New to workers’ comp
A stable, desk-based career you can train for online, with no degree or claims experience required. Find out if it fits you, then pick the CPWC track that matches the role you want.
Is this career for me?
Seven quick questions show your fit, your best track, and a realistic timeline.
What is the job really like?
Walk through a typical day on a California workers’ comp claims desk.
Ready to train?
Pick the CPWC track that fits the role you want. No prerequisites.
Online and self-paced, the classroom hours California requires of a new adjuster
Rating based on verified student surveys from CPWC program
Many adjusters start with a high school diploma and training
Professionals trained by IEA since 1983
When someone is hurt on the job, the adjuster manages their claim from the first report to the day it closes. You are part investigator, part decision-maker, and part advocate for a fair outcome. It is desk-based, people-focused work, and in California it follows a specific set of rules that employers need trained people to apply correctly.
A typical week includes:
Want the full picture first? Read our guides to California adjuster training requirements and a day in the life of an adjuster.
Seven quick questions about how you work and where you want to go. You'll get your fit, the CPWC track that matches you, and a realistic timeline.
Skilled, steady work that California employers need filled every year.
Openings every year
California fills about 1,400 claims adjuster, examiner, and investigator openings a year as people retire or move up (EDD projections, 2024 to 2034, all lines of insurance).
Good pay without a degree
The median California claims adjuster, examiner, and investigator earns about $93,000 a year (EDD, all lines). Entry roles start lower and pay grows with experience.
Hard to automate
Claims turn on judgment: weighing medical opinions, applying California’s rules to real situations, and earning trust with people at a hard moment.
Most people reach a full adjuster role in four stages.
1
Get certified
Complete your CPWC track online. No prerequisites.
2
Land an entry role
Claims trainee, assistant, or associate adjuster roles are built for beginners.
3
Become an adjuster
Manage your own caseload of California workers’ comp claims.
4
Grow and specialize
Senior adjuster, examiner, or specialist, with more pay and responsibility.
“Your training gave me the vocabulary and concepts to understand the why behind the claims work we do each day. An accessible entry point into a complex field.”
Jerold Johnson, CPWC — Workers’ Comp Claims Adjuster, Sedgwick
CPWC starts at the beginning, with no prior knowledge needed. Pick the track that fits the role you want.
$1,079
or about $180/mo
$1,899
or about $316/mo
$2,499
or about $416/mo
Not sure which track fits you? Compare MBR, MO, and Indemnity in detail
Not ready for full certification? Take individual modules at $119 each.
125,000+ professionals trained since 1983.
Complete the training California requires, and your employer designates you as a claims adjuster. A new indemnity adjuster needs 160 hours within 12 consecutive months: 120 classroom hours plus 40 hours of on-the-job training from the employer. Medical-only adjusters need 80 hours (50 classroom), and medical bill reviewers need 40 hours (30 classroom). CPWC covers the classroom hours for each track.
CPWC is self-paced. At 10 hours a week, the Indemnity track (about 120 hours) takes about 3 months, Medical Only (about 50 hours) about 5 weeks, and Medical Bill Review (about 30 hours) about 3 weeks. At 5 hours a week, plan on double those times. California requires the training to be completed within 12 consecutive months.
Yes. California’s regulations define a classroom to include instruction where the instructor communicates with students “by means of an electronic medium, including, but not limited to, audio, video, computer, or Internet.” See 10 CCR §2592.01(c).
No. Many adjusters start with a high school diploma and training. Employers look for clear writing, organization, and good judgment with people.
No. California does not give a licensing exam for workers’ comp adjusters. Your employer designates you once you complete the required training. CPWC includes an online exam in each module, and you earn the certification when you finish every module in your track.
Medical-only adjusters handle claims with medical treatment but no lost time from work. Indemnity adjusters handle claims with wage-loss and disability benefits, and need the full 120 classroom hours. Medical Only is 18 of the 24 CPWC modules, so you can add the remaining six to reach Indemnity later.
California’s Employment Development Department reports a median of about $93,000 a year for claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators across all lines of insurance. Entry roles start lower, and pay rises with experience and specialization.
Yes. CPWC is fully online and self-paced on our learning portal, so you can study around work and family.
Yes. California requires post-designation training every two years: 30 hours for indemnity adjusters, 20 hours for medical-only adjusters, and 16 hours for medical bill reviewers.
Medical Bill Review is $1,079, Medical Only is $1,899, and the full Indemnity track is $2,499. Each of the 24 modules is also available on its own for $119. Shop Pay lets you pay over time.
Yes. Many California employers cover CPWC. We can invoice your employer directly, and teams can enroll several people at once through group enrollment.
Reach us by website chat, by email at info@ieatraining.org, or by phone at 800-655-4432, Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm PT.
Find out if it fits you, or go straight to the three tracks.
