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The differences between claims adjusters and appraisers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a claims adjuster and an appraiser. Additionally, a claims adjuster has an average salary of $51,116, which is higher than the $42,223 average annual salary of an appraiser.
The top three skills for a claims adjuster include insurance carriers, auto claims and customer service. The most important skills for an appraiser are commercial property, appraisal reports, and customer service.
| Claims Adjuster | Appraiser | |
| Yearly salary | $51,116 | $42,223 |
| Hourly rate | $24.57 | $20.30 |
| Growth rate | -6% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 13,221 | 1,186 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A claim's adjuster is responsible for the handling of the insurance claims and investigating the extent of property damage and processing the business or a person's liability. Claims adjusters have a broad range of duties such as damage inspection to evaluate incident reports, communicating with property owners and spectators as well as referring to legal documents. They must also have excellent analytical and critical-thinking skills to calculate payments and analyze the complexities of multiple sources. Claims adjusters should also provide timely reports for reference and possible disputes.
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.
Claims adjusters and appraisers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Claims Adjuster | Appraiser | |
| Average salary | $51,116 | $42,223 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $64,000 | Between $29,000 And $59,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Merchants Insurance Group | City National Bank |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Insurance |
There are a few differences between a claims adjuster and an appraiser in terms of educational background:
| Claims Adjuster | Appraiser | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of Pennsylvania |
Here are the differences between claims adjusters' and appraisers' demographics:
| Claims Adjuster | Appraiser | |
| Average age | 44 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 45.1% Female, 54.9% | Male, 67.8% Female, 32.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 5.2% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 10% | 8% |