If you’re considering a career in appraisal, you probably want to know: What’s the average real estate appraiser salary? Survey data from the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide shows that an appraiser’s annual income varies according to factors such as license level, years of experience, and more. Here’s a look at the average real estate appraiser salary, plus tips on how you can maximize your income as an appraiser.
Real estate appraiser salary snapshot
As you can see from the chart below, the average appraiser income varies significantly across license levels. On average, licensed appraisers earn a little over $69K annually. Certified residential appraisers earn nearly $72K annually. And certified general appraisers earn nearly $88K per year.
Other factors that affect appraiser income
Data from the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide shows that the average real estate appraiser salary rises not only with license level, but also years of experience and number of hours worked.
Average earnings tend to increase the longer an appraiser is in the profession, with the greatest jump being from 2-10 years of experience to 11-20 years of experience.
For appraisers who want to maximize their earnings, they’ll need to put in the time. Those reaching the highest earning potential are working over 60 hours per week. Appraisers who work 61+ hours per week earn over $33,000 more per year than appraisers working a 21-40 hour work week.
Note that many real estate appraisers work for themselves and are not salaried employees. If you operate as an independent appraiser or own your own appraisal business, your income will vary somewhat from year to year. Many people choose an appraisal career because of the flexible schedule and the opportunity to make good money.
Ready to launch your appraisal career? Download our free career guide.
How to maximize your income
One of the best ways to maximize your earnings is to upgrade your license. On top of that, our survey data suggests that you can become a top earner in appraisal by sharpening your business skills and excelling in these three key areas:
- Managing business expenses
- Managing time
- Obtaining new clients
So, what’s the average real estate appraiser income? The answer differs according to license level, experience, number of hours worked, and more. Want to dig deeper into the various factors affecting real estate appraiser salary? Download the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new survey data from 2020.
