How to hire a property appraiser

How to hire a property appraiser, step by step

Here's a step-by-step property appraiser hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a property appraiser job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new property appraiser
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The property appraiser hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A property appraiser's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, property appraisers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents property appraiser salaries for various positions.

   Type of Property Appraiser	Description	Hourly rate
   Property Appraiser	Appraisers and assessors of real estate provide an estimate of the value of land and the buildings on the land usually before it is sold, mortgaged, taxed, insured, or developed.	$12-30
   Real Estate Appraiser	Reading Teachers are specialists in helping individuals increase their reading and literacy levels. Their duties include implementing lessons appealing to different learning styles, diagnosing literacy disorders, and helping students overcome reading difficulties... Show more	$17-38
   Residential Appraiser	Just as the name suggests, the residential appraiser assesses buildings and properties before it is sold, mortgaged, taxed, insured, or developed. They evaluate properties by establishing market value and property ratings... Show more	$13-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Appraisal Reports
   • Property Tax
   • Appeals
   • Property Values
   • Sketch
   • Residential Properties
   • Sales Data
   • Taxation
   • Physical Inspections
   • GIS
   • Legal Descriptions
   • State Board
   • Property Appraisals
   • Appraisal Process

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Accomplish this task by using HTML5, jQuery, CSS4, along with ASP.NET.
   • Set up and delete accounts using PACS software.
   • Complete permits, appeals, and other responsibilities in record time.
   • Work with artists in the branding and rebranding of their careers.
   • Research market areas through MLS, country records, realtors, and homeowners.
   • Use of GIS applications to visualize valuation changes, demographics, route efficiency, and other attributes.

   More property appraiser duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the property appraiser job description is a good way to get more applicants. A property appraiser salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a property appraiser in Colorado may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level property appraiser. Additionally, a property appraiser with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average property appraiser salary

   $41,134yearly

   $19.78 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level property appraiser salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average property appraiser salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Michigan	$46,565	$22
   2	Oregon	$46,047	$22
   3	Idaho	$42,425	$20
   4	Wisconsin	$40,896	$20
   5	Montana	$39,488	$19
   6	North Carolina	$37,683	$18
   7	Florida	$34,170	$16

   Average property appraiser salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	City of Jacksonville	$45,314	$21.79
   2	Forsyth County	$45,053	$21.66	1
   3	Deschutes County	$44,173	$21.24	1
   4	Lane County Engineer	$42,360	$20.37
   5	City of Dearborn	$40,000	$19.23
   6	Clackamas County	$39,963	$19.21
   7	Rings Levin A Atty	$39,760	$19.12
   8	City of Ann Arbor	$39,549	$19.01	1
   9	City of Augusta	$39,139	$18.82
   10	Metro Nashville	$38,686	$18.60
   11	Washington County	$38,300	$18.41
   12	The State of Oregon	$36,451	$17.52
   13	Douglas County	$36,435	$17.52
   14	Canyon County	$36,058	$17.34
   15	Buncombe County Government	$35,604	$17.12	1
   16	Fulton County Government Center	$35,041	$16.85	1
   17	Maine	$34,221	$16.45
   18	State Of Montana	$32,147	$15.46	4

4. Writing a property appraiser job description

   A property appraiser job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a property appraiser job description:

   Property appraiser job description example

   Buncombe County is a caring community in harmony with its environment where citizens succeed, thrive, and realize their potential. Our mission is to promote a healthy, safe, well-educated, and thriving community with a sustainable quality of life; to provide effective and efficient government our citizens can trust; and to deliver needed service through a responsive work force committed to excellence, integrity, and teamwork.
   Job
   Title: Property
   Appraiser II
   
   We are committed to building an inclusive workforce that is representative of our diverse community. Applicants with equivalent experience and/or education should apply.
   
   Our hiring managers begin reviewing applications after the Job Posting End Date (below) and will begin contacting applicants soon after that date. Thank you for your patience as we give each application the time and attention that it deserves.
   
   Purpose of the position:
   The primary purpose of this position is to perform moderately complex appraisal work in connection with examining, analyzing, and evaluating improved and vacant residential, commercial, industrial and special use properties to determine the fair value of, and assess taxes on real property in the County.
   
