How to hire claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Job description template

Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.

[Job title] at [Company name]
[City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range]

About the role
[Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.]

What you will do
• Analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations.
• Examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
• Interview or correspond with agents and claimants to correct errors or omissions and to investigate questionable claims.
• Investigate and assess damage to property and create or review property damage estimates.
• Investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.
• Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
• Review police reports, medical treatment records, medical bills, or physical property damage to determine the extent of liability.
• Verify and analyze data used in settling claims to ensure that claims are valid and that settlements are made according to company practices and procedures.

What you bring
• [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any]
• [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent]
• Strong reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, speaking, writing and monitoring skills
• Working knowledge of customer and personal service, English Language, administrative and mathematics
• [Anything else you would really turn someone away for]

Pay and benefits
[Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $37.50 an hour ($78,000 a year).
[Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.]

How to apply
[Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]

Copy the template Check your finished job post

Interview questions for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.

1. Tell me about a time you had to analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
2. Tell me about a time you had to examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
3. Tell me about a time you had to interview or correspond with agents and claimants to correct errors or omissions and to investigate questionable claims. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
4. Tell me about a time you had to investigate and assess damage to property and create or review property damage estimates. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
5. Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
6. Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
7. Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
8. Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?

Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.

What claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators do

• Analyze information gathered by investigation and report findings and recommendations.
• Examine claims forms and other records to determine insurance coverage.
• Interview or correspond with agents and claimants to correct errors or omissions and to investigate questionable claims.
• Investigate and assess damage to property and create or review property damage estimates.
• Investigate, evaluate, and settle claims, applying technical knowledge and human relations skills to effect fair and prompt disposal of cases and to contribute to a reduced loss ratio.
• Pay and process claims within designated authority level.
• Review police reports, medical treatment records, medical bills, or physical property damage to determine the extent of liability.
• Verify and analyze data used in settling claims to ensure that claims are valid and that settlements are made according to company practices and procedures.

Skills that matter most

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeakingWritingMonitoringCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageAdministrativeMathematics

Education, experience and outlook for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

• Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
• Training on the job: Long-term on-the-job training (BLS)
• Job outlook: -5.5% over ten years, declining · about 20,900 openings a year (BLS)

What to pay claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators

Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:

See claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators pay in every state

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Job duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.