Damage appraiser vs adjuster

The differences between damage appraisers and adjusters can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a damage appraiser and an adjuster. Additionally, an adjuster has an average salary of $49,396, which is higher than the $48,075 average annual salary of a damage appraiser.

The top three skills for a damage appraiser include vehicle repairs, parts costs and process claims. The most important skills for an adjuster are customer service, strong customer service, and litigation.

Damage appraiser vs adjuster overview

	Damage Appraiser	Adjuster
Yearly salary	$48,075	$49,396
Hourly rate	$23.11	$23.75
Growth rate	-6%	-6%
Number of jobs	1,117	7,936
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a damage appraiser do?

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.

What does an adjuster do?

An adjuster is responsible for evaluating the extent of loss in the company by calculating the damage costs, determining the settlement payment to the client, and managing the reputation of the company for claims accountability. Adjusters must have extensive knowledge of the insurance principles and processes, following the state and federal regulations to protect clients and the business from insurance fraud. They collect documents from different organizations, perform field research, and interview witnesses to verify the accuracy of claims statement.

Damage appraiser vs adjuster salary

Damage appraisers and adjusters have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Damage Appraiser	Adjuster
Average salary	$48,075	$49,396
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $68,000	Between $35,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	FCCI
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between damage appraiser and adjuster education

There are a few differences between a damage appraiser and an adjuster in terms of educational background:

	Damage Appraiser	Adjuster
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 53%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Damage appraiser vs adjuster demographics

Here are the differences between damage appraisers' and adjusters' demographics:

	Damage Appraiser	Adjuster
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 86.0% Female, 14.0%	Male, 56.9% Female, 43.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 12.2% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 5.1% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between damage appraiser and adjuster duties and responsibilities

Damage appraiser example 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.
Obtain exterior measurements of the home and create a computerize sketch using RapidSketch v2.5.
Measure and sketch all floors of home, porches, patios and any other structures.

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Adjuster example responsibilities.

Manage strict confidentiality of documents and comply with HIPAA regulations stipulate by the facility and government.
Review evidence obtain in liability investigations to evaluate a claim for success in recovery through litigation or arbitration.
Document measurements and relevant data to author estimates and appraisals utilizing Xactimate 28software.
Charge with answering and defending policy holders and company interests through independent and binding third-party arbitration proceedings.
Review departmental reports and financial data; prepare reports of findings, negotiating settlement demands or recommending litigation.
Prepare computerize estimates utilizing Xactimate and document all activity associate with the claim in clients web base claims management system.

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Damage appraiser vs adjuster skills

Common damage appraiser skills

Vehicle Repairs, 21%
Parts Costs, 20%
Process Claims, 17%
Customer Service, 8%
Audatex, 6%
Repair Process, 6%

Common adjuster skills

Customer Service, 19%
Strong Customer Service, 7%
Litigation, 7%
Liability Claims, 6%
Policy Coverage, 6%
Insurance Claims, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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