Career satisfaction among real estate appraisers is significantly higher than the national average. Why are appraisers generally happy in their careers? Are some appraisers happier than others? Is income satisfaction as high as job satisfaction? Here, we address these questions and give a glimpse into survey data reported in the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide.
Appraiser career satisfaction
Collectively, appraisers are reportedly 25% more satisfied in their careers than American workers across all professions.* Career satisfaction survey results show that nearly eight out of ten appraisers are satisfied with their career choice. When broken down into credential levels, licensed appraisers are the happiest with an 83.4% career satisfaction rating.
Top reasons appraisers cite for their career happiness include:
- Flexible schedule
- Healthy work-life balance
- Respectable income
- Challenging work
- Diverse work opportunities
Free Download: For an in-depth look into areas where you can maximize your income, download the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide.
Optimism in the profession
Looking to the future, career optimism is mixed among appraisers. Licensed appraisers have the most positive outlook, while certified residential appraisers show more uncertainty.
Those who are most optimistic about their appraisal career cite these main reasons:
- Demand is strong, especially considering the low rate of newcomers to the field.
- Technology will not replace the need for “boots on the ground,” especially with agricultural/rural, commercial and complex appraisals.
- As many appraisers consider retirement, they find a part-time appraisal career could be rewarding.
- Many appraisers are self-employed and enjoy the independence an appraisal career affords them.
- Many appraisers are confident of their expertise in the field and feel little to no threat by competitors or technology.
“I have a good business with a wide range of clients who seem to appreciate my work. I have enough business that if I don’t like a client or how they work, I can gradually eliminate them from my acceptance of their requests for appraisals.” – Survey respondent
Income satisfaction increases with license level
Appraisers of all license levels are satisfied with their income. Certified general appraisers have the highest rate of satisfaction with over 71% of certified general appraisers reporting being satisfied with their income.
For more info on appraisal income data across license levels, plus insights and trends to help you grow your appraisal career, download the 2020-2021 Appraisal Income Guide.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new survey data from 2020.
