$75,1158,760
California$44.13/hr$91,790$82,902$87,22624,290
Iowa$34.92/hr$72,640$82,771$70,4343,930
Wyoming$36.73/hr$76,400$82,425$76,400180
Michigan$37.91/hr$78,850$81,947$75,7366,640
Kentucky$35.50/hr$73,840$81,898$71,0123,670
Texas$37.89/hr$78,800$81,186$78,80029,220
Oklahoma$34.26/hr$71,260$81,124$68,3654,140
Idaho$37.19/hr$77,340$80,992$74,0141,320
Maine$37.79/hr$78,590$80,978$74,5231,650
New York$41.89/hr$87,130$80,735$82,94217,330
New Hampshire$40.33/hr$83,890$80,531$83,890880
South Carolina$36.24/hr$75,370$80,394$72,2794,130
North Carolina$36.21/hr$75,310$79,836$72,6519,880
Minnesota$37.67/hr$78,350$79,446$74,4855,530
Pennsylvania$37.16/hr$77,290$79,214$74,91713,270
Massachusetts$40.26/hr$83,740$79,179$79,5535,070
Oregon$39.25/hr$81,640$78,986$75,0372,950
Indiana$35.36/hr$73,560$78,817$71,3834,340
Illinois$37.02/hr$77,010$77,040$73,33514,210
Georgia$35.25/hr$73,320$76,144$70,137Not published
Washington$38.80/hr$80,700$75,413$80,7006,180
Colorado$37.32/hr$77,620$75,322$74,9415,680
West Virginia$32.35/hr$67,290$75,184$64,8851,340
Florida$36.98/hr$76,920$74,383$76,92028,100
Louisiana$31.36/hr$65,220$73,937$63,6383,340
New Mexico$32.66/hr$67,930$73,668$65,7131,280
North Dakota$31.47/hr$65,460$73,583$65,413750
Virginia$35.69/hr$74,240$73,432$70,7177,860
Ohio$32.69/hr$67,990$73,288$66,83613,650
Delaware$34.79/hr$72,370$72,507$68,824Not published
Hawaii$38.02/hr$79,080$71,923$74,513900
Utah$33.18/hr$69,000$69,795$65,8602,440
Montana$30.70/hr$63,860$67,469$61,2061,230
Arizona$31.30/hr$65,110$64,670$63,84713,830
Nevada$30.16/hr$62,730$62,742$62,730Not published
Virgin Islands$28.87/hr$60,050Not publishedNot published30
Guam$24.31/hr$50,560Not publishedNot published80
Puerto Rico$22.10/hr$45,970Not publishedNot published2,730

National median for comparison: $78,000. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$78,000/year

$37.50/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$34,410$118,560

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

62%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix57%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content67%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by -6% between 2025 and 2035, with about 20,900 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • 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.
  • Review police reports, medical treatment records, medical bills, or physical property damage to determine the extent of liability.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Tima Miroshnichenko.