Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Long-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators work in a sizable national occupation, with about 356,000 jobs across the country. The national median annual salary of $76,790 places this field in a solid earning range for many job seekers, and there are an estimated 21,000 openings per year. While overall projected employment growth is -5.1%, the ongoing number of openings suggests continued turnover and replacement needs, which can matter for both new entrants and experienced professionals. The role benefits from a blend of skills, including problem solving and decision making, customer service, writing and reading, and critical and analytical thinking. Strong interpersonal and speaking and listening abilities also play an important role, supported by computers and information technology, mathematics, and project management skills. For students, career changers, and experienced workers, this career can appeal to those who enjoy analytical work that still requires regular interaction with people, along with the ability to adapt to changing situations and information.
With a national median annual salary of $76,790, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators offer a strong income potential for an occupation that typically requires a high school diploma or equivalent. Pay can vary meaningfully by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $77,620 in Colorado up to $91,790 in California. Massachusetts, New York, and Washington also sit above $80,000. At the metro level, several areas stand out with even higher typical pay: San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA reports a median salary of $105,340, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is at $98,230, and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reaches $95,980. These figures show that certain metro areas combine both higher pay and high opportunity scores, which can be important for long-term earning potential for professionals willing or able to work in those regions.
Nationally, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators account for about 356,000 jobs, making this a large occupational group. Projected employment growth is -5.1%, indicating an expected decline in total positions over the projection period. Even with this projected contraction, the occupation is expected to have about 21,000 annual openings. These openings can come from a mix of factors such as workers changing occupations, retiring, or otherwise leaving the labor force. For job seekers, this means that while the total number of jobs is projected to shrink, there is still a significant volume of hiring activity each year. When planning a career path, it can be useful to balance the negative growth projection with the relatively high number of annual openings and the presence of multiple strong state and metro markets with competitive salaries and opportunity scores.
Location has a clear impact on both pay levels and overall opportunity for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators. Among states, California leads on median salary at $91,790 and has the largest employment level at 24,290, with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts and New York also offer relatively high median salaries of $83,740 and $87,130, paired with opportunity scores just above 65. Colorado and Washington show somewhat lower salaries in this group—$77,620 and $80,700—alongside mid-50s opportunity scores. All of these top states share the same projected growth rate of -5.1%, so differences in opportunity are driven by other factors reflected in the scores. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ stand out with the highest opportunity scores, both above 77, and median salaries near or above the mid-$90,000s. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA shows the highest listed metro median pay at $105,340. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV also offer solid salaries and opportunity scores in the 60s.
The typical education requirement for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators is a high school diploma or equivalent, which can make this career accessible to individuals who are not pursuing a four-year college degree. However, success in the role draws on a broad mix of skills. Core analytical capabilities such as problem solving and decision making, critical and analytical thinking, and mathematics help professionals evaluate information effectively. Strong writing and reading, together with speaking and listening, support clear communication in both written and verbal formats. Interpersonal and customer service skills are also important, reflecting the need to work with a range of people. Competence with computers and information technology enables professionals to handle digital records and tools, while project management and adaptability help them organize work and respond to changing circumstances. Building these skills, whether through school, training, or work experience, can strengthen readiness for this field.
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