Employment of claims adjusters, appraisers, examiners, and investigators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2014 to 2024, slower than the average for all occupations.

Employment of claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators is projected to grow 3 percent from 2014 to 2024, slower than the average for all occupations. Employment growth should stem primarily from the growth of the health insurance industry. Federal legislation mandating individual coverage may increase the number of health insurance customers, including high-risk individuals who are more likely to file claims. Any such increase is expected, in turn, to increase the demand for claims adjusters to determine which treatments are approved and how much the company will pay.

In addition, rising medical costs may result in a greater need for claims examiners to carefully review a growing number of medical claims. An increase in the number of claims being made by a growing elderly population also should spur demand for health insurance claims adjusters and examiners.

The number of natural disasters, such as floods and fires, influences demand for claims adjusters in property and casualty insurance. Future increases in the number of natural disasters could result in strong employment growth for claims adjusters in the field.

All of the preceding factors will be somewhat offset by automation. Technology allows less complex claims to be processed automatically, freeing adjusters to work on more complex claims. As a result, fewer adjusters are needed per claim, reducing the number of adjusters required on staff.

Employment of auto damage appraisers is projected to decline 1 percent from 2014 to 2024. In recent years, the number of automobile accidents relative to the population has declined. As automobiles become safer, the number of traffic accidents is expected to decline as well, leading to decreased demand for the services of auto damage appraisers.  

Job Prospects

Job opportunities for claims adjusters and examiners should be best in the health insurance industry as the number of health insurance customers expands. In addition, prospects for claims adjusters in property and casualty insurance will likely be best in areas susceptible to natural disasters. These areas include the Gulf Coast, which can have a large number of hurricanes, and the West Coast, which is vulnerable to wildfires.