Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of insurance appraisers, auto damage cover:
- Evaluate practicality of repair as opposed to payment of market value of vehicle before accident.
- Review repair cost estimates with automobile repair shop to secure agreement on cost of repairs.
- Examine damaged vehicle to determine extent of structural, body, mechanical, electrical, or interior damage.
- Prepare insurance forms to indicate repair cost estimates and recommendations.
- Estimate parts and labor to repair damage, using standard automotive labor and parts cost manuals and knowledge of automotive repair.
- Determine salvage value on total-loss vehicle.
- Arrange to have damage appraised by another appraiser to resolve disagreement with shop on repair cost.
What Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Need to Know
Top insurance appraisers, auto damage rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Jobs
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Appraisal Specialist
- Appraiser
- Auto Body Appraiser
- Auto Body Repair Estimator
- Auto Collision Estimator
- Auto Damage Insurance Appraiser
- Automobile Appraiser (Auto Appraiser)
- Automobile Body Estimator (Auto Body Estimator)
How Many Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Are There?
There are about 62,038 insurance appraisers, auto damage working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +8.6% over the projection horizon.
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $119,691 |
| Hourly median | $57.54 |
| 10th percentile | $69,456 |
| 25th percentile | $94,574 |
| 75th percentile | $144,808 |
| 90th percentile | $169,925 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Ohio | $100,920 |
| Washington | $97,550 |
| South Carolina | $91,960 |
| Maryland | $88,700 |
| New Jersey | $87,240 |
| Pennsylvania | $83,480 |
| Virginia | $82,570 |
| Oregon | $80,250 |
| Nevada | $79,270 |
| Rhode Island | $79,270 |
| New York | $79,050 |
| California | $78,870 |
| Maine | $78,730 |
| Kentucky | $78,640 |
| Iowa | $78,120 |
| Georgia | $77,950 |
| Connecticut | $77,740 |
| Oklahoma | $77,620 |
| Indiana | $75,720 |
| Missouri | $74,180 |
| Tennessee | $73,390 |
| Michigan | $73,370 |
| Massachusetts | $73,100 |
| Arizona | $72,830 |
| Wisconsin | $71,780 |
| Colorado | $69,560 |
| Louisiana | $69,170 |
| North Carolina | $67,490 |
| Utah | $66,080 |
| Vermont | $66,050 |
| Florida | $65,900 |
| Texas | $64,730 |
| Mississippi | $61,440 |
| Illinois | $59,990 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,630 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for insurance appraisers, auto damage differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Lakes | $84,141 | 5.2% | 0.50 |
| Middle Atlantic | $83,835 | 17.4% | 1.03 |
| Far Western US | $82,153 | 11.1% | 0.60 |
| Plains States | $75,411 | 2.6% | 0.69 |
| Southeast | $74,639 | 28.3% | 1.89 |
| New England | $74,416 | 7.1% | 1.86 |
| Rocky Mountains | $69,144 | 10.8% | 3.69 |
| Southwest | $67,036 | 14.7% | 0.98 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland, OH | OH | $106,590 | |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $97,570 | 100 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $95,480 | 40 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $90,540 | 290 |
| Worcester, MA | MA | $84,080 | 100 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | PA | $82,120 | 180 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $80,900 | 30 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $79,980 | 60 |
Top Industries Employing Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
The largest employers of insurance appraisers, auto damage are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Insurance | 7,290 | $77,010 |
| Retail Trade | 180 | $47,470 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 30 | $81,610 |
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage work in the following industries:
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Compiler and decompiler software: Disassembler software (in demand)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for insurance appraisers, auto damage is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
- Frequency of Decision Making
How to Become Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
Typical insurance appraisers, auto damage positions require a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators (Primary-Long)
- Cost Estimators (Primary-Long)
- Appraisers of Personal and Business Property (Primary-Short)
- Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate (Primary-Long)
- Automotive Engineering Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Parts Salespersons (Supplemental)
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks (Primary-Long)
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks (Primary-Long)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Aspiring insurance appraisers, auto damage often complete programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
1 programs across 1 majors
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 13-1032.00 (Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage).
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