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Insurance Claims Clerks Job Overview

Insurance claims clerks get information from policy holders or the insured, verify their accuracy and check the accuracy of the information on applications.

Insurance Claims Clerks Schools and Degrees

A high school diploma usually suffices for those beginning out as an insurance claims clerk. There are also courses that provide job-related and vocational training, which assist to further career growth.

Job Requirements

Training in this profession is essential. Training can last a year and an experienced person in the profession usually provides it. Prior work experience in this field is important.

Insurance claims clerks need to be realistic and investigative as they have to search for facts and figure out areas that have problems. Their job requires them to assist others, and they should be sociable as they are required to interact with many people regarding their work. Proficiency with computers is also needed.

Nature of Work

Insurance claims clerks determine and review policies. They also prepare and complete forms. They work with computers to access data and also work with detailed records of the office and warehouse. They mail information to claim files and pass on claims for more investigation or payment. They confer with managers to work out problems in areas like work schedules and output quality. They sometimes provide assistance in managing benefit programs and employee compensation.

Insurance claims clerks work in comfortable offices. They usually work regular hours. They should be well informed about all the claims and policies that they are working on. Their job often requires them to study and handle a lot of information and they need to be careful about the security of those details.

Insurance Claims Clerks Jobs and Outlook

According to research in 2006, insurance claims clerks held about 254,000 jobs in the US. The level of employment in this field is likely to remain about the same in the next ten years. Employment is highest in the following industries:

• Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
• Insurance Carriers
• Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds
• Management of Companies and Enterprises
• Offices of Physicians

The mean hourly wage for insurance claims clerks in the US is about $16.24, while the mean annual salary is around $33,780.

Job Numbers and Growth

About 254,000 insurance claims clerks are employed nationally. Workers can expect a low level of unemployment, if history can be used as a guide. In 2008, 3% of employees could not find jobs.

Area Job Conditions

Popular locations for employees include Lewiston (Maine), Macon (Georgia), and Chattanooga (Tennessee). Fewer are found in Ann Arbor (Michigan), Anchorage (Alaska), and Lexington (Kentucky).

Insurance claims clerks looking for high salaries should look at San Francisco (California), Naples (Florida), and San Jose (California), and should avoid Kingman (Arizona), Dothan (Alabama), and Athens (Georgia).

Training and Education

Workers often obtain moderate-term on-the-job training before starting. The percentage of employees with college degrees is 22%. Insurance claims clerks with some college (less than a bachelor's degree) represent about 48% of the total. Some workers, about 31%, had a high-school education. Recommended schools are shown in the column to the right; request information from them to help you decide which if any could help you with this career.

Part-Time Work and Self-Employment

Part-time insurance claims clerks are 10% of all surveyed.

Insurance Claims Clerks by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Birmingham	$33,000	1,230	+40%
Florence	$34,000	50	-39%
Mobile	$30,000	150	-51%
Montgomery	$31,000	140	-50%
Tuscaloosa	$31,000	120	-20%

Alaska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Anchorage	$43,000	80	-72%

Arizona

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Phoenix	$38,000	2,870	-10%
Prescott	$38,000	50	-42%
Tucson	$33,000	300	-51%

Arkansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Fayetteville	$30,000	130	-63%
Fort Smith	$26,000	30	-86%
Little Rock	$37,000	830	+35%

California

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bakersfield	$37,000	880	+92%
Chico	$30,000	260	+130%
El Centro	$32,000	50	-36%
Fresno	$39,000	880	+56%
Los Angeles	$37,000	8,490	+16%
Madera	$32,000	40	-17%
Modesto	$36,000	240	-10%
Napa	$42,000	100	-1%
Oakland	$44,000	2,450	+36%
Oxnard	$37,000	1,140	+117%
Redding	$33,000	260	+171%
Riverside	$35,000	2,700	+24%
Sacramento	$38,000	2,960	+90%
Salinas	$42,000	190	-31%
San Diego	$37,000	3,160	+34%
San Francisco	$46,000	1,770	-1%
San Jose	$46,000	1,070	-34%
San Luis Obispo	$43,000	130	-16%
Santa Ana	$44,000	3,950	+51%
Santa Barbara	$42,000	300	+4%
Santa Cruz	$38,000	150	+4%
Santa Rosa	$35,000	350	+16%
Stockton	$39,000	660	+81%
Vallejo	$39,000	280	+38%
Visalia	$33,000	350	+53%
Yuba City	$33,000	60	+3%

Colorado

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Denver	$39,000	1,890	-16%
Fort Collins	$38,000	70	-67%
Greeley	$38,000	350	+196%

Connecticut

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bridgeport	$38,000	990	+30%
Danbury	$34,000	100	-9%
Hartford	$39,000	2,890	+181%
New Haven	$43,000	600	+25%

Delaware

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Dover	$32,000	130	+60%
Wilmington	$38,000	680	+18%

