Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks Salary
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks in Chattanooga, TN-GA make a median of $48,770 a year, or about $23.45 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.46), which stretches that salary to about $53,324 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,390/month, about 39.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Chattanooga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chattanooga’s Regional Price Parity (91.46). 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 insurance claims and policy processing clerks
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What this looks like in Chattanooga
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks pay in Chattanooga tracks closely to the national median, $49K locally vs. $49K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,390/month, which is 40.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.46 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance claims and policy processing clerks in metros near Chattanooga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $48K | $50K |
| Memphis | $45K | $48K |
| Knoxville | $45K | $48K |
| Johnson City | $36K | $41K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chattanooga, TN-GA
Entry-level insurance claims and policy processing clerks (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $27K spread from bottom to top.
Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | $61K | +23% | 820 |
| Washington | $60K | +22% | 3,730 |
| New Jersey | $60K | +21% | 5,000 |
| Connecticut | $60K | +21% | 2,430 |
| Maine | $59K | +20% | 1,710 |
| Colorado | $59K | +19% | 1,380 |
| Minnesota | $58K | +18% | 3,580 |
| New York | $58K | +17% | 8,120 |
| California | $57K | +15% | 23,470 |
| Massachusetts | $53K | +7% | 4,820 |
| Montana | $51K | +3% | 360 |
| Oregon | $51K | +3% | 2,640 |
| Arizona | $51K | +3% | 8,350 |
| Delaware | $50K | +2% | 720 |
| Texas | $50K | +1% | 24,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +0% | 7,020 |
| Vermont | $49K | +0% | 390 |
| Indiana | $49K | +0% | 5,190 |
| Wisconsin | $49K | -0% | 5,140 |
| Alaska | $49K | -1% | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -1% | 1,530 |
| Nebraska | $48K | -2% | 2,520 |
| Illinois | $48K | -2% | 9,060 |
| North Dakota | $48K | -2% | 550 |
| Ohio | $48K | -2% | 11,160 |
| Kentucky | $48K | -2% | 3,030 |
| Nevada | $48K | -2% | 2,880 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -2% | 6,570 |
| Kansas | $48K | -3% | 800 |
| Michigan | $48K | -3% | 6,410 |
| Hawaii | $47K | -4% | 380 |
| Idaho | $47K | -4% | 580 |
| Florida | $47K | -4% | 15,920 |
| Utah | $47K | -4% | 1,880 |
| Maryland | $47K | -4% | 1,200 |
| Wyoming | $47K | -5% | 170 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -5% | 1,740 |
| Georgia | $47K | -5% | 6,370 |
| Iowa | $46K | -6% | 2,820 |
| Virginia | $46K | -6% | 5,950 |
| Missouri | $46K | -7% | 4,510 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -7% | 5,470 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -7% | 1,020 |
| Arkansas | $45K | -8% | 1,500 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -9% | 1,330 |
| South Carolina | $45K | -9% | 4,110 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -11% | 1,540 |
| New Mexico | $42K | -15% | 920 |
| Alabama | $38K | -23% | 2,110 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track insurance claims and policy processing clerks salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance claims and policy processing clerk afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chattanooga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 40.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,390/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance claims and policy processing clerks in Chattanooga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance claims and policy processing clerks typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,121/month. At HUD’s $1,390/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is insurance claims and policy processing clerk a high-paying job in Chattanooga?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $49K locally vs. $49K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Chattanooga compare to the national average for insurance claims and policy processing clerks?
Chattanooga pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $49K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.46), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance claims and policy processing clerks make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
The median is $48,770 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,350, and experienced insurance claims and policy processing clerks can clear $62,120. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Chattanooga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,435/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,390/month, which eats 40.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a insurance claims and policy processing clerks salary go in Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has a Regional Price Parity of 91.46 (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 insurance claims and policy processing clerks salary is worth about $53,324 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do insurance claims and policy processing clerks 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.