Property Appraisers and Assessors

Property appraisers and assessors provide a value estimate on real estate and tangible personal and business property.

Duties

Property appraisers and assessors typically do the following:

• Verify descriptions of property, such as by consulting public records
• Inspect property, noting its characteristics
• Photograph items or real estate
• Analyze “comparables,” or similar items or properties, to help provide values
• Prepare written reports on property values
• Prepare and maintain current data on each real estate property or other tangible asset

Property appraisers and assessors work in localities or with items that they are familiar with so that they know any factors that may affect the property's value.

Appraisers of personal and business property estimate the value of items such as jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, and equipment. They prepare reports for their clients of the fair market value, replacement cost, or liquidation at a given point for personal and business property.

When appraising personal and business property, these workers may use a variety of tools or resources to estimate its value. These include software, internet searches, or personal records of the actual cost to replace the item and estimates of the property income projected to be generated.

Appraisers of real estate estimate the value of land and buildings, usually before these assets are sold, mortgaged, taxed, insured, or developed. They typically value one property at a time, and they often specialize in a certain type of real estate:

• Commercial appraisers specialize in income-producing properties, such as office buildings, hotels, and stores.
• Residential appraisers focus on appraising properties in which people live, such as single unit homes and condominiums. They appraise only properties that house one to four units.

When evaluating a property's value, appraisers note the characteristics of the property and surrounding area, such as its view or a noisy highway nearby. They also consider the overall condition of a building, including its foundation and roof or any renovations that may have been done. Appraisers photograph the outside of the building and some of the interior features to document its condition. After visiting the property, the appraiser analyzes the property relative to comparable home sales, including lease records, location, view, previous appraisals, and income potential. During the entire process, appraisers record their research, observations, and methods used in providing an estimate of the property’s value.

Assessors of real estate value properties for property tax assessments. Most work for local governments. Unlike appraisers, who generally focus on one property at a time, assessors often value an entire neighborhood of homes at once by using mass appraisal techniques and computer-assisted appraisal systems.

Assessors must be up to date on tax assessment procedures. Taxpayers sometimes challenge the assessed value because they feel they are being charged too much for property tax. Assessors must be able to defend the accuracy of their property assessments, either to the owner directly or at a public hearing.

Assessors also keep a database of every property in their jurisdiction, identifying the property owner, assessment history, and characteristics of the property, as well as property maps detailing the property distribution of the jurisdiction.

Property appraisers and assessors held about 77,300 jobs in 2024. The largest employers of property appraisers and assessors were as follows:

Although property appraisers and assessors work in offices, they may spend a large part of their time conducting site visits. Time spent away from the office depends on the specialty. For example, residential appraisers work in offices less often than do commercial appraisers, who might spend several weeks analyzing information and writing reports about a single property. Appraisers employed by banks and mortgage companies generally work in an office, making site visits only when necessary.

Work Schedules

Most property appraisers and assessors work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Self-employed appraisers, often called independent fee appraisers, may work more than 40 hours per week.

Property appraisers and assessors typically need a bachelor’s degree, although educational requirements vary. Appraisers of real estate must meet state licensure or certification requirements.

The median annual wage for property appraisers and assessors was $65,420 in May 2024.

Employment of property appraisers and assessors is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 6,300 openings for property appraisers and assessors are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.