Business and finance
Property appraisers and assessors
Appraise and estimate the fair value of tangible personal or business property, such as jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, and equipment. May also appraise land.
Median pay
$67,960
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
5,200
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Property appraisers and assessors
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Property appraisers and assessors: 57% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Write descriptions of the property being appraised.
- Determine the appropriate type of valuation to make, such as fair market, replacement, or liquidation, based on the needs of the property owner.
- Document physical characteristics of property such as measurements, quality, and design.
- Calculate the value of property based on comparisons to recent sales, estimated cost to reproduce, and anticipated property income streams.
- Locate and record data on sales of comparable property using specialized software, internet searches, or personal records.
- Write and submit appraisal reports for property, such as jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, and equipment.
- Inspect personal or business property.
- Create and maintain a database of completed appraisals.
Also called: Accredited Appraiser · Aircraft Appraiser · Appraiser · Art Appraiser · Certified Appraiser · Gem and Jewelry Appraiser · Jewelry Appraiser · Personal Property Appraiser
Outlook and AI
Property appraisers and assessors held 68,400 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 70,700 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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