Property Appraiser Salary in 2026: National Pay, State Medians & Experience
The national median property appraiser salary is $67,960 per year, or about $32.67 per hour, based on the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage estimates available in 2026.
Pay varies substantially by state, employer, property type, credential level, responsibility and experience. The lowest-paid 10% of workers earned below $40,030, while the highest-paid 10% earned more than $122,660.
This guide uses the latest May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics available during 2026. It does not relabel older wage data as a new 2026 survey.
How Much Does a Property Appraiser Make in 2026?
The best national benchmark available in 2026 is the BLS May 2025 wage dataset. It covers employed property appraisers and assessors across the United States.
Lower End
$40,030 or less
The lowest 10% of employed property appraisers and assessors earned below this annual level.
National Median
$67,960
Half of workers earned more than this figure and half earned less.
Upper End
$122,660+
The highest-paid 10% earned more than this annual amount.
After opening this link
- Open the Pay section.
- Check the current national median.
- Review the lowest and highest 10% wage levels.
- Open State & Area Data if you need a local comparison.
Property Appraiser Salary by Experience: A Practical 2026 Benchmark
BLS does not publish a national salary table that directly assigns wages to “0–2 years,” “3–5 years” or similar experience bands. A more accurate approach is to use the national wage distribution as a benchmark and then adjust for credentials, location and responsibility.
| Career Stage Benchmark | National Wage Reference | How to Interpret It |
|---|---|---|
| Entry / trainee-level benchmark | Around $40,030 or below | Comparable to the national 10th-percentile wage. Actual trainee pay can be higher or lower by state and employer. |
| Developing professional | $40,030–$67,960 | A common portion of the wage distribution for workers building responsibility, credentials and market experience. |
| Established appraiser / assessor | Around $67,960 | The national median benchmark for employed property appraisers and assessors. |
| Experienced / specialized | $67,960–$122,660 | Often associated with greater responsibility, difficult assignments, stronger credentials, higher-paying markets or management duties. |
| High-earning benchmark | $122,660+ | Represents the national top 10%, not a guaranteed salary after a specific number of years. |
What usually moves pay upward?
- Completing required state licensing or certification
- Handling more complex property assignments
- Commercial or income-property experience
- Supervisory or management responsibility
- Working in a higher-wage state or metro market
- Strong report-writing and valuation skills
- Knowledge of local property markets
- Experience with mass appraisal or assessment systems
- Specialized finance or litigation-related work
- Higher assignment volume for fee-based appraisers
Property Appraiser Salary by State: 2025 Median Wages Used for 2026 Planning
The table below uses the latest CareerOneStop state salary data available during 2026. CareerOneStop states that its current figures come from the U.S. Department of Labor’s May 2025 OEWS estimates.
| State / Jurisdiction | Median Annual Pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $61,370 |
| Alaska | $80,330 |
| Arizona | $51,250 |
| Arkansas | $50,840 |
| California | $88,900 |
| Colorado | $75,150 |
| Connecticut | $86,050 |
| Delaware | $57,610 |
| District of Columbia | $107,980 |
| Florida | $65,620 |
| Georgia | $62,460 |
| Hawaii | $79,860 |
| Idaho | $63,410 |
| Illinois | $60,150 |
| Indiana | $60,350 |
| Iowa | $80,160 |
| Kansas | $51,390 |
| Kentucky | $58,850 |
| Louisiana | $62,910 |
| Maine | $80,930 |
| Maryland | $77,610 |
| Massachusetts | $91,750 |
| Michigan | $64,270 |
| Minnesota | $83,400 |
| Mississippi | $54,530 |
| Missouri | $57,380 |
| Montana | $62,250 |
| Nebraska | $64,770 |
| Nevada | $57,960 |
| New Hampshire | $74,670 |
| New Jersey | $92,390 |
| New Mexico | $50,550 |
| New York | $78,060 |
| North Carolina | $66,700 |
| North Dakota | $65,210 |
| Ohio | $63,410 |
| Oklahoma | $49,990 |
| Oregon | $54,460 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,920 |
| Rhode Island | $75,900 |
| South Carolina | $59,110 |
| South Dakota | $63,350 |
| Tennessee | $62,350 |
| Texas | $65,840 |
| Utah | $56,100 |
| Vermont | Not published |
| Virginia | $76,080 |
| Washington | $83,710 |
| West Virginia | $44,940 |
| Wisconsin | $68,660 |
| Wyoming | $60,860 |
After opening this link
- Search for “Property Appraisers and Assessors.”
- Enter your state, city or ZIP code.
- Switch between yearly and hourly wages.
- Compare the local low, median and high wage estimates.
Highest-Paying States for Property Appraisers and Assessors
The District of Columbia has the highest published median in the current CareerOneStop table. Among states, New Jersey and Massachusetts lead the list.
Property Appraiser Pay by Industry
Where you work can affect pay almost as much as where you live. BLS publishes median wages for several major industries employing property appraisers and assessors.
| Industry | 2025 Median Annual Wage | Typical Context |
|---|---|---|
| Finance & insurance | $83,630 | Banking, lending, financial institutions and related valuation work. |
| Local government | $64,370 | County or municipal assessment and public-sector valuation roles. |
| Real estate | $62,420 | Real-estate appraisal firms and related property services. |
Private Appraiser Salary vs. County Assessor or Property Appraiser Office Pay
“Property appraiser” can describe several different jobs. Compensation can look very different depending on whether the person works for a private appraisal firm, a lender, a county assessment office or independently.
