all about insurance administrator jobs
If you work for a broker or a small insurance agency, you will perform a wide variety of administrative tasks to support your agents and clients. If you work for a large insurance company, your work could be more specialized in the field of property and casualty insurance, life insurance, health, or financial insurance. You could also work in a call centre or for a large corporation managing its employee group insurance plan.
Whatever branch of insurance you work in, if you enjoy supporting people as they navigate life’s inevitable events, you’re likely to enjoy a career as an insurance administrator.
Depending on skills, experience, and location, insurance administrator salaries tend to range from about $45,000 to $90,000 per year. An insurance administrator can earn wages at the higher end of the scale after several years of experience, especially in large metropolitan areas.
You might find similar job titles offering higher salaries, such as claims administrator or benefits administrator. Insurance administrators who are licensed, such as those working in property and casualty insurance, can earn higher salaries.
your day to day tasks
As an insurance administrator, you’ll support your colleagues — brokers, sales agents, and adjusters — by keeping policies and administrative details up to date to ensure they have accurate information. You could be involved in any of the following tasks:
- processing requests for policy renewals or cancellations
- logging, tracking, and reviewing client insurance claims
- data entry, filing, answering calls, looking up records or accounts
- analyzing and validating insurance files and premium payments
- answering client inquiries or escalating complex problems
- enrolling employees in your company's insurance plan
- collecting spouse information and detailing benefit information
where you can work
With a huge variety of insurance products sold by a multitude of businesses, there are many opportunities to work as an insurance administrator. Insurance companies, banks, insurance brokers, and large businesses with benefit plans need administrative support.
As a result, you could find an insurance administrator job in almost any large Canadian city where there is a concentration of financial service businesses. Opportunities exist throughout Canada, but you’ll find more insurance administrator jobs in larger metropolitan areas like Vancouver, Toronto, Mississauga, and Montréal.
what you bring to the table
Previous administrative experience will help you succeed as a candidate for an insurance administrator job. If you have a working knowledge of the financial services or insurance industry, you’ll have an edge. In addition, you must have:
- attention to detail and accuracy
- excellent customer service skills
- a background in business, math, or financial products
- computer skills and experience using spreadsheets and CRM databases
- superior organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- ability to use tact and discretion while handling confidential information
training and certifications
Many insurance administrator jobs are entry-level positions. The minimum educational requirement is a high school graduation diploma. A concentration in business, math, or accounting is recommended. Some insurance administrators have experience in general office and clerical duties before working in the insurance industry.
You can improve your chances of being hired as an insurance administrator by completing a business-insurance or risk management diploma at a community college.
where your career is headed
Join professional associations (Insurance Institute of Canada, Insurance Brokers Association of Canada) and attend networking events to learn more about establishing a career in insurance. In large companies, you might find lateral opportunities to work in product development, sales support, or even IT.
After several years of experience, your knowledge and skills could lead you to take professional courses with insurance education associations and become licensed or certified in your area of interest.