   Minimum Education, Training and/or Experience: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field including or supplemented by courses in appraisal work and a minimum of two (2) years of experience in real property appraisal; or an equivalent combination of experience and training.
   
   Additional Training and Experience: Preferred successful completion of IAAO courses 101- fundamentals of real property appraisal, 102- income approach to valuation, 112- advanced income approach to valuation, 300- fundamentals of mass appraisal, 311-residential modeling concepts, 312- commercial modeling concepts and North Carolina Machinery Act. Considerable knowledge and experience working with software and databases related to excel, access, crystal reports, power point and ArcMap.
   
   License or Certification Required by Statute or Regulation: Must be able to obtain certification as a real property appraiser from the North Carolina Department of Revenue within one year of employment. Possession of a valid North Carolina driver's license. Licensed as a certified or general appraiser by the North Carolina Appraisal Board preferred.
   
   Essential Functions of the position:
   Collect data and perform more specialized appraisal related work in determining the taxable value of real property in the County for tax purposes.Assist Tax Assessor and/or Chief Appraiser with training and other duties as needed.Assist the Present Use Value/Exempt division with the collection of data, requesting information from property owners and processing new applications and/or requalifications.Resolve and process valuation complaints and/or appeals and assist taxpayers in correcting real property data.Evaluate land records data related to ownership, subdivisions, plats, land splits and combinations.Analyze selling price of vacant land and improved parcels and maintain property transfer (sales) records which are used to perform county-wide revaluations.Develop, apply, defend and explain property values to the public. Perform specialized appraisal analysis as needed.Performs other related duties as assigned.
   
   Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
   Knowledge of principles, practices, and techniques used in real property appraisal work including appraising improved and vacant residential, commercial and industrial properties.Knowledge of current construction costs, including building materials and land value.Knowledge of the geographical layout of the County.Knowledge of the methods and procedures of the County Assessor Department's appraisal division.Knowledge of the three approaches to market value (cost, income and market) of real property.Knowledge of appraisal statistics.Knowledge and mastery of mathematics.Ability to use independent judgement and initiative in correctly evaluating a variety of properties and accurately collect appraisal data.Ability to plan, assign and review the work of subordinate personnel.Ability to make accurate computations with or without a calculator.Ability to navigate and drive to all areas of Buncombe County as directed.Ability to physically navigate in and around active & non active construction sites in all types of terrain and weather situations while collecting and recording data.Ability to use a computer and learn specific computer programs associated with daily assignments.Ability to develop, apply, defend and explain property values to the public. Ability to defend property values for both formal and informal appeals, this includes writing, preparing and presenting the case before the Board of Equalization and Review.
   
   In order to uphold internal pay parity and equity, salaries are non-negotiable for new and current Buncombe County employees. All new employees are paid according to their years of relevant education and experience above minimum requirements for the position and employees have the opportunity to obtain pay increases via cost of living increases and promotions.
   
   Department:Tax Appraisal
   
   Location: Asheville, NC
   
   Job Posting End Date: October 23, 2022
   
   Salary
   Range: $23.32 - $27.22
   
   Buncombe County Government realizes the importance of a diverse professional workforce and the need to foster a responsive and innovative organizational culture, one that fully engages all of our employees, honoring and building on each employee's unique experiences, opinions, and perspective.
   
   It is the policy of Buncombe County to provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected class under federal or NC State law. In addition the Agency expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment or discrimination.
   
   Applicants for employment are invited to participate in the affirmative action program by reporting their status as a protected veteran or other minority. In extending this invitation, we advise you that: (a) workers (applicants) are under no obligation to respond but may do so in the future if they choose; (b) responses will remain confidential within the human resource department; and (c) responses will be used only for the necessary information to include in our affirmative action program. We are a company that values diversity. We actively encourage women, minorities, veterans and disabled employees to apply. Refusal to provide this information will have no bearing on your application and will not subject you to any adverse treatment.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find property appraisers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your property appraiser job on Zippia to find and attract quality property appraiser candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit property appraisers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new property appraiser

   Once you've found the property appraiser candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new property appraiser first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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