Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary

SOC Code: 13-1032 • Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2024

Median Salary
$76,650
Mean Salary
$77,050
Employment
7,790
Entry Level (10th %ile)
$56,690
Top Earners (90th %ile)
$101,800

Pay Range Distribution

10th percentile
$56,690 25th percentile
$64,280 Median (50th)
$76,650 75th percentile
$86,430 90th percentile
$101,800

Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary by State

StateMedianMeanEmploymentEntry (10th)Top (90th)
Ohio$100,920$96,560120$79,540$108,760
Washington$97,550$91,730120$69,370$117,540
South Carolina$91,960$86,930380$73,200$98,610
Maryland$88,700$92,850180$73,220$144,320
New Jersey$87,240$87,440300$68,790$103,630
Pennsylvania$83,480$87,200220$75,880$98,760
Virginia$82,570$87,150N/A$78,970$88,540
Oregon$80,250$81,420N/A$66,950$100,450
Nevada$79,270$76,65060$65,060$83,080
Rhode Island$79,270$80,96030$63,370$107,310
New York$79,050$83,960380$65,970$103,450
California$78,870$81,890510$59,170$106,850
Maine$78,730$79,55070$52,000$128,070
Kentucky$78,640$77,15060$67,560$97,800
Iowa$78,120$76,11050$66,990$85,340
Georgia$77,950$79,780320$63,250$103,790
Connecticut$77,740$90,390N/A$73,680$124,800
Oklahoma$77,620$75,780100$62,080$97,640
Indiana$75,720$78,19060$67,710$93,540
Missouri$74,180$72,180110$61,050$84,290
Tennessee$73,390$76,770N/A$60,790$100,380
Michigan$73,370$71,610140$54,370$81,290
Massachusetts$73,100$76,640340$47,470$99,820
Arizona$72,830$80,980100$65,890$102,690
Wisconsin$71,780$69,440N/A$62,250$81,470
Colorado$69,560$75,290590$57,610$102,990
Louisiana$69,170$73,090N/A$51,390$102,680
North Carolina$67,490$73,850540$58,770$97,090
Utah$66,080$73,59080$62,840$97,210
Vermont$66,050$70,880N/A$64,630$90,410
Florida$65,900$64,400460$24,980$89,850
Texas$64,730$68,640710$43,430$102,890
Mississippi$61,440$68,200N/A$51,910$90,170
Illinois$59,990$61,740N/A$47,020$77,650

Highest Paying Metro Areas

Metro AreaMedianMeanEmployment
Cleveland, OH$106,590$96,550N/A
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$97,570$94,850100
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$95,480$92,22040
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$90,540$91,830290
Worcester, MA$84,080$78,520100
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$82,120$85,500180
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$80,900$88,31030
Oklahoma City, OK$79,980$78,68060
Portland-South Portland, ME$78,730$79,990N/A
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$78,360$75,82050
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$78,120$75,38040
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$77,950$81,450230
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$77,370$74,44050
Columbia, SC$77,330$79,64050
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$76,850$74,880150
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$76,410$78,34040
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$75,210$73,59060
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$73,740$76,810350
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$73,680$84,590N/A
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$73,390$77,490N/A

About Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage Salary Data

This data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The median salary represents the midpoint — half of insurance appraisers, auto damages earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay, while the 90th percentile represents the highest earners in this occupation. Employment counts represent estimated total jobs in May 2024.

Understanding Salary Percentiles

Salary percentiles show how wages are distributed across workers in this occupation. The 10th percentile represents entry-level pay — only 10% earn less. The median (50th percentile) is the true midpoint of all wages. The 90th percentile reflects top earners, typically in senior roles or high-cost metro areas. A wide gap between the 10th and 90th percentiles indicates that experience, location, and specialization significantly affect pay.

Factors That Affect Pay

Several factors influence salary for this occupation. Location is one of the biggest — the same job can pay 50% more in a high-cost metro area like San Francisco or New York compared to a rural area. Experience matters significantly; workers at the 90th percentile typically have 10-20+ years in the field. Industry also plays a role — the same occupation often pays differently in finance, technology, healthcare, or government. Education and certifications can boost pay, especially in fields that require advanced degrees or specialized licenses.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between median and mean salary?

The median is the midpoint — half earn more, half earn less. The mean (average) is the total of all salaries divided by the number of workers. The median is generally more useful because it is not skewed by a small number of extremely high earners.

Do these figures include bonuses and benefits?

No. BLS OEWS data measures base wages and salaries only. It does not include bonuses, commissions, tips, overtime, stock options, health insurance, retirement contributions, or other benefits. Total compensation may be 20-40% higher than base salary.

How reliable is this data?

The BLS OEWS survey covers approximately 1.1 million business establishments across the U.S. and uses rigorous statistical sampling methods. It is considered one of the most reliable sources of occupational wage data available. Self-employed workers and certain agricultural positions are not included.

How often is this data updated?

The BLS publishes new OEWS data annually, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period. This page shows May 2024 data, the most recent release.