Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for insurance appraisers, auto damage in the U.S. is $78,240 ($37.61 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $78,240
- Mean annual wage
- $78,900
- Median hourly wage
- $37.61
- Employment
- 11,560
11,560 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,360 | $28.06 |
| 25th percentile | $65,050 | $31.28 |
| Median (50th) | $78,240 | $37.61 |
| 75th percentile | $91,880 | $44.17 |
| 90th percentile | $101,590 | $48.84 |
Highest-paying states for insurance appraisers, auto damage
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $97,950 | — |
| Pennsylvania | $95,720 | 310 |
| New Jersey | $94,280 | — |
| Connecticut | $89,740 | 210 |
| South Carolina | $86,680 | 220 |
| Arizona | $86,030 | 40 |
| Oregon | $83,270 | 170 |
| Maryland | $82,870 | — |
| Utah | $82,570 | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $82,340 | — |
Lowest-paying states
- Florida: $61,320 median annual wage
- Nebraska: $62,350 median annual wage
- Ohio: $63,470 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $63,960 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $67,080 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Examine damaged vehicle to determine extent of structural, body, mechanical, electrical, or interior damage.
- Arrange to have damage appraised by another appraiser to resolve disagreement with shop on repair cost.
- Review repair cost estimates with automobile repair shop to secure agreement on cost of repairs.
- 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.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: Postsecondary certificate
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 1.4% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 14.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 23.2% |
| Associate's degree | 11.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 38.9% |
| Master's degree | 9.3% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 1.7% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
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About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.