Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Postsecondary nondegree award
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Insurance appraisers, auto damage, specialize in evaluating vehicle damage for insurance purposes. Nationally, this is a relatively small field, with 9,000 people employed across the country. The national median annual salary is $76,650, indicating solid earning potential for a specialized role. The work draws heavily on a mix of customer service, mechanical understanding, and analytical thinking, as well as strong communication and technology skills. Employment for this occupation is projected to decline, and projected growth is -8.2%. This makes it especially important for job seekers to be strategic about where they pursue opportunities. Certain states and metro areas stand out with higher opportunity scores, suggesting more favorable local conditions within this declining field. For people who develop the required mix of technical, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, this role can still offer a focused career path, and the related occupations provide additional avenues for career movement over time.
The national median annual salary for insurance appraisers, auto damage, is $76,650. Within this, some states and metro areas offer higher typical wages. New York shows a median salary of $81,150, and Massachusetts reports $79,930, both above the national median. California and Washington also post median salaries close to or slightly above the national level, at $78,930 and $78,450 respectively. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA stands out with a median salary of $89,760, noticeably higher than the national median. Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO also shows a relatively strong median salary of $79,110. These figures suggest that geographic choice can significantly influence earning potential in this career. Job seekers comparing offers or considering relocation may want to weigh both salary levels and opportunity scores to understand the combined earning and employment environment in each area.
National employment for insurance appraisers, auto damage, is 9,000, reflecting a relatively small occupation. Projected employment growth is -8.2%, indicating a decline in overall positions over the projection period. Annual openings are listed as 0, underscoring that this is not a growing field at the national level in the current projections. The same -8.2% growth rate appears across the highlighted states and metro areas, showing that the projected decline is broad-based rather than localized. In this context, individuals interested in this field may want to focus on locations with higher opportunity scores, which may reflect relatively better conditions within an overall shrinking occupation. Because projected growth is negative, planning for long-term career flexibility, including awareness of similar occupations such as property appraisers and assessors or compliance officers, can be important for adapting to changing employment conditions.
Location plays a major role in opportunities for insurance appraisers, auto damage. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York have the highest opportunity scores, at 67.38, 65.87, and 65.78 respectively. These states also offer median salaries around or above the national median of $76,650, with New York at $81,150 and Massachusetts at $79,930. Colorado and Washington have lower opportunity scores, at 56.97 and 56.29, but still show competitive median salaries. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with an opportunity score of 68.75 and a median salary of $89,760, making it a particularly notable market within this occupation. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA also show relatively high opportunity scores above 60. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO round out the top metros with solid salaries and mid-50s to low-60s opportunity scores. All listed states and metros share the same projected growth rate of -8.2%.
The typical education requirement for insurance appraisers, auto damage, is a postsecondary nondegree award. This indicates that most workers enter the field with education beyond high school, but not necessarily a full college degree. Success in this occupation draws on a broad set of skills. Customer service and interpersonal abilities are important for working with others. Strong speaking and listening skills, as well as writing and reading, support clear communication and documentation. Computers and information technology skills are needed to use industry tools and systems. Mathematics and mechanical skills support the analytical side of evaluating auto damage. Problem solving and decision making, along with critical and analytical thinking, are central to making sound judgments. Project management skills help organize and coordinate work. Together, these skills complement the formal postsecondary training typically required and form a comprehensive profile for someone pursuing this career.
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