Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage

Median salary

$78,240

Average salary

$78,900

Employment

11,560

Projected growth

8.2% decline

Annual openings

500

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

What Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Do

Appraise automobile or other vehicle damage to determine repair costs for insurance claim settlement. Prepare insurance forms to indicate repair cost or cost estimates and recommendations. May seek agreement with automotive repair shop on repair costs.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 2.7%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience: Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education: Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training: Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
English Languageimportance 3.8/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.4/5
Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
Administrativeimportance 3.1/5
Education and Trainingimportance 3.0/5
Law and Governmentimportance 2.8/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Telephone Conversations5.0/5
E-Mail5.0/5
Contact With Others5.0/5
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General4.9/5
Frequency of Decision Making4.8/5
Time Pressure4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys95% skill match
Driver/Sales Workers95% skill match
Opticians, Dispensing94% skill match
Animal Control Workers94% skill match
Log Graders and Scalers94% skill match
Flight Attendants94% skill match
Cooks, Fast Food93% skill match
Transit and Railroad Police93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.3/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 3.0/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Persuasionimportance 2.9/5
Negotiationimportance 2.9/5
Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

In-Demand Technologies

Disassembler software

Other Software Used

A-T Solutions Easy Street Draw
App Software Associations AppTrak.net
Cost estimating software
Email software
Information Services Inc. CCC Pathways Appraisal Solution
Meridian Technologies SurePoint
Mitchell International Mitchell WorkCenter
NCH Software Express Invoice

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Integrity
Dependability
Cautiousness
Self-Confidence
Self-Control
Perseverance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
RealisticHigh
EnterprisingMedium
InvestigativeMedium
SocialLow
ArtisticLow

Specific Interests

A more detailed breakdown of this occupation’s interest profile, per O*NET.

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where insurance appraisers, auto damage make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).