Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
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.
What it pays
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage earn a median of $37.61/hr — about $78,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $28.06/hr; the top 10% earn $48.84/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage earn a median of $37.61/hr — about $78,000 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $28.06/hr; the top 10% earn $48.84/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; you're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.7% of insurance appraisers, auto damage are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused, hands-on and take-charge.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a insurance appraisers, auto damage make?
- The median pay is $37.61 per hour — roughly $78,000 a year, with the real range running from about $28.06/hr (10th percentile) to $48.84/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a insurance appraisers, auto damage?
- The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a insurance appraisers, auto damage actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.