SalaryExplorer

SOC 13-1031 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators — Wausau

Wausau, WI · 8 metro areas compared

$80,430 /year
$38.67per hour
200jobs in area
+3.1%vs US median

At $80,430, median pay for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in Wausau, WI tracks the national median of $78,000 closely.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $78,00010TH$58,090MEDIAN$80,43075TH$101,22090TH$121,660

How pay has moved

$84,673$59,2182019202020212022202320242025$80,430
$72,550 in 2019 to $80,430 in 2025, +10.9% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-5.1%
Openings per year
21,100
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Wausau, WI.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

At $80,430, median pay for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in Wausau, WI tracks the national median of $78,000 closely. Pay ranges from under $58,090 at the tenth percentile to more than $121,660 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $63,280 to $101,220.

The area has 200 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 1.36 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Within the state, Kenosha records the highest median at $85,560. Of the 268 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 51st.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Wausau, WI · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$58,090−25.5%
25th$63,280−18.9%
Median (50th)$80,430+3.1%
75th$101,220+29.8%
90th$121,660+56.0%
Mean$85,690+9.9%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Wisconsin

Median annual wage for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Kenosha$85,56040
2Madison$81,2001,400
3Milwaukee$79,7702,620
4Appleton$78,450270
5Eau Claire$75,61090
6Janesville$74,65050
7La Crosse$64,73060
8Green Bay$61,860600

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Wausau run 7.3% below the national average, so the median of $80,430 goes as far as $86,764 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 11.2% above the national median in real terms.

Published median

$80,430as reported by BLS

Local price level

92.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$86,764US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $80,430 a year, 3.1% above the national median.
  • Published pay spans $58,090 to $121,660 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 200 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Kenosha, at $85,560.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators in Wausau, WI?

The median annual wage is $80,430, or $38.67 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $78,000, so pay in Wausau, WI is 3.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Wausau, WI earns more than $121,660 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $58,090 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Kenosha, at $85,560 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 200 jobs in this occupation in Wausau, WI. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.