Insurance Administrator Job Description

© 2013 by Aurelio Locsin.

Consumers and businesses buy insurance policies from agents and submit claims to adjusters. The industry generates information and paperwork that requires sorting, organization and easy access. Insurance administrators handle these tasks not only for insurance providers but for organizations that purchase insurance, such as a large corporation. Their job descriptions vary according to their level within the company.

As with administrative staff in any industry, insurance administrators handle organizational tasks for insurance concerns. They manage and file correspondence and documentation related to claims and payouts, inform staff of any changes to policies and procedures, and create reports detailing the results of their activities. Tasks can vary by the hiring organization. For example, in insurance companies, administrators receive claims and submit them to underwriters or customer service staff. In corporations that provide insurance as a benefit, administrators process claim requests and submit them to insurance companies.

Insurance administrators who have several years of experience may advance to become administrative managers if they show organizational skill. Although they may perform all the tasks of lower-level administrators, their primary functions are to provide guidance to subordinates, set goals and strategies for administrative processes, and develop procedures for supporting insurance staff. They order and distribute supplies; hire, train and fire subordinate administrators; and maintain office facilities. They meet frequently with company managers, agents, claims adjusters and other staff to ensure their administrative needs are being met. They may also recommend changes to insurance procedures to increase processing efficiency.

Insurance administrators benefit from certain skills that they can learn on the job, through company training programs or from post-secondary education. Computer skills are necessary because insurance information is often stored oand processed in digital form. The ability to communicate both verbally and in writing helps with the explanation and distribution of information. Because administrators deal with insurance and clerical staff, and decision-makers, they require good interpersonal skills. Administrative managers also need the leadership skills to persuade subordinate to perform necessary tasks.

As of May 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that administrators in the insurance industry averaged $48,000 per year, or $23.08 per hour. (REFERENCE 5, 43-6011) Administrative managers made an annual $99,320, or $47.75 per hour. Compare this to an average salary of $36,830 yearly, or $17.71 hourly for all office administrative and support occupations in the industry, and a mean $59,250 per year, or $28.49 per hour, for the average insurance worker. Jobs for administrators in all industries are expected to increase by 12 percent from 2010 to 2020, which is close to the 14 percent predicted for all occupations in all industries. For managers, the opportunities will grow by 14 percent.