Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators Salary
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY make a median of $73,920 a year, or about $35.54 an hour. The range runs from $32K at the entry level to $103K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.69), which stretches that salary to about $84,297 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,405/month, or 29.1% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $74K actually covers in Watertown-Fort Drum, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Watertown-Fort Drum’s Regional Price Parity (87.69). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators
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What this looks like in Watertown-Fort Drum
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators pay in Watertown-Fort Drum tracks closely to the national median, $74K locally vs. $78K nationwide, a 5% difference. Rent runs $1,405/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.6% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.69 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators in metros near Watertown-Fort Drum, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $96K | $85K |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga | $79K | $82K |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy | $80K | $80K |
| Syracuse | $82K | $86K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
Entry-level claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators (10th percentile) start around $32K. Mid-career wages sit at $74K. Top earners bring in $103K or more, a $71K spread from bottom to top.
Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $101K | +30% | 360 |
| New Jersey | $96K | +23% | 9,650 |
| Maryland | $96K | +23% | N/A |
| California | $92K | +18% | 24,290 |
| Connecticut | $88K | +13% | 3,190 |
| Alaska | $88K | +12% | 220 |
| New York | $87K | +12% | 17,330 |
| Rhode Island | $87K | +11% | 1,150 |
| Vermont | $84K | +8% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $84K | +8% | 880 |
| Massachusetts | $84K | +7% | 5,070 |
| Oregon | $82K | +5% | 2,950 |
| Washington | $81K | +3% | 6,180 |
| Alabama | $80K | +2% | 4,040 |
| Hawaii | $79K | +1% | 900 |
| South Dakota | $79K | +1% | 1,030 |
| Michigan | $79K | +1% | 6,640 |
| Texas | $79K | +1% | 29,220 |
| Maine | $79K | +1% | 1,650 |
| Minnesota | $78K | +0% | 5,530 |
| Wisconsin | $78K | +0% | 8,760 |
| Tennessee | $78K | +0% | 6,390 |
| Colorado | $78K | -0% | 5,680 |
| Idaho | $77K | -1% | 1,320 |
| Kansas | $77K | -1% | 4,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $77K | -1% | 13,270 |
| Mississippi | $77K | -1% | N/A |
| Illinois | $77K | -1% | 14,210 |
| Florida | $77K | -1% | 28,100 |
| Wyoming | $76K | -2% | 180 |
| Missouri | $76K | -3% | 6,200 |
| Nebraska | $76K | -3% | 3,160 |
| South Carolina | $75K | -3% | 4,130 |
| North Carolina | $75K | -3% | 9,880 |
| Virginia | $74K | -5% | 7,860 |
| Arkansas | $74K | -5% | 2,660 |
| Kentucky | $74K | -5% | 3,670 |
| Indiana | $74K | -6% | 4,340 |
| Georgia | $73K | -6% | N/A |
| Iowa | $73K | -7% | 3,930 |
| Delaware | $72K | -7% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $71K | -9% | 4,140 |
| Utah | $69K | -12% | 2,440 |
| Ohio | $68K | -13% | 13,650 |
| New Mexico | $68K | -13% | 1,280 |
| West Virginia | $67K | -14% | 1,340 |
| North Dakota | $65K | -16% | 750 |
| Louisiana | $65K | -16% | 3,340 |
| Arizona | $65K | -17% | 13,830 |
| Montana | $64K | -18% | 1,230 |
| Nevada | $63K | -20% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Yes — at the median salary of $74K, rent takes 29.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,405/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators in Watertown-Fort Drum?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators typically earn — is $32K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,231/month. At HUD’s $1,405/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is claims adjusters, examiners, and investigator a high-paying job in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $74K locally vs. $78K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Watertown-Fort Drum compare to the national average for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators?
Watertown-Fort Drum pays $74K median vs. the U.S. average of $78K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.69), the purchasing-power equivalent is $84K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?
The median is $73,920 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $32,240, and experienced claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators can clear $103,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $74K enough to live in Watertown-Fort Drum?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,744/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,405/month, which eats 29.6% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators salary go in Watertown-Fort Drum?
Watertown-Fort Drum has a Regional Price Parity of 87.69 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators salary is worth about $84,297 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.