Claims adjuster
Investigate accidents and damage to people's property or businesses. Decide how much money the insurance company should pay in compensation.
About the job
What it's like
You would investigate damage to people’s property or to businesses. You’d decide how much money the insurance company should pay in compensation.
You’d look into large or complicated claims on behalf of an insurance company.
You would usually specialise in either domestic household claims from individuals or commercial claims by businesses.
They could be claiming compensation for anything from damage due to a fire or a flood, to loss because of theft or fraud.
You would:
visit sites to see the damage
interview customers about the claim
gather evidence, such as security camera footage and police reports
request detailed reports from specialists, like building surveyors
check that the policy will cover the loss and that the customer is claiming a reasonable amount
organise clean-up or salvage operations, or arrange large-scale building repairs
make further investigations if you suspect fraud
give evidence in court in fraud cases
complete relevant paperwork
present a report to the insurers, with recommendations on how much should be paid out
advise claimants on how to avoid further losses
You might carry out several inspections a day. With more complicated claims, it could take you several days to process one claim.
Hours
You would usually work standard office hours, Monday to Friday. When there are emergency insurance claims because of accidents and natural disasters, you may need to work evenings and weekends. Part-time work may be possible, although you would need to be flexible with your hours.
Travel
You would spend a lot of your time out on the road, visiting people in their homes or commercial premises. You would usually cover a set geographical region.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
Like the sound of this career?
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Claims adjuster'
Select qualification level(s)
Other careers that you might like
Commercial energy assessor Domestic energy assessor
Related industries
Many jobs can be done in lots of different industries. We've highlighted the ones we think are most important for this job.
Financial and professional services
Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Top specialised skills
These are the top specialised skills that have been found in job vacancies across Scotland. From March 2024 to March 2025.
- claims processing
- settlement
- service-level agreement
- underwriting
- loss adjusting
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- negotiating
- taking initiative
- managing resources
- developing a plan
- empathising
- researching
- questioning
- working with numbers
- evaluating
- verbal communication
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Accounting
Business
Maths (Mathematics)
Statistics
Foundation Apprenticeship: Financial Services
Applications of Mathematics
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
You would need an honours degree (SCQF level 10) at 2:2 or above to enter graduate training or you can work towards relevant Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) qualifications while in a claims or management job.
Larger insurance broking companies increasingly offer graduate training programmes,
Degrees in accountancy, business, engineering, insurance, law or surveying and relevant work experience are helpful prior to training in loss adjusting.
To qualify as a loss adjuster while in a relevant job you will need to complete the Diploma of the Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) with claims management.
To become a CILA Associate and get Chartered Loss Adjuster status you must pass three CILA exams and have five years' experience as an independent loss adjuster.
Find the right course for you
Browse courses in Scotland related to 'Claims adjuster'
