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The differences between auto claims adjusters and damage appraisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an auto claims adjuster and a damage appraiser. Additionally, an auto claims adjuster has an average salary of $52,621, which is higher than the $48,075 average annual salary of a damage appraiser.
The top three skills for an auto claims adjuster include repair process, body shop and strong customer service. The most important skills for a damage appraiser are vehicle repairs, parts costs, and process claims.
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Damage Appraiser | |
| Yearly salary | $52,621 | $48,075 |
| Hourly rate | $25.30 | $23.11 |
| Growth rate | -6% | -6% |
| Number of jobs | 16,187 | 1,117 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A claims adjuster inspects insurance claim liability for property damage or personal injuries and calculates payments. They can either work in-house for insurance companies or as external freelancers. They collect gathered information from different reliable sources to determine insurance obligations based on the degree of damage caused. It is part of their responsibility to interview claimants and witnesses and refer with experts like engineers or policyholders to estimate the damage and if it's covered by insurance policies.
A damage appraiser is someone who determines the damage costs associated with a property, such as buildings and vehicles, in preparation for filing claims and requesting payments from insurance. The damage appraiser compiles estimated and actual costs of repairs and creates a report used as a reference for any claims and insurance requests. The damage appraiser can also come in handy for any legal requirement for repair agreements between parties and such. The damage appraiser works closely with the client and all the repair companies that repaired the damaged property.
Auto claims adjusters and damage appraisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Damage Appraiser | |
| Average salary | $52,621 | $48,075 |
| Salary range | Between $38,000 And $71,000 | Between $33,000 And $68,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | - |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | - |
| Best paying company | EMC Insurance | - |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | - |
There are a few differences between an auto claims adjuster and a damage appraiser in terms of educational background:
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Damage Appraiser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between auto claims adjusters' and damage appraisers' demographics:
| Auto Claims Adjuster | Damage Appraiser | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.2% Female, 47.8% | Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 5.0% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 10% |