Appraisal FAQs

Appraisers are paid either a salary or a fee per completed appraisal. Independent fee appraisers are paid per job, so their earnings vary with the volume of assignments they complete; the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that these earnings can vary significantly because they are paid fees on the basis of each appraisal. Others hold salaried positions with banks and other financial institutions, real estate firms, or government agencies, and some receive work through appraisal management companies.

Insurance is a smaller but better-paying employment channel for appraisers. About 9% of property appraisers and assessors worked in finance and insurance in 2025, and that industry paid a median of $83,630 in May 2025, the highest among the occupation's largest industries. The National Association of Appraisers recommends networking at industry events and through professional organizations, searching job boards, and contacting firms directly about openings.

Appraisers out-earn agents on average. The median annual wage for property appraisers and assessors was $67,960 in May 2025, while the median for real estate brokers and sales agents was $57,400, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the top end, the highest 10% of appraisers and assessors earned more than $122,660.

Most salaried trainee positions are at commercial appraisal firms or government tax assessor offices; other trainees work under a supervisory appraiser and are paid per assignment or hourly. Trainee earnings vary widely with workload, and pay generally sits below that of licensed and certified appraisers, partly because trainees often work part-time while completing their supervised experience.

Farm appraisers are real property appraisers who specialize in agricultural property, and their pay falls within the federal wage data for property appraisers and assessors as a group: a median of $67,960 per year in May 2025, or $32.67 per hour. Career guides for appraisers describe farm appraisal as a profitable rural niche.

Federal wage data do not break out part-time appraisers. Most appraisers are independent fee appraisers paid per completed appraisal, so part-time earnings scale with assignment volume rather than a salary. Trainees, who typically work part time and are paid per appraisal, commonly earn roughly $1,000 to $3,000 per month during the supervised training period.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $67,960 for property appraisers and assessors as of May 2025. Assessors work mostly for local governments, where the median wage was $64,370; local government is the occupation's largest employer at 41% of jobs. The lowest 10% of the occupation earned less than $40,030 and the highest 10% earned more than $122,660.

No government source publishes commercial appraiser pay by seniority level. Commercial work requires the state Certified General credential, and market sources cited by the National Association of Realtors place certified general appraisers at $81,000 to $147,000 a year. Pay generally rises with experience, and top producers and holders of advanced designations earn well above those figures.

Federal wage data does not track a "senior" job title, but experience shows up clearly in the pay distribution. The highest 10% of property appraisers and assessors earned more than $122,660 in May 2025, compared with the occupation's median of $67,960. Appraisers who hold the Certified General credential or run their own independent fee practices generally earn the most.

Property appraisers and assessors earned a median annual wage of $67,960 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which surveys salaried workers. Median pay varies by industry: $83,630 in finance and insurance, $64,370 in local government, and $62,420 in real estate. Independent fee appraisers, who are paid per appraisal rather than a salary, are not captured in these wage figures, and their earnings vary with assignment volume.