Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Business and Financial Operations · SOC 13-1032 · O*NET 13-1032.00
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage fall under the Business and Financial Operations category in the U.S. occupational classification. Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage earn a median salary of $78,240 per year, ranking in the top 29% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects -8.7% job growth through 2035, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Entry into this field typically requires a bachelor's degree, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do insurance appraisers, auto damage earn?
The median annual wage for insurance appraisers, auto damage is $78,240. That puts insurance appraisers, auto damage at #240 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
Is insurance appraisers, auto damage a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for insurance appraisers, auto damage is -8.7%, projected to lose jobs through 2035. Employment is projected to move from approximately 13K positions in 2024 to 12K in 2034, a net change of <1K. A declining outlook does not mean the field is disappearing; it means automation, demographics, or substitution effects are shrinking the pool of openings. Students entering a declining field should plan for adjacent skills that transfer to growing roles.
What education does my child need to become insurance appraisers, auto damage?
The standard path into insurance appraisers, auto damage begins with a bachelor's degree in a related field, followed by entry-level experience or internships during college. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about insurance appraisers, auto damage
What is the median salary for insurance appraisers, auto damage?
The median annual salary for insurance appraisers, auto damage is $78,240 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is insurance appraisers, auto damage a growing career?
BLS projects -8.7% growth for insurance appraisers, auto damage from 2025 through 2035, which is declining growth projected to lose jobs through 2035.
What education does my child need to become insurance appraisers, auto damage?
The typical entry path requires a bachelor's degree, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to insurance appraisers, auto damage?
Related occupations within the Business and Financial Operations category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 release.