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Insurance Claims Officer

Āpiha Tono Rīanga

Insurance claims officers decide whether an insurance company will pay out a claim.

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Secondary education

NCEA Level 3 is required to enter tertiary training. Useful subjects include accounting, business studies, English and maths.

Study fields

Study levels

  • Diploma
  • Up to NCEA Level 3
  • Certificate

Useful experience

Useful experience for insurance claims officers includes other work in the insurance industry – for example, in underwriting or sales.

Work in retail sales, banking, customer service, finance, health and law is also useful.

What you will do

Insurance claims officers may do some or all of the following:

  • analyse claims and decide whether they are covered by policy
  • make recommendations for the settlement of claims
  • inform clients if claims are accepted and how they will be allocated
  • organise payments to clients and repair or replacement of lost items
  • make sure all enquiries and payments are dealt with quickly
  • appoint insurance loss adjusters and private investigators when required
  • contact independent experts in case of disputes and attend disputes tribunals.

Skills and knowledge

Insurance claims officers need to have:

  • understanding of the insurance industry, particularly the area they work in, such as fire, life, accident or marine insurance
  • knowledge of their firm's insurance policies, including what each policy covers
  • understanding of relevant laws such as the Privacy Act and the Human Rights Act.
Pay

Insurance claims officers with up to eight years' experience usually earn

$49K-$75K

per year

Team leaders and managers usually earn

$60K-$140K

per year

Job opportunities
Average
Chances of getting a job as an insurance claims officer are average, although extreme weather events create temporary increases in demand.

Industry

Finance

Insurance claims officers decide whether an insurance company will pay out a claim.

Similar jobs in this industry

Entry requirements

There are no specific requirements to become an insurance claims officer. However, customer service and sales experience is useful.

A New Zealand Certificate in Financial Services (Level 4 or 5) or Diploma in Financial Services (Level 6) may be helpful, and some employers may prefer you to have a Bachelor's degree in any subject.

Medical or paramedical qualifications are helpful for insurance claims officers working in the areas of health, disability or life insurance. Automotive technician qualifications may be helpful for insurance claims officers working in motor vehicle insurance.

The Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF) offers courses to diploma level in general and life insurance, which focus on developing technical insurance skills for claims staff.

Chances of getting a job

Customer service and sales skills improve chances of getting insurance claims officer job

Chances of getting a job as an insurance claims officer are average because:

  • although some companies have outsourced jobs to overseas call centres to cut costs, demand for workers in New Zealand remains stable
  • jobs for insurance claims officers may decrease if employers start using artificial intelligence for customer queries, sales, and dealing with claims
  • earthquakes, storms and flooding often create an increase in demand for insurance claims officers, but it is short term, with many jobs being fixed term rather than permanent.

Your chances of securing a job as an insurance claims officer are best if you have customer service or sales experience.

According to the Census, 2,793 insurance claims officers worked in New Zealand in 2018.

Insurance claims officers usually work for insurance companies

Most insurance claims officers work for insurance companies. Many insurance brands in New Zealand are owned by IAG or Suncorp.

Find out more about training

Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance
(09) 379 7128 - nzbranch@anziif.com - anziif.com
Strategi
09 414 1300 - support@strategi.ac.nz - https://strategi.ac.nz/

Progression and specialisations

Insurance claims officers can progress into supervisory or management roles within insurance companies, or move into other insurance roles such as insurance agent or insurance loss adjuster.

Insurance claims officers may specialise in:

  • general insurance, which includes house and contents, commercial, motor vehicle and marine insurance
  • life insurance, which includes health insurance, disability insurance and superannuation.

Working conditions

Insurance claims officers:

  • usually work regular hours, but may work evenings or weekends to meet deadlines, or if they are on call
  • work in offices, but may travel locally to Disputes Tribunal hearings.

Useful personal qualities

Insurance claims officers need to be:

  • good at listening and able to relate to a wide range of people
  • tactful, patient and calm
  • empathetic and fair
  • good communicators and negotiators
  • good at report writing
  • good at analysing and interpreting information, including legal documents
  • accurate, with an eye for detail
  • organised and able to work under pressure.

Related Wintec courses

Industry

Finance

Insurance claims officers decide whether an insurance company will pay out a claim.

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