Out of the many career opportunities in the insurance sector, the job of an insurance adjuster is a very significant one. Also referred to as the insurance examiner or insurance investigator, this is a profession, whose main responsibility is to determine the exact amount that is payable to policy holders. He mainly provides services in insurance companies, banks, and other entities dealing in different types of insurance. The tasks in the job description usually depend on fields such as property insurance or auto insurance. Years of Experience The most important factor in the criteria that determines the average salary is the years of experience. The wages keep on increasing considerably as per the increase in the time spent in the insurance sector. As a fresher or one with less than a year's experience, you can get a salary ranging from about $33,000 to $40,500 per year. The salary range further scales from $35,500 to $47,000 for those possessing an overall experience of one to four years. Insurance adjusters with five to nine years of working in the industry can expect to be paid between $42,000 and $56,000. With an overall experience of 10 to 19 years, you may be eligible for a yearly remuneration of $46,000 to $66,000. Those working for 20 years or more can demand approximately $74,000 per annum, if not more. State of Employment There is not much difference between the salary range in various states. Most of the major states have somewhat similar earning prospects. The highest paid state is California, with a pay scale of $45,000 to $65,000 per annum. On the other hand, Georgia was reported to be the lowest paying, with a range of $39,500 to $52,000. States like Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois have a similar pay potential with the income ranging from $37,500 to $59,000 per year. Pennsylvania is considered to be the second highest paying state with a range of $37,000 to $60,500 annually. City of Employment Coming to the city wise classification, Los Angeles is the highest paying state whereas Atlanta is the lowest. Californian cities of Los Angeles and San Diego are believed to have a pay scale of $48,000 to $67,000 and $41,000 to $58,000 respectively. Cities like Dallas and New York City have the same income potential ranging from $40,000 to $61,500 per year. The salary range matches in Chicago and Tampa, which is around $40,000 to $57,000. Likewise, there are small variations in the earnings in different cities across the US. Licenses and Certifications The certifications offered to these experts also play a very significant role in the salary. Those who have obtained the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certification can get paid in the range of $32,000 to $56,000 per annum. The Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) certification can increase the pay from anywhere between $50,700 to $69,000. Awards such as the Certified Professional Public Adjuster (CPPA) and Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA) also may increase the earning prospects of insurance adjusters substantially. If you are thinking about the independent insurance adjuster salary, it starts from as low as $35,000 to as high as $74,000. Self-employed professionals are also considered to be one of the highest-paid professionals in the industry. Note that the salary may vary from the employer entity as well.