Appraisers and Assessors

Career summary

Appraisers

Appraisers determine how much items are worth. They specialize in different types of items. Some specialize in:

• Real estate property appraisal (buildings and property)
• Personal property (art, antiques, jewelry, and machinery)
• What businesses are worth

Appraisers gather information about items to determine and analyze their value.

Real estate property appraisers inspect buildings and the land they are on. They determine the condition of buildings and where they are located. Appraisers take pictures to document what buildings look like. They search public records of sales, leases, and appraisals to determine if properties have been appraised before. They also check the appraisal value of similar properties.

Personal property appraisers examine the items and determine its condition. They also attempt to determine the maker of the vase by looking for identifying marks. For valuable items, appraisers attempt to verify that they are genuine. Appraisers may consult books or computer databases to find information about items.

After they have analyzed all this information, appraisers assign a value to items. They write reports that document how they determined the value.

Assessors

Assessors work for government agencies. They do the same tasks as real property appraisers, but have additional duties. They update maps used by the city government that show the size, shape, and location of properties. They also write descriptions of each building and how the land and buildings are used. Once they have determined the value of properties, assessors use formulas to determine their property taxes.

Related careers

This career is part of the Government and Public Administration cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Accountants and Auditors
• Auctioneers
• Buyers and Purchasing Agents
• Cost Estimators
• Credit Analysts
• Energy Auditors
• Insurance Adjusters and Examiners
• Real Estate Agents
• Regulatory Affairs Specialists
• Supply Chain Managers
• Tax Examiners

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to appraisers and assessors.

• Establish a fair system for assessing and reviewing property.
• Determine what properties such as buildings and land are worth.
• Determine what items such as art, jewelry, boats, or equipment are worth.
• Inspect properties, take measurements, and determine architectural style.
• Inspect personal property items for defects, makers' marks, and condition.
• Take pictures to document appearance of items being appraised.
• Search public records for history of sales, leases, and appraisals.
• Evaluate condition of buildings, location, and other factors.
• Estimate the current and future value of properties and items.
• Write reports explaining how estimate of value was determined. Maintain data and records.
• Apply tax formulas to appraised value to determine property taxes.
• Explain assessed values or appraisals to homeowners. May do this at a formal hearing.
• Identify ownership of each piece of taxable property.
• Make sure properties adhere to building codes and zoning laws.
• Conduct regular reviews of property to determine any necessary changes due to construction or demolition.

Common work activities

Appraisers and assessors perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Get information needed to do the job
• Analyze data or information
• Process information
• Use computers
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Evaluate information against standards
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Document and record information
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Explain the meaning of information to others
• Schedule work and activities
• Perform for or work with the public
• Perform administrative tasks
• Estimate sizes, quantities, time, cost, or materials needed
• Inspect equipment, structures, or materials

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, appraisers and assessors:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a high level of social contact. They talk to property owners, but also spend time alone analyzing information.
• Communicate with others by telephone, e-mail, and in person on a daily basis. They also write reports, letters, and memos.
• May occasionally be placed in conflict situations in which property owners may become angry or discourteous.
• Often work as part of a team. This is particularly applicable to assessors.

Physical work conditions

• Work outdoors when examining properties. Work indoors when researching records and writing reports.
• Often travel to properties in an enclosed vehicle, such as a car, truck, or van.
• May work close to others, such as when sharing work space.

Work performance

• Must fully complete and be exact in their work. Errors could cause property owners to pay too much tax.
• Make decisions that impact homeowners and their company's reputation. This occurs on a daily basis. Appraisers and assessors usually do not consult a supervisor first before deciding a course of action.
• Work in a competitive atmosphere where strict daily and weekly deadlines must be met.
• Repeat the same physical and mental tasks throughout the workday.

Hours/travel

• Usually work full time as an assessor. May work part time or full time as an appraiser.
• May work overtime to meet deadlines.

Physical demands

Appraisers and assessors frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for appraisers and assessors to be able to:

• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for appraisers and assessors to be able to:

• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Determine the distance between objects.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.

Skills and abilities

Appraisers and assessors need to:

Communicate

• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Read and understand work-related materials.
• Understand written information.
• Understand spoken information.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.

Reason and problem solve

• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Concentrate and not be distracted while performing a task.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.

Use math and science

• Use math skills to solve problems.
• Choose a mathematical method or formula to solve problems.
• Add, subtract, multiply, and divide quickly and correctly.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.

Perceive and visualize

• Identify a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in distracting material.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Art History
• Real Estate

Other programs of study to consider

• Art and Fine Arts, General
• Economics
• Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations
• Finance

Training

To work as an appraiser or assessor, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree; and
• complete long-term on-the-job training.

Education after high school

Many appraisers and assessors have a bachelor's degree. Common majors are economics,finance, mathematics, computer science, English, and business or real estate law. Real estate appraisers must take formal course work in real estate.

