A worker's compensation specialist is a person who has received additional training in the law regarding worker’s compensation. There are many different disciplines that might require someone to become a worker's compensation specialist. People who are insurance agents or underwriters, attorneys, or those who manage safety and risk for companies all might take training to become a worker's compensation specialist.

In the US, many who claim to be a worker's compensation specialist are registered with the National Registry of Worker’s Compensation Specialists. This registry allows one to take both training and an examination. The training is usually twelve hours of training followed by an Internet examination of 50 questions. One must answer 70% of these questions prior to being registered as a specialist.

Initial training reviews the laws of worker’s compensation as set out by the federal government. Some programs offer study at home options to allow for greater time to prepare for testing. In some cases, work experience may be substituted for actual classes. The worker's compensation specialist must understand worker’s comp as it relates to the employee and the corporation.

As well as the initial examination, the registered worker's compensation specialist must complete approximately 15 hours of continuing education every three years, in order to maintain registration. Individual states may have different requirements. A worker's compensation specialist is also expected to keep abreast of any changes at the federal or state level to worker’s comp laws.

The worker's compensation specialist may work in a diverse number of fields. Some attorneys, for example, may work for employees who feel they were wrongly denied worker's compensation. Alternately, an attorney who is a worker's compensation specialist might defend a company that is accused of denying benefits to an employee.

The worker's compensation specialist working in the insurance field might help companies by writing policies and determining costs to cover worker’s comp claims. Those who manage safety and risk might apply their special knowledge of worker’s comp to help companies reduce risk to employees getting injured, or to determine such risk so an insurance company charges appropriate amounts.