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Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks: Career Profile

Process new insurance policies, modifications to existing policies, and claims forms. Obtain information from policyholders to verify the accuracy and completeness of information on claims forms, applications and related documents, and company records. Update existing policies and company records to reflect changes requested by policyholders and insurance company representatives.

What Do Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks Do?

The day-to-day responsibilities of insurance claims and policy processing clerks span:

  • Prepare insurance claim forms or related documents, and review them for completeness.
  • Calculate amount of claim.
  • Post or attach information to claim file.
  • Transmit claims for payment or further investigation.
  • Contact insured or other involved persons to obtain missing information.
  • Review insurance policy to determine coverage.
  • Process and record new insurance policies and claims.
  • Organize or work with detailed office or warehouse records, using computers to enter, access, search or retrieve data.

Skills and Knowledge

Successful insurance claims and policy processing clerks combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Most Important Skills

The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Reading Comprehension  3.5 / 5
0
5
Time Management  3.5 / 5
0
5
Speaking  3.4 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.2 / 5
0
5
Critical Thinking  3.2 / 5
0
5
Coordination  3.1 / 5
0
5

Knowledge Areas

Customer and Personal Service  4.2 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.9 / 5
0
5
English Language  3.6 / 5
0
5
Computers and Electronics  3.0 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  2.9 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  2.4 / 5
0
5

Types of Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks Jobs

People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:

  • Agency Service Representative (Agency Service Rep)
  • Auto Claims Rep (Automotive Claims Representative)
  • Auto Liability Claims Rep (Automotive Liability Claims Representative)
  • Billing and Insurance Coordinator
  • Bodily Injury Claims Representative (Bodily Injury Claims Rep)
  • Cancellation Clerk
  • Claim Representative (Claims Rep)
  • Claims Adjudicator

Employment and Demand

There are about 939,223 insurance claims and policy processing clerks working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +4.7% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Salary for Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Statistic Value
Annual median $34,431
Hourly median $16.55
10th percentile $20,000
25th percentile $26,701
75th percentile $42,161
90th percentile $49,891

Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks Salary by State

State Annual median salary
Washington $59,190
New Jersey $58,010
New Hampshire $57,830
New York $57,620
District of Columbia $57,510
Connecticut $56,950
Massachusetts $56,400
Colorado $55,030
California $54,120
Minnesota $53,570
Maryland $53,180
Maine $52,010
Rhode Island $50,740
Delaware $50,490
Vermont $49,960
Montana $49,920
Wisconsin $49,330
Arizona $49,270
Oregon $49,230
Texas $49,090
Oklahoma $48,890
North Dakota $48,720
Hawaii $48,410
Ohio $47,910
Kentucky $47,560
Nebraska $47,510
Florida $47,080
Missouri $46,990
Illinois $46,960
Kansas $46,940
Idaho $46,890
Pennsylvania $46,800
Michigan $46,750
Iowa $46,750
Virginia $46,710
North Carolina $46,570
Indiana $46,450
Tennessee $46,140
Georgia $46,060
Nevada $44,810
South Dakota $43,680
Louisiana $43,650
South Carolina $43,620
Utah $43,480
Wyoming $41,460
Virgin Islands $41,110
Arkansas $40,810
Mississippi $39,590
New Mexico $38,910
West Virginia $38,890
Alabama $37,850
Alaska $36,120
Puerto Rico $29,940
Guam $24,220

Top-Paying U.S. Regions

Pay for insurance claims and policy processing clerks vary by region. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
New England $55,555 4.8% 1.06
Middle Atlantic $53,773 9.2% 0.65
Far Western US $53,587 14.9% 0.92
Southwest $48,912 17.0% 1.40
Plains States $48,472 7.1% 1.17
Rocky Mountains $48,286 2.2% 0.60
Great Lakes $47,443 16.1% 1.17
Southeast $45,477 27.8% 1.20

Where the Jobs Cluster

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Manchester-Nashua, NH NH $63,710 330
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $61,360
Barnstable Town, MA MA $61,350 130
Bozeman, MT MT $61,180 50
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $60,550 2,740
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT CT $60,530 1,200
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA CA $60,440 250
Rochester, MN MN $60,410 70

Which Industries Hire Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Most insurance claims and policy processing clerks are concentrated in the following sectors:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Finance and Insurance 179,320 $48,980
Health Care and Social Assistance 13,520 $44,840
Management of Companies and Enterprises 9,390 $47,790
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 7,260 $46,960
Retail Trade 1,910 $46,090
Information 820 $35,740
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 500 $49,270
Wholesale Trade 490 $48,470
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks sectors

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks industries

Tech Stack

  • Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)

Work Environment

The work environment for insurance claims and policy processing clerks is shaped by the following characteristics:

  • E-Mail
  • Spend Time Sitting
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks

Education and Training

Most insurance claims and policy processing clerks positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

Similar Occupations

References

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 43-9041.00 (Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks).

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