District of Columbia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Washington	$39,000	2,430	-45%

Florida

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cape Coral	$32,000	270	-20%
Deltona	$24,000	300	+14%
Fort Lauderdale	$32,000	1,750	+40%
Fort Walton Beach	$29,000	110	-12%
Gainesville	$32,000	250	+22%
Jacksonville	$31,000	2,050	+90%
Lakeland	$29,000	560	+71%
Miami	$32,000	2,390	+35%
Naples	$37,000	180	-4%
Ocala	$32,000	190	+31%
Orlando	$35,000	1,280	-30%
Palm Bay	$30,000	310	-10%
Pensacola	$23,000	140	-45%
Port St Lucie	$28,000	150	-26%
Sarasota	$34,000	310	-28%
Sebastian	$37,000	60	-19%
Tallahassee	$31,000	370	+33%
Tampa	$35,000	2,640	+28%
West Palm Beach	$35,000	790	-15%

Georgia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$33,000	110	+11%
Atlanta	$37,000	5,210	+25%
Augusta	$32,000	170	-52%
Columbus	$32,000	870	+368%
Dalton	$43,000	40	-64%
Savannah	$29,000	290	+13%
Valdosta	$32,000	50	-36%
Warner Robins	$30,000	50	-41%

Hawaii

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Honolulu	$35,000	440	-44%

Idaho

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Boise	$40,000	350	-24%
Coeur Dalene	$41,000	40	-50%

Illinois

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Champaign	$37,000	100	-42%
Chicago	$39,000	6,260	-8%
Decatur	$30,000	70	-1%
Peoria	$29,000	400	+36%
Rockford	$35,000	200	-17%
Springfield	$43,000	400	+121%

Indiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Elkhart	$31,000	80	-56%
Fort Wayne	$34,000	670	+88%
Gary	$31,000	190	-60%
Indianapolis	$35,000	2,600	+61%
Kokomo	$30,000	40	-33%
Lafayette	$35,000	230	+86%
South Bend	$39,000	180	-18%
Terre Haute	$35,000	70	-37%

Iowa

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Cedar Rapids	$32,000	270	+14%
Davenport	$36,000	290	-10%
Sioux City	$30,000	200	+69%
Waterloo	$36,000	100	-29%

Kansas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Topeka	$37,000	220	+18%
Wichita	$33,000	150	-71%

Kentucky

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lexington	$33,000	140	-67%

Louisiana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Alexandria	$33,000	60	-42%
Baton Rouge	$34,000	450	-32%
Lafayette	$34,000	80	-67%
New Orleans	$32,000	630	-34%
Shreveport	$31,000	90	-71%

Maine

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bangor	$29,000	60	-39%
Lewiston	$34,000	330	+316%
Portland	$34,000	720	+106%

Maryland

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Baltimore	$39,000	2,500	+6%
Bethesda	$40,000	530	-49%
Hagerstown	$30,000	120	-26%
Salisbury	$27,000	70	-18%

Massachusetts

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Barnstable Town	$36,000	140	-16%
Boston	$43,000	4,780	+52%
Brockton	$40,000	290	+94%
Framingham	$39,000	190	-33%
Haverhill	$34,000	170	+26%
Lawrence	$34,000	90	-6%
Lowell	$35,000	100	-51%
New Bedford	$36,000	90	-14%
Peabody	$40,000	160	-6%
Pittsfield	$34,000	110	+126%
Springfield	$33,000	880	+67%
Worcester	$39,000	820	+85%

Michigan

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Detroit	$39,000	670	-44%
Flint		100	-55%
Grand Rapids	$35,000	650	-3%
Kalamazoo	$38,000	60	-74%
Lansing	$37,000	440	+27%
Saginaw	$31,000	80	-41%
Warren	$37,000	1,390	-29%

Minnesota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Duluth	$28,000	250	+13%
Minneapolis	$36,000	2,160	-33%

Mississippi

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Jackson	$35,000	480	+8%

Missouri

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Columbia	$36,000	490	+272%
Jefferson City	$37,000	120	-1%
Kansas City	$36,000	2,450	+34%
Springfield	$37,000	600	+81%
St Joseph	$30,000	460	+473%
St Louis	$36,000	2,760	+14%

Montana

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Billings	$35,000	40	-71%
Great Falls	$32,000	50	-10%
Missoula	$32,000	70	-15%

Nebraska

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Lincoln	$35,000	1,010	+266%
Omaha	$34,000	2,120	+152%

Nevada

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Las Vegas	$42,000	790	-48%
Reno	$43,000	230	-31%

New Hampshire

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Manchester	$40,000	260	+50%
Nashua	$46,000	100	-57%

New Jersey

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Atlantic City	$43,000	170	-32%
Camden	$38,000	870	-7%
Edison	$38,000	2,250	+21%
Newark	$38,000	2,450	+36%
Ocean City	$34,000	60	-5%
Trenton	$39,000	880	+121%

