Work

• Working conditions vary by insurance claims specialist jobs. Claims examiners typically work a standard 40-hour week in comfortable offices. Adjusters have variable schedules that include evenings and weekends to accommodate clients. Appraisers spend much of their time traveling to sites to estimate repair costs but have regular hours that do not include weekends. As of May 2009, their median salary was $57,130 per year, with a range of $34,820 to $85,810. This is equivalent to $27.46 per hour, with a range of $16.74 to $41.25. These facts are the most current from the Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS).
  
  

Employers

• The largest employers of insurance claims specialists were insurance carriers, with almost 47 percent of the available 273,930 positions. They paid a mean of $27.83 per hour or $57,890 per year. Also on this list is the federal government, which is also one of the top five paying employers. It offered 42,510 jobs at a mean of $31.73 per hour or $66,000 per year. The employers with the highest pay are securities and commodity brokerages, with the mean salary at $34.59 per hour or $71,950 per year.
  
  

Geography

• The state with the highest salaries for insurance claims specialists was the District of Columbia, with a mean salary of $37.11 per hour or $77,180 per year for 750 jobs. Also in the top five list was New York, with a lower mean salary of $30.44 per hour or $63,310 per year, but higher employment at 21,690 positions. Among cities, Lubbock, Texas, boasted the best pay at a mean of $38.60 per hour or $80,290 per year for 130 jobs. Also on the list was Poughkeepsie, New York, with a lower mean of $35.89 per hour or $74,640, but better opportunities with 320 jobs.
  
  

Outlook

• The BLS sees jobs for insurance claims specialists growing by 7 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is about average for all jobs. Increases in population growth and the expansion of the health-care industry will drive the demand. Insurance companies are trying to decrease coasts, which requires more specialists to analyze each claim. The best opportunities will be in health insurance and in areas susceptible to natural calamities such as the West Coast. College graduates and those with related experience will find the best opportunities.