# Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators

US SOC code 13-1031. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/13-1031

Also called: Claims adjuster, Insurance claims adjuster, Claims examiner, Claims investigator, Auto claims adjuster.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **324,230** US claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators, with median pay of **$78,000** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-careers-and-employment) of **50,000** from 1950, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators: Drone inspection + predictive analytics + Guidewire ClaimCenter, 2010 to 2015.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to decline 5.5% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-1031&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **49%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)
- **0.98** estimated probability that the whole occupation could be computerised, over an unspecified number of years. Not a forecast of job losses. [Frey and Osborne, 2013](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf)

### Since the 2013 prediction

In 2013, Frey and Osborne put this job's probability of computerisation at 0.98. BLS counted **275,500** of these jobs in May 2013 and **324,230** in May 2025 (+18%, a change derived by Future History).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1752
- Latest US employment: 324,230 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $78,000 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [9]
- Outlook: -5.5% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [27]

### In other countries

The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.

- **Canada** (NOC 12201)
  - Employment, 2020: 30,730. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [8]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 12201 Insurance adjusters and claims examiners, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
  - Median pay, 2020: C$69,000. Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 [13]. Statistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 12201 Insurance adjusters and claims examiners, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.

### All 27 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1950 | 50,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Insurance Information Institute [1] |
| 1970 | 120,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Wikipedia [2] |
| 1990 | 230,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., NAIC [3] |
| 2000 | 189,700 | n/a | BLS OEWS 2000 [4] |
| 2003 | 234,190 | $44,040 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [5] |
| 2004 | 234,950 | $44,220 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [5] |
| 2005 | 234,030 | $46,190 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [5] |
| 2006 | 279,240 | $50,660 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [5] |
| 2007 | 279,400 | $53,560 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [5] |
| 2008 | 277,230 | $55,760 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [5] |
| 2009 | 273,930 | $57,130 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [5] |
| 2010 | 262,540 | $58,620 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [5] |
| 2011 | 263,810 | $59,320 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [5] |
| 2012 | 263,280 | $59,960 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 275,500 | $61,190 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 266,280 | $62,220 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 271,600 | $62,980 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 274,420 | $63,680 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 282,030 | $64,900 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 287,730 | $65,900 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 287,960 | $66,790 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 287,150 | $68,270 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 278,140 | $65,080 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 285,270 | $72,230 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 293,780 | $75,050 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 305,020 | $76,790 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 324,230 | $78,000 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (93)

### Employment series

1. [Insurance Information Institute — "Facts + Statistics: Careers and employment" (historical overview of US P&C insurance workforce)](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-careers-and-employment), Insurance Information Institute
2. [Wikipedia — Workers' compensation in the United States (42 states had workers' comp laws by 1920, establishing the claims adjuster workforce)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_compensation), Wikipedia
3. [NAIC — National Association of Insurance Commissioners, historical regulatory context (1871 founding, state insurance department development)](https://content.naic.org/about), National Association of Insurance Commissioners
4. [BLS OES 2000 national estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oes00nat.zip), Bureau of Labor Statistics
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
6. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
7. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
8. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Wage series

9. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)
10. [BLS OEWS May 2024, national cross-industry estimates (flat file)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
11. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2006, Table 97-563-XCB2006069 (Wage and salary statistics by occupation, NOC-S 2006), income reference year 2005](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/tbt/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&PID=96285), Statistics Canada
12. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2016, Table 98-400-X2016356 (Occupation by employment income statistics, NOC 2016), income reference year 2015](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/catalogue/98-400-X2016356), Statistics Canada
13. [Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021, Table 98-10-0586 (Employment income statistics by occupation unit group, NOC 2021), income reference year 2020](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810058601), Statistics Canada

### Tool eras

14. [Wikipedia — Philadelphia Contributionship (founded 1752 by Benjamin Franklin; property inspections before coverage)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Contributionship), Wikipedia
15. [Wikipedia — Great Chicago Fire (October 1871; $222 million in property damage, 17,500 buildings destroyed)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire), Wikipedia
16. [NAIC — "About the NAIC" (founded 1871 as National Insurance Convention, first uniform annual statement)](https://content.naic.org/about), National Association of Insurance Commissioners
17. [Wikipedia — Workers' compensation (Wisconsin 1911 first valid state law; 42 states by 1920)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_compensation), Wikipedia
18. [Wikipedia — National Flood Insurance Program (established 1968 by National Flood Insurance Act, covering approximately 5 million properties)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Flood_Insurance_Program), Wikipedia
19. [Insurance Information Institute — "Facts + Statistics: Careers and employment" (historical context of US insurance industry workforce development)](https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-careers-and-employment), Insurance Information Institute
20. [CCC Intelligent Solutions — "About CCC" (founded as CCC Information Services 1980; auto estimating and claims technology history)](https://www.cccis.com/about/), CCC Intelligent Solutions
21. [Wikipedia — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Title II Administrative Simplification; Transactions and Code Sets Rule mandating EDI standards for health claims)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act), Wikipedia
22. [FAA — "Section 44807: Special Authority for Certain Unmanned Aircraft Systems" (FAA exemptions for commercial drone operations enabling insurance company drone inspections)](https://www.faa.gov/uas/advanced_operations/certification/section_44807), Federal Aviation Administration
23. [Guidewire Software — "ClaimCenter" product page (cloud claims management platform widely adopted by P&C insurers 2010-2020)](https://www.guidewire.com/products/core-products/insurancesuite/claimcenter-claims-management-software), Guidewire Software
24. [Wikipedia — Lemonade, Inc. (founded April 2015 by Daniel Schreiber and Shai Wininger; IPO July 1, 2020 at $29/share)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonade_%28insurance%29), Wikipedia
25. [Wikipedia — Tractable (founded 2014; GEICO client; unicorn valuation June 2021; SoftBank $65M 2023)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tractable_%28company%29), Wikipedia
26. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 13-1031 Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators (2024-34 projection: -5.1%, -18,200 positions)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-1031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Forecasts and exposure studies

27. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 13-1031 Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators (2025: 376.1 thousand; 2035: 355.5 thousand; -5.5%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-1031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
28. [Frey & Osborne (2013), "The Future of Employment: How Susceptible Are Jobs to Computerisation?", Appendix (SOC 13-1031 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators: probability 0.98, rank 675 of 702)](https://oms-www.files.svdcdn.com/production/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf), Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
29. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 13-1031.00, human-rated β 0.49)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

30. [Wikipedia — Philadelphia Contributionship (founded 1752; Benjamin Franklin; oldest P&C insurer still in operation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Contributionship), Wikipedia
31. [NAIC — "About the NAIC" (founded 1871 as National Insurance Convention; direct response to Great Chicago Fire insolvencies)](https://content.naic.org/about), National Association of Insurance Commissioners
32. [Wikipedia — Workers' compensation (first state laws 1909-1911; 42 states by 1920; new claims category creating distinct examiner role)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workers%27_compensation), Wikipedia
33. [Wikipedia — National Flood Insurance Program (established 1968; ~5 million properties covered; FEMA-certified adjuster requirement)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Flood_Insurance_Program), Wikipedia
34. [CCC Intelligent Solutions — "About CCC" (founded 1980 as CCC Information Services; computerized auto estimating platform)](https://www.cccis.com/about/), CCC Intelligent Solutions
35. [Wikipedia — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Title II Administrative Simplification; Transactions and Code Sets Rule mandating EDI standards for health claims; final rules effective 2003)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act), Wikipedia
36. [Wikipedia — Lemonade, Inc. (founded April 2015; Daniel Schreiber + Shai Wininger; AI-powered claims; IPO July 2020)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemonade_%28insurance%29), Wikipedia
37. [BLS National Employment Matrix — 13-1031 Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators (2024: 356,100; 2034 projected: 337,900; -5.1%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=13-1031&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators: –5% 2023-2032](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/claims-adjusters-appraisers-examiners-and-investigators.htm), accessed 2026-05-23
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (13-1031.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1031.00), accessed 2026-05-23
- [McKinsey — Insurance in the Age of AI: STP rates, BI adjuster durability, and augmentation value (2024)](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/financial-services/our-insights/insurance-in-the-age-of-ai-unlocking-the-value-of-a-data-and-ai-transformation), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Accenture — AI in Insurance: complex casualty and SIU investigation remain human-dependent (2025)](https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/insurance/ai-transforming-claims-underwriting), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Claims Journal — AI drives more straight-through processing of low-complexity claims; adjuster role shifts to exception-handling (2026)](https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2026/03/09/336163.htm), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Deloitte — 2025 Insurance Industry Outlook: AI automation of routine claims + durable demand for complex adjusters](https://www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/financial-services/financial-services-industry-outlooks/insurance-industry-outlook.html), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Tractable — AI auto-estimates collision damage from photos; millions of claims processed annually (2024)](https://tractable.ai/case-studies/autovista-group-testimonial/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [CCC Intelligent Solutions — AI claims platform processing \>$100B in P&C claims annually (2025)](https://www.cccis.com/solutions/claims/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 — insurance claims roles among fastest-declining occupational clusters](https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Snapsheet — cloud-native claims management: AI-powered FNOL-to-payment automation for auto and property (2026)](https://www.snapsheetclaims.com/solutions/claims/), accessed 2026-06-21
- [Guidewire ClaimCenter AI — automated claims intake, routing, and coverage verification (2025)](https://www.guidewire.com/products/core-products/insurancesuite/claimcenter-claims-management-software), accessed 2026-05-23
- [Verisk Liability Navigator — AI-driven injury evaluation and settlement benchmarking for bodily injury claims (2026)](https://www.verisk.com/insurance/products/liability-navigator/), accessed 2026-06-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.