Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks

Median salary

$49,230

Average salary

$52,920

Employment

214,260

Projected growth

3.7% decline

Annual openings

20,300

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks Do

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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 0.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
Administrativeimportance 3.9/5
English Languageimportance 3.6/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.0/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.9/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 2.2/5
Production and Processingimportance 2.2/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

E-Mail5.0/5
Spend Time Sitting4.9/5
Telephone Conversations4.8/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.5/5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.5/5
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.4/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Reservation and Transportation Ticket Agents and Travel Clerks99% skill match
Correspondence Clerks98% skill match
New Accounts Clerks98% skill match
Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents98% skill match
Customer Service Representatives98% skill match
Bill and Account Collectors98% skill match
Receptionists and Information Clerks97% skill match
Paralegals and Legal Assistants97% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.5/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.1/5
Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.1/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
Negotiationimportance 2.9/5
Persuasionimportance 2.8/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Account management software
Alpha Software Alpha Five
Automated information system software
Billing software
Claim processing system software
Database software
GroupMe
Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cautiousness
Cooperation
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
EnterprisingMedium
SocialLow
InvestigativeLow
RealisticLow
ArtisticLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where insurance claims and policy processing clerks make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).