Workers’ Compensation Career Path
The job of a workers’ compensation adjuster is to evaluate injury claims from workers who get hurt on the job. They determine if the claims are legitimate and what benefits the person is entitled to.
The adjuster acts as a liaison between the worker and the insurance company. He or she investigates the claim and gathers information about the employee, how the person was injured, what kind of injury it was, and if the accident does indeed prevent the person from working.
The adjuster talks to everyone who would know about the incident under investigation, such as coworkers, managers, physicians, and anyone else who may have been a witness to the event.
Other duties performed by the adjuster include entering information about the case into company computers, consulting with department supervisors about cases, staying current with workers’ compensation laws, and approving or rejecting payment to the employee.
Entry-level claims adjusters are the ones who usually do the legwork, investigating claims and evaluating them, but the senior claims adjusters are the ones who make the final determination about a claim. In most places, a person needs to have at least five years of experience in claims adjustment to become a senior adjuster. Senior adjusters have the power to settle larger claims, up to about $75,000.
Claims adjusters travel a good deal in their work. Many work from home. They also spend a lot of time working at a computer and meeting with clients. Claims adjusters need to have good communication, organization, problem-solving and time management skills.
Workers’ Comp Adjuster Education
Educational requirements can vary, from a certificate, postsecondary diploma to college degree. In some states, adjusters need to have a license to practice their job, which can be earned by passing an exam given by the state.
Workers’ Comp Adjuster Salary
The median annual salary for this position is about $63,000 a year. From 2014 to 2024, the number of claims adjuster jobs is expected to increase by 3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, slower than the national average for all types of jobs. As of 2020, the salary range for workers’ compensation administrators is about 42,000 to $88,000, according to PayScale.com.
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