Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
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.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Social Perceptiveness
- Coordination
Key knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Administrative
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Communications and Media
- Production and Processing
What the work involves
- Calculate premiums, refunds, commissions, adjustments, or new reserve requirements, using insurance rate standards.
- Enter insurance- and claims-related information into database systems.
- Modify, update, or process existing policies and claims to reflect any change in beneficiary, amount of coverage, or type of insurance.
- Organize or work with detailed office or warehouse records, maintaining files for each policyholder, including policies that are to be reinstated or cancelled.
- Prepare insurance claim forms or related documents, and review them for completeness.
- Calculate amount of claim.
- Post or attach information to claim file.
- Transmit claims for payment or further investigation.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Enterprising, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (54.9% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (38.2%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (37.6%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Lower on contact with others than 55% of occupations compared | 60% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Higher on dealing with the public than 56% of occupations compared | 43% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 67% of occupations compared | 46% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 78% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | Moderate | Higher on time pressure than 57% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 51% of occupations compared | 31% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 65% of occupations compared | 27% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 81% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: moderate
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 6%
- Contact with others about half the time: 15.6%
- Contact with others most of the time: 18.07%
- Constant contact with others: 60.34%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 15.65%
- Fairly important: 14.21%
- Important: 10.02%
- Very important: 16.88%
- Extremely important: 43.23%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0.68%
- Fairly important: 9.83%
- Important: 18.97%
- Very important: 24.56%
- Extremely important: 45.96%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 1.11%
- Very little freedom: 13.51%
- Limited freedom: 23.43%
- Some freedom: 32.49%
- A lot of freedom: 29.46%
n = 50, Incumbent 08/2022
Time pressure
- Never: 6.39%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 8.57%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 17.14%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 20.38%
- Every day: 47.52%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Conflict situations
- Never: 19.6%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 20.84%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 23.03%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 31%
- Every day: 5.53%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 12.46%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 21.74%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 27.18%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 26.19%
- Every day: 12.43%
n = 52, Incumbent 08/2022
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 29.89%
- Fairly serious: 33.34%
- Serious: 21.26%
- Very serious: 5.43%
- Extremely serious: 10.08%
n = 50, Incumbent 08/2022
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
Where people with this background could move
- Analyze
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
Closeness 95/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Correspondence Clerks
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Bill and Account Collectors
Closeness 95/100
- Analyze
Brokerage Clerks
Closeness 95/100 · job zone +1
- Analyze
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive
Closeness 94/100
- Analyze
Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants
Closeness 93/100
Find more alternativesCompare skills with another job
O*NET-SOC 43-9041.00 · SOC 43-9041 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8