Income and benefits
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for a claims adjuster in the United States was $68,270 in 2020. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $41,950 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $103,610.
The top paying industry of claims adjusters in the United States was the federal government, where the median annual salary was $79,830. This was followed by the direct insurance carriers industry ($67,770), agencies, brokerages and other insurance related activities ($65,040), the state government ($63,630) and finally, the direct health and medical insurance carriers industry ($58,740).
Autonomy and flexibility
Claims adjusters don’t have a huge amount of autonomy and flexibility. Often, they are working under the instruction of the insurance company, or with the assistance of software, to make decisions on insurance claims. On top of this, flexibility is low too, as claims adjusters have to work their schedule around the businesses they work for and the deadlines they need to meet.
Locations and commute
According to Zippia, the best states to be a claims adjuster, based on average annual salary and number of jobs available, are:
- North Dakota, where the average annual salary is $51,364
- New Jersey, where the average annual salary is $52,670
- Nevada, where the average annual salary is $47,645
- New York, where the average annual salary is $51,506
- West Virginia, where the average annual salary is $49,514
The worst states to be a claims adjuster, according to Zippia, are Virginia, Louisiana, Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi.
Work environment
The largest employer of claims adjusters in the United States was the direct insurance carriers industry, which employed 30% of all claims adjusters in the United States. This was followed by agencies, brokerages and other insurance related activities (27%), the federal government (14%), direct health and medical insurance carriers (9%) and, finally, the state government (3%).
Most claims adjusters will work in offices when reviewing documents and conducting research. However, they may have to travel to different sites to examine properties. In these circumstances, they may be exposed to hazards, such as collapsed roofs and floors.