Private-Sector Appraiser
May work for an appraisal company, financial institution, real-estate business or appraisal management environment.
Public-Sector Assessor
Usually works in a county, city or other local assessment office valuing property for tax purposes under local and state rules.
Independent Fee Appraiser
May be paid per assignment rather than by fixed salary. Gross fees are not the same as take-home income after business expenses.
Can Licensing or Certification Increase a Property Appraiser Salary?
BLS reports that property appraisers and assessors typically need a bachelor’s degree, although requirements vary. Real-estate appraisers must meet applicable state licensing or certification requirements.
Employers may also require basic appraisal education and long-term on-the-job training. Assessors can face different state or local qualification standards.
Credentials Can Expand Assignment Options
- Access to more complex assignments
- Greater responsibility
- Potential eligibility for supervisory work
- Broader lender or client acceptance
- Stronger position when changing employers
But a Credential Does Not Guarantee Pay
- Employer budgets differ
- Public pay scales may be fixed
- Local demand varies
- Assignment volume can fluctuate
- Cost of living can offset a higher salary
After opening this link
- Select your state from the ASC list.
- Open the state appraiser program information.
- Find the state regulatory agency contact.
- Confirm current licensing, certification and renewal requirements directly with that agency.
After opening this link
- Open the current Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.
- Review the credential level relevant to your career plan.
- Compare national minimum criteria with your state’s requirements.
- Confirm final eligibility with the state regulatory agency before enrolling in coursework.
Property Appraiser Job Outlook Through 2035
BLS projects employment of property appraisers and assessors to grow about 3% from 2025 to 2035, roughly in line with the average for all occupations.
About 5,200 openings are projected each year on average. Many are expected to come from replacement needs as workers change occupations or leave the labor force.
How to Decide Whether a Property Appraiser Salary Offer Is Competitive
A statewide median is useful, but a job offer should be compared against the actual work being requested.
Compare the Compensation
- Base annual salary
- Overtime eligibility
- Bonus or fee split
- Health insurance
- Retirement contribution
- Paid leave
- Mileage or vehicle reimbursement
Compare the Work
- Residential vs. commercial assignments
- Expected daily or monthly volume
- Field travel requirements
- Report complexity
- Supervision responsibility
- License or certification required
- Employer-provided software and support
Property Appraiser Salary FAQs
1. What is the average property appraiser salary in 2026?
The latest BLS data available in 2026 show a mean annual wage of $75,770 for property appraisers and assessors. The median, which is usually a better typical-pay benchmark, is $67,960.
2. What is the median property appraiser salary?
The national median annual wage is $67,960, equivalent to about $32.67 per hour, based on May 2025 BLS wage estimates.
3. Which state pays property appraisers the most?
Among states with published 2025 data, New Jersey has the highest median at $92,390, followed by Massachusetts at $91,750 and California at $88,900. The District of Columbia is higher at $107,980.
4. How much can an entry-level property appraiser make?
BLS does not publish a specific entry-level wage by years of experience. Nationally, the bottom 10% earned below $40,030. Trainee and early-career pay may fall near that range, but state, employer and credential requirements can move actual pay higher or lower.
5. How much can an experienced property appraiser make?
The highest-paid 10% of employed property appraisers and assessors earned more than $122,660 nationally. Experience can help, but location, responsibility, specialty and credentials also influence whether a worker reaches that level.
6. How much do property appraisers make per hour?
The national median hourly wage is $32.67. The national low and high benchmarks shown by CareerOneStop are $19.25 at the low end and $58.97 at the high end of its wage distribution.
7. Do county property appraisers earn the same as private appraisers?
No. Public-sector assessors may work under government pay scales, while private appraisers may work for real-estate or financial employers. Independent fee appraisers may be paid per assignment. Elected county officials are a separate compensation category.
8. Does certification increase an appraiser’s salary?
Certification can expand the types of assignments a real-estate appraiser is qualified to perform and may improve access to higher-responsibility roles. It does not guarantee a particular salary because employer, market and workload still matter.
9. Does BLS salary data include self-employed property appraisers?
No. The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics used for these wage benchmarks do not include self-employed workers. Independent fee-appraiser earnings can therefore differ substantially from the reported salary figures.
10. Is property appraisal a growing career?
BLS projects property appraiser and assessor employment to grow 3% from 2025 through 2035, with about 5,200 openings per year on average, including openings created when workers leave the occupation.
How This 2026 Property Appraiser Salary Guide Was Researched
The salary figures on this page use the latest federal wage estimates available during 2026 rather than inventing a separate “2026 salary survey.” The principal wage dataset is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Property Appraisers and Assessors
- BLS National Occupational Employment and Wage Data
- U.S. Department of Labor CareerOneStop Salary Finder
- Appraisal Subcommittee State Regulatory Programs
- The Appraisal Foundation — 2026 Qualification Criteria
- O*NET — Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
Last factual review: September 11, 2026. Wage estimates are May 2025 data unless otherwise stated. Salary surveys are estimates, not promises of compensation. State and local licensing requirements, job classifications and pay schedules can change.