How To Become A Damage Appraiser: What It Is and Career Path

What is a damage appraiser and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Damage appraisers assess the damage on vehicles to support insurance claims. Part of their job is to prepare insurance forms and evaluate repair costs, comparing the costs of repair to the vehicle's original value to make sure the expenses are not impractical.

As a damage appraiser, you will be in communication with auto repair shops to consult them on repair and parts prices. You will carry out examinations on damaged vehicles, checking the structure for all possible damage types, whether it affects the body, the mechanics, the electrical wiring, or others.

The average annual salaries for damage appraisers are around $51,140. A GED is enough to get started on this career path, and experience working in auto repair shops will help you land this position.

ScoreDamage AppraiserUS Average

Salary

3.8

Avg. Salary $48,075

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.4

Growth rate -6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.50%

Asian 4.97%

Black or African American 10.45%

Hispanic or Latino 16.96%

Unknown 4.41%

White 62.71%

Gender

female 14.00%

male 86.00%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

8.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.5

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a damage appraiser

Explore damage appraiser education requirements

Most common damage appraiser degrees

Bachelor's

53.4 %

Associate

18.4 %

High School Diploma

14.9 %

Start to develop specific damage appraiser skills

Skills	Percentages
Vehicle Repairs	21.17%
Parts Costs	20.24%
Process Claims	17.02%
Customer Service	7.88%
Audatex	5.82%

Complete relevant damage appraiser training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New damage appraisers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a damage appraiser based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real damage appraiser resumes.

Research damage appraiser duties and responsibilities

Greet customers and write complete repair estimates on damage vehicles using different computer programs, CCC and ADP.
Coordinate with SIU on fraudulent claims effectively.
Investigate claims and report fraud to SIU.
Work with DRP shops to maintain and follow company guidelines.

Prepare your damage appraiser resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your damage appraiser resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a damage appraiser resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable damage appraiser resume templates

Build a professional damage appraiser resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your damage appraiser resume.