Property Appraisers and Assessors
Property appraisers and assessors provide a value estimate on real estate and on tangible personal and business property.
Is property appraisers and assessors a good career?
It scores 18/100 and ranks #373 of 825 occupations on pay, growth, employment and openings. Here's what the federal data says, with no editorializing.
Advantages
- Pays above the U.S. median wage ($67,960)
Possible tradeoffs
- Typically requires a bachelor's degree
What property appraisers and assessors earn
Wages: BLS OEWS May 2025Pay is a range, not a number. Half of U.S. property appraisers and assessors earn between $50,970 and $92,760 a year.
Best-paying states
Best-paying metros
Strongest employment concentration
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- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Outlook
- Employment is projected to grow as fast as average through 2034.
Education
Although requirements vary, property appraisers and assessors typically need a bachelor’s degree. Common fields of degree include business, social science, and psychology.
College courses in subjects such as computer science, finance, and business or real estate law may be useful for prospective appraisers and assessors.
Most states set education and experience requirements that assessors must meet in order to practice. A few states have no statewide requirements; instead, each locality sets the standards. In some localities, candidates may qualify with a high school diploma.
Training
Employers may require new workers to take basic appraisal courses and complete on-the-job training that lasts 12 months or more. Appraisers and assessors also may need to work enough hours to meet requirements for licensing or certification.
Licenses, certifications & registrations
Federal law requires appraisers of real estate to have a state license or certification when working on federally related transactions, such as appraisals for loans made by federally insured banks and financial institutions. There is no such federal requirement for appraisers of personal and business property or for assessors, although some states require certification.
Important qualities
Analytical skills. Property appraisers and assessors use many sources of data when estimating values. As a result, they must research and evaluate all factors before determining their estimate and producing a final report.
Customer-service skills. Because appraisers regularly interact with clients, being polite and friendly is important.
Math skills. Analyzing real estate data for valuation requires making calculations, such as square footage of land and building space, so workers must have good math skills.
Organizational skills. To successfully accomplish tasks related to appraising and assessing property, these workers need to keep good records and be methodical in completing their tasks.
Problem-solving skills. Appraising or assessing a property's value may involve unexpected problems. The ability to develop and apply alternative solutions is crucial to successfully completing the appraisal and report on time.
Time-management skills. Property appraisers and assessors often work under time constraints, sometimes appraising many properties in a single day. As a result, managing their workloads to meet deadlines is important.
Related occupations
How much do property appraisers and assessors make?
The national median wage is $67,960 a year, with the middle half earning between $50,970 and $92,760 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is property appraisers and assessors a good career?
On the Jobs.best index it scores 18 of 100 and ranks #373 of 825 occupations, weighing pay, growth, employment and openings. Employment is projected to change +3.8% through 2034.
What education do you need to become a property appraisers and assessor?
The typical entry-level education is bachelor's degree.
Where do property appraisers and assessors earn the most?
Among states, District of Columbia pays the highest median ($107,980). Local pay for every state and metro is below.