Post job

Appraiser vs home inspector

The differences between appraisers and home inspectors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become an appraiser, becoming a home inspector takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a home inspector has an average salary of $51,264, which is higher than the $42,223 average annual salary of an appraiser.

The top three skills for an appraiser include commercial property, appraisal reports and customer service. The most important skills for a home inspector are crawl spaces, pest control, and plumbing.

Appraiser vs home inspector overview

AppraiserHome Inspector
Yearly salary$42,223$51,264
Hourly rate$20.30$24.65
Growth rate7%-4%
Number of jobs1,18655,491
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Average age4950
Years of experience46

What does an appraiser do?

An appraiser is someone who assesses the monetary value of a property such as an automobile, real property, and personal claim. His/Her or her responsibilities include resolving disparities between a property's monetary values and preparing narrative reports for projects. The essential skills that an appraiser should possess to accomplish such responsibilities include a keen eye for details, strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to work under pressure. The education requirements for the job vary depending on the area of focus.

What does a home inspector do?

A home inspector is primarily in charge of performing inspections and assessments to identify problem areas and potential risks. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their line of work or company of employment, it usually includes studying and assessing the structural elements of houses such as its floors and ceilings, testing the alarm or fire detecting equipment, inspecting drainage and pipe systems, and checking appliances should there be any. Moreover, a home inspector produces detailed reports along with recommendations to help the clients in making decisions.

Appraiser vs home inspector salary

Appraisers and home inspectors have different pay scales, as shown below.

AppraiserHome Inspector
Average salary$42,223$51,264
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $59,000Between $32,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CitySan Mateo, CA-
Highest paying stateCalifornia-
Best paying companyCity National Bank-
Best paying industryInsurance-

Differences between appraiser and home inspector education

There are a few differences between an appraiser and a home inspector in terms of educational background:

AppraiserHome Inspector
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 62%Bachelor's Degree, 45%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaSan Diego State University

Appraiser vs home inspector demographics

Here are the differences between appraisers' and home inspectors' demographics:

AppraiserHome Inspector
Average age4950
Gender ratioMale, 67.8% Female, 32.2%Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.9% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 8.1% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 12.8% Asian, 3.4% White, 69.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage8%5%

Differences between appraiser and home inspector duties and responsibilities

Appraiser example responsibilities.

  • Cross-Train in numerous banking/lending fields relate to real property appraisal such as underwriting, loan processing, and loan origination.
  • Experience in appraising single family residences, condominiums, raw land, develop lots, construction appraisals, and final inspections.
  • Complete commercial appraisal assignments in Illinois under a supervising MAI.
  • Prepare analysis of valuation issues for federal agency rent appeals, federal acquisitions, and litigation.
  • Provide oversight of the appraisers, to insure they are FHA approve.
  • Handle total losses by obtaining CCC reports, obtaining DMV documents and contacting lien holders.
  • Show more

Home inspector example responsibilities.

  • Lead site excavations, form structuring, and supervise concrete pours.
  • Perform weekly boiler inspections at several APS schools
  • Perform NDT MPI/ LPI inspections on MWD and LWD tools used in the oil and gas industry.
  • Drive company vehicle to preset locations to meet with roofing contractors for final inspections for issuance of final warranties.
  • Test materials to make sure they are in conformance with ASHTO and ASTM and the Maryland book of standards.
  • Read structural blueprints to verify pile placement, inspect piles according to ASTM standards and record the driving depth.
  • Show more

Appraiser vs home inspector skills

Common appraiser skills
  • Commercial Property, 13%
  • Appraisal Reports, 12%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • MAI, 6%
  • Discounted Cash Flow, 5%
  • Market Research, 4%
Common home inspector skills
  • Crawl Spaces, 17%
  • Pest Control, 14%
  • Plumbing, 12%
  • Inspection Reports, 8%
  • Inspection Services, 7%
  • Safety Issues, 6%

Browse business and financial jobs