Career profile · 13-1032
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
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.
What the work can involve
- Evaluate practicality of repair as opposed to payment of market value of vehicle before accident.
- Review repair cost estimates with automobile repair shop to secure agreement on cost of repairs.
- Examine damaged vehicle to determine extent of structural, body, mechanical, electrical, or interior damage.
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Speaking
- Writing
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- Administrative
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 95.7%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 32.9%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 66.6%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 66.0%07/2016 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Sitting | More than half the time | 45.5%07/2016 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 47.0%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 48.2%07/2016 · sample 21 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 63.1%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 46.5%07/2016 · sample 22 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 63.9%07/2016 · sample 22 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Billing and invoicing software: NCH Software Express Invoice
- Compiler and decompiler software: Disassembler software
- Data base user interface and query software: Information Services Inc. CCC Pathways Appraisal Solution, Meridian Technologies SurePoint, Vertafore ImageRight
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat
- Electronic mail software: Email software, Microsoft Outlook
- Graphics or photo imaging software: A-T Solutions Easy Street Draw
- Internet browser software: Web browser software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Project management software: App Software Associations AppTrak.net, Cost estimating software, Mitchell International Mitchell WorkCenter, Solera Audatex Estimating
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for insurance appraisers, auto damage
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 38 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $86,030 | $41.36 | 40 |
| Arkansas | $63,960 | $30.75 | Not published |
| California | $78,930 | $37.95 | 550 |
| Colorado | $71,600 | $34.42 | 330 |
| Connecticut | $89,740 | $43.14 | 210 |
| Florida | $61,320 | $29.48 | Not published |
| Georgia | $81,470 | $39.17 | Not published |
| Idaho | $76,110 | $36.59 | Not published |
| Illinois | $71,510 | $34.38 | 560 |
| Indiana | $76,750 | $36.90 | 250 |
| Iowa | $79,090 | $38.02 | Not published |
| Kansas | $75,080 | $36.09 | Not published |
| Kentucky | $97,950 | $47.09 | Not published |
| Louisiana | $72,040 | $34.64 | 100 |
| Maine | $79,510 | $38.23 | 50 |
| Maryland | $82,870 | $39.84 | Not published |
| Massachusetts | $79,930 | $38.43 | 680 |
| Michigan | $77,060 | $37.05 | 310 |
| Minnesota | $76,460 | $36.76 | Not published |
| Mississippi | $71,550 | $34.40 | 120 |
| Missouri | $67,950 | $32.67 | 190 |
| Nebraska | $62,350 | $29.98 | 90 |
| Nevada | $78,510 | $37.75 | 80 |
| New Jersey | $94,280 | $45.33 | Not published |
| New Mexico | $78,310 | $37.65 | Not published |
| New York | $81,150 | $39.02 | 360 |
| North Carolina | $74,810 | $35.97 | 520 |
| Ohio | $63,470 | $30.51 | 820 |
| Oklahoma | $82,340 | $39.59 | Not published |
| Oregon | $83,270 | $40.04 | 170 |
| Pennsylvania | $95,720 | $46.02 | 310 |
| South Carolina | $86,680 | $41.67 | 220 |
| Tennessee | $67,080 | $32.25 | 420 |
| Texas | $79,200 | $38.08 | 910 |
| Utah | $82,570 | $39.70 | 50 |
| Virginia | $81,470 | $39.17 | Not published |
| Washington | $78,450 | $37.72 | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $75,260 | $36.18 | Not published |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 41 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers→
- Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers→
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 13-1032.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.