New Mexico

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albuquerque	$31,000	580	-16%
Farmington	$27,000	30	-61%

New York

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Albany	$36,000	1,120	+39%
Binghamton	$36,000	110	-42%
Buffalo	$35,000	1,120	+13%
Elmira	$35,000	60	+3%
Glens Falls	$36,000	110	+33%
Ithaca	$31,000	40	-37%
Nassau	$40,000	2,000	-13%
New York	$43,000	5,060	-46%
Poughkeepsie	$35,000	120	-72%
Rochester	$33,000	380	-58%
Syracuse	$35,000	910	+64%

North Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$31,000	160	+77%
Charlotte	$34,000	1,360	-12%
Durham	$32,000	500	+3%
Fayetteville	$30,000	60	-72%
Goldsboro	$28,000	50	-20%
Greensboro	$33,000	740	+17%
Raleigh	$34,000	960	+4%
Winston Salem	$37,000	650	+76%

North Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bismarck	$30,000	220	+108%
Fargo	$32,000	390	+88%

Ohio

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Akron	$34,000	580	+2%
Canton	$33,000	510	+77%
Cincinnati	$37,000	3,430	+87%
Cleveland	$36,000	3,030	+64%
Columbus	$36,000	3,740	+125%
Dayton	$36,000	560	-18%
Lima	$32,000	40	-52%
Mansfield	$40,000	30	-63%
Springfield	$32,000	40	-47%
Steubenville	$25,000	30	-53%
Toledo	$35,000	610	+17%
Youngstown	$33,000	300	-24%

Oklahoma

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Oklahoma City	$32,000	710	-32%
Tulsa	$39,000	690	-10%

Oregon

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bend	$30,000	260	+156%
Eugene	$34,000	90	-63%
Medford	$29,000	190	+50%
Portland	$39,000	2,350	+27%
Salem	$34,000	230	-10%

Pennsylvania

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Allentown	$38,000	590	-4%
Harrisburg	$37,000	1,840	+224%
Johnstown	$37,000	80	-11%
Lancaster	$36,000	460	+11%
Philadelphia	$41,000	4,060	+18%
Pittsburgh	$40,000	1,930	-7%
Reading	$39,000	440	+53%
Scranton	$35,000	420	-9%
York	$37,000	160	-48%

Rhode Island

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Providence	$36,000	1,370	+37%

South Carolina

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$28,000	270	-47%
Columbia	$35,000	2,100	+237%
Greenville	$36,000	180	-66%
Spartanburg	$39,000	40	-80%

South Dakota

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Rapid City	$22,000	150	+46%
Sioux Falls	$28,000	700	+193%

Tennessee

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Chattanooga	$40,000	930	+133%
Kingsport	$27,000	80	-61%
Knoxville	$40,000	300	-49%
Memphis	$35,000	340	-69%
Nashville	$37,000	1,060	-21%

Texas

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Abilene	$31,000	150	+47%
Amarillo	$33,000	220	+23%
Austin	$37,000	1,320	-7%
Dallas	$37,000	3,840	+1%
El Paso	$34,000	100	-79%
Fort Worth	$39,000	930	-40%
Houston	$36,000	2,550	-46%
Lubbock	$29,000	100	-53%
Mcallen	$34,000	30	-93%
San Antonio	$37,000	1,200	-24%
Waco	$32,000	160	-4%
Wichita Falls	$26,000	200	+127%

Utah

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Ogden	$26,000	250	-28%
Salt Lake City	$33,000	1,200	+10%
St George	$31,000	30	-58%

Vermont

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Burlington	$33,000	100	-47%

Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Blacksburg	$30,000	50	-49%
Charlottesville	$33,000	220	+54%
Harrisonburg	$40,000	30	-66%
Lynchburg	$27,000	120	-27%
Richmond	$34,000	1,850	+67%
Roanoke	$35,000	650	+142%
Virginia Beach	$30,000	910	-33%
Winchester	$37,000	50	-36%

Washington

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Bellingham	$35,000	90	-25%
Bremerton	$34,000	110	-20%
Olympia	$41,000	450	+172%
Seattle	$40,000	2,940	+16%
Spokane	$34,000	830	+132%
Tacoma	$38,000	530	+14%
Wenatchee	$36,000	50	-16%
Yakima	$37,000	110	-20%

West Virginia

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Charleston	$31,000	460	+84%
Morgantown	$28,000	90	+7%
Parkersburg	$27,000	110	-1%
Wheeling	$28,000	100	-5%

Wisconsin

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Green Bay	$33,000	620	+113%
La Crosse	$33,000	180	+54%
Madison	$35,000	2,120	+253%
Milwaukee	$38,000	2,070	+38%
Oshkosh	$29,000	40	-73%
Sheboygan	$33,000	180	+102%

Wyoming

City and Area	Median Salary	Employees	Job Density
Casper	$30,000	40	-28%
Cheyenne	$24,000	370	+464%