Summary
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- Average Appraiser Salary: Survey data from the 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide reveals an average annual income of $106,188 for real estate appraisers.
- Salary Variations: Income varies by license level, with certified general appraisers earning approximately $130K while trainee appraisers earn around $60K annually.
- Factors Affecting Salary: Education level and specialization significantly influence income. Appraisers with a Master’s degree earn approximately $116K yearly.
- Maximizing Earnings: Strategies to increase income include upgrading licenses, specializing in commercial properties, and being self-employed.
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 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide shows that an appraiser’s annual income varies according to factors such as license level, education level, specialization, 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.
Get tips and insights to increase your earning potential in the 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide.
Real Estate Appraiser Salary Snapshot
On average, appraisers earn $106,188 a year. However, as you can see from the chart below, the average annual appraiser salary varies significantly across license levels:
- Trainee appraisers earn an average annual income of about $61K
- Licensed residential appraisers earn approximately $67K
- Certified residential appraisers earn more than $91K
- Certified general appraisers make approximately $131K
Other Factors that Affect Salary
Data from the 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide shows that the average real estate appraiser salary rises not only with license level, but also education level and specialization.
Education Level
Education level seems to be a factor influencing how much appraisers make. The more education you have, the more income you can make. For example, in 2024, those holding a master’s degree made almost $22,000 more than those with a bachelor’s degree and nearly $44,000 more than those with an associate degree.
Area of Specialization
Appraisers specializing in hotels, recreation/entertainment, and industrial sectors earn the highest, while residential appraisers earn significantly less and saw the largest salary decrease from 2022 to 2024.
Additionally, 37% of commercial property appraisers reported earning more in 2024 versus 2023, while only 22% of appraisers who specialize in green properties and 26% of residential appraisers saw their salary increase from 2023. Thirty-one percent of agricultural property appraisers reported a bump in earning. According to these results, if you want to increase your earning potential as an appraiser, it might be wise to get your commercial certification.
Are appraisers salaried employees?
Note that many real estate appraisers (70% of our survey respondents) work for themselves and are not salaried employees. If you operate as an independent appraiser or run your own appraisal business, your income will vary somewhat from year to year. However, our survey results show that self-employed appraisers earn more than those who work for appraisal companies, government agencies, appraisal management companies (AMCs), or a lender.
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 Increase Your Real Estate Appraiser Salary
The 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide offers many insights into how you can maximize your earnings and increase your appraiser salary. A few key strategies for growing your income include upgrading your license, specializing in commercial properties, and sharpening your business skills.
Upgrade Your License
One of the best ways to maximize your earnings is to upgrade your license. Each license level requires you to develop new skills that allow you to appraise different property types. The higher the license level, the higher the income. (See the “2024 Average appraiser salary by license type” graph at the beginning of this article for details.)
Home Appraiser Salary vs. Commercial Appraiser Salary
Additionally, certain specializations can increase appraisal earnings. While most appraisers surveyed have specialized in residential properties, data shows you can increase your earning potential by specializing in the following sectors:
- Hotels
- Recreation and entertainment
- Industrial properties
- Commercial properties
- Agriculture
Sharpen Your Skills
On top of that, our survey data suggests that you can become a top earner in appraisal by improving your business skills and excelling in these three key areas:
- Managing business expenses
- Staying current on industry and market trends
- Time management
So, what’s the average real estate appraiser salary? Appraisers earn $106,188 a year, on average. However, annual earnings vary according to license level, education level, area of specialization, and several other factors.
Want to dig deeper? Discover even more factors affecting real estate appraiser salary in the 2025 Appraisal Salary Guide.
