How much should I pay a insurance appraisers, auto damage in 2026?

A competitive 2026 offer for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage is $78,229 to $91,874 (market median to the 75th percentile). BLS ECI shows financial activities wages growing about 3.1% a year, so budget a similar annual increase to stay at market.

Is a salary competitive for a insurance appraisers, auto damage?

Compare it to the BLS OEWS range: below $65,062 is below market, $78,229 to $91,874 is competitive, and above $91,874 is above market for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage.

How is insurance appraisers, auto damage pay changing in 2026?

Median pay for this role rose 2.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI). Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.

Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks

SOC 13-1032 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data

Median Annual Salary

$78,229

$37.61/hr

Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Insurance Appraisers salary in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

Check a salary or offer:$Competitive · ~P50

P10$58K

P25$65K

P50$78K

P75$92K

P90$102K

Drag the dot or type an amount above.

⚡

Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.

📈

Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.

Our read

For a competitive 2026 offer, target $78,229 to $91,874 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.

Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.

How Insurance Appraisers pay is moving in 2026

Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI

Pay trend

Median pay for this role rose 2.1% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).

Hiring demand · MODERATE

Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.

Pay spread

Top earners (P90) make about 1.7 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is narrower than typical, so pay is fairly standardized; small differences move a candidate across the market.

What changed recently

Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.

Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.

Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026

Next refresh: May 2027

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The national median salary for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage is $78,229 per year ($37.61/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $65,062 and $91,874 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $101,587 per year. There are approximately 11,560 insurance appraisers, auto damage employed in the United States.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

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.

Career Outlook

BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034

10-year growth

-8.2%

Much slower than average

Annual openings

500

per year, on avg

Workforce today

as of 2024

Why those openings exist

0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role

Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.

Typical entry requirements

Education

Postsecondary nondegree award

Experience

None

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Industry Wage Breakdown

Top 4 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific

Industry	Workforce	Median Pay
Insurance Carriers NAICS 524100	6K	$79,200
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities NAICS 524200	5K	$77,370
Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services NAICS 561500	200	$79,250
Automobile Dealers NAICS 441100	110	N/A

Wage Percentiles

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)

Percentile	Hourly Rate	Annual Salary
P10	$28.06	$58,365
P25	$31.28	$65,062
P50MEDIAN	$37.61	$78,229
P75	$44.17	$91,874
P90	$48.84	$101,587

Market Context Signal

JOLTS · finance sector

Active

Openings Rate

4.3%

Quits Rate

0.9%

Finance and Insurance openings rebounded 43K to 303K in June, rate up from 3.7% to 4.3% -- a volatile series this year. Quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, so workers are staying put and wage pressure stays muted despite the openings pop.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average insurance appraisers, auto damage salary?

The national median salary for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage is $78,229 per year ($37.61/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $65,062 and $91,874 annually.

How much do top-earning insurance appraisers, auto damage make?

The 90th percentile salary for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage is $101,587 per year ($48.84/hr). The 75th percentile is $91,874 per year.

What is the entry-level salary for insurance appraisers, auto damage?

Entry-level Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (10th percentile) earn approximately $58,365 per year ($28.06/hr). The 25th percentile is $65,062 per year.

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Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary by State

Top 5 states by employment

Texas910 workers Ohio820 workers Massachusetts680 workers Illinois560 workers California550 workers

About This Data

Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.

P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.

Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

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