How To Become A Claim Investigator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a claim investigator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted Expert

Gary LaFree

A claim investigator works for an insurance company and examines insurance claims made by customers in order to make sure that they are valid. Claim investigators use many techniques to uncover fraud such as collaborating with local law enforcement, interviewing claim makers or witnesses, and examining physical evidence such as photographs. Claim investigators need to have excellent organizational skills in order to manage evidence trails. They need excellent communication skills to communicate the results of their investigation with the company and customers. It also helps if a claim investigator knows how to use software that companies use in-house in order to process claims efficiently.

About half of claim investigators have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or a related field. However, there are no formal education requirements for this field and many people succeed with a high school diploma.

Practical experience is more helpful than a diploma. Many claim investigators work in customer service or as claims adjusters before becoming investigators. Some have law enforcement backgrounds, which makes them attractive to employers. On average, claim investigators earn $28,536 a year.

What general advice would you give to a Claim Investigator?

Gary LaFree

Chair and Professor, University of Maryland

Think about obtaining as much education and training as you can. Be patient. The fundamentals of the economy are relatively strong. Outlet should be much better when we get through the current crisis.

ScoreClaim InvestigatorUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,415

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

8.3

Growth Rate -6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.50%

Asian 5.20%

Black or African American 11.06%

Hispanic or Latino 16.73%

Unknown 4.40%

White 62.12%

Gender

female 47.53%

male 52.47%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a claim investigator

Explore claim investigator education requirements

Most common claim investigator degrees

Bachelor's

61.4 %

Associate

18.3 %

Master's

6.6 %

Start to develop specific claim investigator skills

Skills	Percentages
Scene Investigations	11.23%
Insurance Claims	7.34%
Property Damage	5.38%
Fraud Claims	5.18%
Background Checks	5.07%

Complete relevant claim investigator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New claim investigators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a claim investigator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real claim investigator resumes.

Research claim investigator duties and responsibilities

Manage and dispose of claims in litigation by preparing and developing strategy with defense counsel and consensus relative to litigation handling.
Coordinate with SIU investigators in their investigations of the same claimant or insure.
Collaborate with SIU, fire, and police personnel in an effort to resolve investigations.
Conduct extensive field investigations and interact with staff attorneys on litigation matters.

Prepare your claim investigator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your claim investigator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a claim investigator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Claim Investigator Resume templates

Build a professional Claim Investigator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Claim Investigator resume.

Apply for claim investigator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a claim investigator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do claim investigators rate their job?

-/5

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Claim Investigator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Company vehicle, camera, laptop, among many things provided by the company. Pay can be better but great when working overtime. Great training that happens not just in the beginning but whenever possible during lulls in investigations. Working on your own without micromanagement at least with the company I'm at that leaves judgment up to investigator unless you show you need it.

Cons

Irregular work hours and pay don't go hand in hand. If you're not into doing administration work AFTER a long day of investigation, good luck. There are times where I had to request for a WEEKEND off. But because of the irregular schedule as a new Investigator, don't expect to have a life. Especially when it comes to you being the new guy who joins during peak business hours.