A claims adjuster is employed by an insurance company to aid them in determining the cost of an insurance claim. The claims adjuster’s job involves getting to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible, and evaluating the conditions to determine if everything has been described correctly and honestly by the company’s clients. Furthermore, a claims adjuster may work closely with a claims investigator and contact them in cases where circumstances appear suspicious. A claims adjuster will also examine the sum requested by the client to determine if it’s been inflated by overstating certain circumstances.
Requirements for getting the job vary from company to company, and while a high school diploma may suffice in most cases, some companies require higher forms of education. A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in either finances or law can be of use to a candidate. Furthermore, it’s important for a claims adjuster to understand the laws behind insurance claims very strongly, in order to ensure they can accurately evaluate any claim they’ve been assigned. The ability to judge people’s personalities is also a plus.
A claims adjuster is traditionally paid less than the other employees of an insurance company, though if they display good progress and make constant readjustments to claims, the salary usually goes up drastically in the first few years. A claims adjuster can earn between $42,000 and $53,000 annually, with some companies paying up to $60,000 to some of the more experienced claims adjusters. Claims adjusters easily find employment in other branches of the insurance industry.