Overall, however, the cheers outweighed the jeers this time around, as 78 percent of respondents said they would recommend the profession to others. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed had positive feelings about the future of the industry, with 22 percent expressing a negative sentiment. Meanwhile, 23 percent adopted an apathetic stance.

“I not only would but also have recommended the claim industry to others,” said an independent adjusting firm owner with 12 years of experience. “It takes a strong personality to be successful in the claims aspect of the business; I am careful about recommending work in this area unless I know someone fairly well.”

Worker morale has wavered these past years across industry lines, and perhaps rightfully so. Aside from salary freezes, dwindling benefits, and mounting duties, employees have been dealing with the fear of losing their jobs, a prospect made even scarier by the tanking economy. Even so, some admit that their sometimes contentious relationships with managers are being tempered by flexible working options and increased cooperation and efficiencies. Fifty-four percent of the insurance companies we polled offer telecommuting options for claim staff.

Salaries Stuck in Neutral?

Despite claim professionals' tolerant, can-do attitudes, the gravity and hindrance of salary stagnation cannot—and should not—be overlooked. Both the 2008 and 2009 iterations of Claims salary survey pointed to insurance company adjusters persevering in the face of a rash of staff cuts, which resulted in increased workloads and even tighter time constraints. Independents have reported similar struggles, and in some instances, a real threat to their livelihoods. For instance, 48 percent of independent adjusters surveyed said the economy has detrimentally impacted their businesses.

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But after years of stagnant pay and diminishing benefits, there is sunlight creeping in. Salaries from our readership are noticeably inching up, with benefits holding steady. When evaluating the salary information submitted, the Claims editorial team noticed that, in most title categories, the average increase (percentage wise) outpaced the subtle boost projected by at least one major consulting firm. Indeed, in the “Mercer 2009/2010 U.S. Compensation Planning Survey Update,” the average pay raise for Americans was expected to be about 2.7 percent in 2010.

This year's figures, however, indicate that claim professionals who subscribe to Claims fared much better than that. For instance, both insurance company adjusters and independents received increases of more than five percent—insurer staff adjusters' average earnings rose from $66,122.24 to $72,041.82, while independent adjusters' earnings rose from $71,284.21 to $75,249.35 from 2009 to 2010.

Additional capital could stem from increased operational efficiencies made possible by technological updates, job consolidation, varying strategic efforts, and, it should go without saying, the adept claim professionals who manage to juggle an array of claims that continue to widen in magnitude and complexity. It is important to note that the brunt of survey respondents did not report working significantly more hours than they did just one year ago. Somewhat surprisingly, aside from purported burnout induced by “increasingly unreasonable workloads,” 64 percent of insurance claim staff and 62 percent of independents said their workloads “stayed about the same.”

We'll delve into some possible reasons behind the conflicting reports, but do these salary hikes reflect real progress or merely a redistribution of wealth? As we've stated before, workers in all sectors—including the insurance claim industry—have either lost jobs or migrated to other professions during the economic turmoil. Sure, many of those who have been fortunate enough to retain their claim positions report wage increases. However, the salary boost may have larger implications.

From Bad to Merely Better?

Is this steady salary climb a result of a surplus created by eliminated positions? What is the real cost to the claim professionals still toiling away in the trenches? Scaling back the workforce has meant that remaining claim staff has assumed quantifiably heftier workloads in exchange for meager compensation. Although some feel this is “better than nothing” compared to the alternatives, others are not shy about voicing some valid concerns, including the possible toll on health and one's capability to process increasingly complex claims efficiently.

“Increased responsibilities and volume of work are not reflected in our compensation,” said an insurance company claim adjuster who has logged five years in the business and makes $65,000 annually. “When attrition occurs, companies aren't replacing those staff members. Those of us left are rendered virtually incapable of performing to the high standards set by out-of-touch senior management.”

In some cases, unreasonable expectations set forth by managers translate to unmanageable workloads that compromise the quality of claim handling and customer service.

“The volume of work is tremendous, which requires me to work extra hours in an attempt to keep control of the desk,” reported a 63-year-old insurance claim manager whose career has spanned nearly four decades. Although the Alabama-based manager makes $170,000, she says that she works 50 hours or more each week.

“The work load is, at times, oppressive and unrealistic, considering all the ancillary duties involved,” added a claim adjuster based in the Southeast. “My biggest frustration is I feel that at times I'm not producing a quality claim file product because I have to take shortcuts to keep the assembly line moving. There are just too many demands on my time.”

The litany of complaints didn't stop there. “As with all companies, we are doing more with less and having to work more hours to stay caught up,” lamented another adjuster. “We are required to do a lot more reporting to our home office and complete reports on certain files. This disrupts my personal life. I'm single but if I were married with children, I would explore other career paths.”

BEYOND MONEY…LET'S TALK BENEFITS. CLICK NEXT!

After an erosion of benefits in the past couple of years, the available perks and tools of the trade appear to be holding steady, with subtle upswings in the availability of laptops and telecommuting options. As you might recall, last year's tabulation of medical coverage available to most professionals was not only sobering but disheartening, as only 88 percent of insurer and 32 percent of independent staff were extended benefits.

“Great strides have been made to ensure the tools are available for adjusters to keep up with the high demands and expectations,” said an independent company owner in the Midwest.

In light of the trying times and modest advances, are most claim professionals passably content or regretful of their career choices? With the average tenure of 25 years, the majority of claim professionals seem to stick around. So what fuels their pride and devotion?

“Regardless of how the industry trends, there will always be a need for personalized claim service,” said a 57-year-old female insurer claim staff who earns $145,000 each year. “We've all seen the cycles away from claim training and independent adjuster usage, and back again. The constant about claim adjusting is that there will always be losses, there will always be needful people, and there will always be a need for talented people who work well under pressure and produce excellent results.

“The insurance business is still a good business,” she continued. “This profession can provide someone with a lot of different career paths into personal lines, commercial, and various specialty fields and stable means of earning a living wage.”

To many, the job prospects and earning potential these past years have seemed bleak indeed. Having braved what may represent the most dramatic layoffs and pay cuts of the decade, claim professionals are poised to shape a new, more lucrative reality and garner meaningful work experience and development opportunities that far outweigh the monetary aspect.