Excellent knowledge of the items you want to appraise is the best preparation. If you are unsure of your exact career goal, a liberal arts education is good preparation. However, if you know your goal, you should select a major related to your interest area. For instance, if your goal is art appraisal, consider at least a bachelor's degree in art history. Regardless of which major you chose, courses in finance and business administration are valuable.

Work experience

Some real estate appraisers and assessors begin as real estate agents and transfer to this occupation.

For art or antique appraisal, work in an auction house during college is good experience.

On-the-job training

Appraisers and assessors typically train with established professionals to practice and gain new skills. Training takes a minimum of one year.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Art History
• Banking and Finance
• Economics

Many appraisers and assessors are self-employed. If you want to run your own business some day, you should consider taking these courses as well:

• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Business

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers require real estate appraisers to have a license. Employers look for applicants who have experience in the real estate field. For other appraisal areas, employers look for applicants who have experience in that field.

In some states, county officials may appoint assessors. In others, assessors are elected.

The federal government requires any appraiser working with federally governed transactions with a loan amount of $250,000 or more to be at least a certified residential real property appraiser by the State. Some employers prefer appraisers who are members of and accredited by an industry association such as the American Society of Appraisers. Accreditation usually requires several years experience, specific course work, exams, and continuing education classes.

#Federal gov't transaction comment still correct as of 2/5/14, 2/2/16, 2/6/18 cj.

Tips

Real estate sales or management can be a step toward becoming an appraiser. Experience in art history or construction can be helpful for appraisal positions related to those areas. Talk with people who work for appraisal firms to learn about their jobs. Membership in a professional association is also helpful.

Costs to workers

Some appraisers and assessors may wish to join a professional association, which may have annual dues. Appraisers and assessors may need to buy books and subscriptions to trade journals to keep current in their field.

Licensing/certification

All real estate appraisers are required to be licensed or certified by the State. Licensing requirements depend on the type of transaction being conducted. Appraisers must successfully complete 28 classroom hours of approved continuing education courses every two years to renew their license.

The license application fee is $370 and the exam fee is $105. After passing the exam, the registration or certification fee is $250. The license renewal fee is $530 every two years.

For information on licensing requirements, contact:

Washington State Department of Licensing
Real Estate Appraisers Licensing Program 
PO Box 9021
Olympia, WA 98507-9021
360.664.6504

#No changes 1/24/17 lh, 2/6/18 cj. updated url 4/9/19 lh

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Appraisers, Real Estate 
• Assessors 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The worker's specialty, education, and experience also affect wages.

Appraisers and assessors who work full time usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance. Some employers also provide a retirement plan. Appraisers and assessors who are self-employed must provide their own insurance and retirement plan.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

About 26% of appraisers and assessors are self-employed.

Major employers:

• Local and state government agencies
• Real estate appraisal agencies
• Banks and credit unions

National outlook

Job growth is expected to faster than average for appraisers and assessors. Future job growth may slow as mobile technology allows workers to be more productive. The economy affects real estate appraisers who do not work for the government. When the economy is strong, more people buy and sell property. This increases the demand for appraisers. However, when the economy is weak, fewer properties are sold and the demand for appraisers drops.

Other resources

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 
727 15th St NW
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20005
202.452.9545

American Society of Appraisers 
11107 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 310
Reston, VA 20190

American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers 
720 South Colorado Boulevard, Suite 360-S
Glendale, CO 80246
303.758.3513

Appraisal Institute 
200 West Madison, Suite 1500
Chicago, IL 60606
888.756.4624
312.335.4100

Appraisers Association of America 
212 West 35th Street, 11th Floor South
New York, NY 10001
212.889.5404

Careers in Gems and Jewelry 
(from the Gemological Institute of America)

International Business Brokers Association 
7100 East Pleasant Valley Road, Suite 160
Independence, OH 44131
888.686.4222

National Association of Jewelry Appraisers 
PO Box 18
Rego Park, NY 11374-0018
718.896.1536

National Association of Marine Surveyors 
17049 El Camino Real, Suite 208
Houston, TX 77058
800.822.6267
281.480.6267

National Association of Realtors 
430 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
800.874.6500
312.329.8200

The Appraisal Foundation 
1155 - 15th Street NW, Suite 1111
Washington, DC 20005
202.347.7722

Washington Association of County Officials 
206 - 10th Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98501
360.753.7319

References

Career cluster

• Government and Public Administration

Career path

• Enterprising (Business Communications)

O*Net  occupations

• Appraisers, Real Estate (13-2021.02) 
• Assessors (13-2021.01) 

O*Net job zones 

• Job Zone 3 - Medium preparation needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.

• Job Zone 4 - Considerable preparation needed. A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

DOT occupations

• Appraiser (188.167-010) 
• Appraiser, Real Estate (191.267-010) 

Holland occupational clusters

• Conventional/Enterprising/Investigative
• Enterprising/Conventional/Realistic

COPSystem

• Business Skilled