Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser Salary: United States
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The median annual wage for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in the United States was $78,240 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $65,050 and $91,880. This is the broader occupation used for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser" is reported by BLS as SOC 13-1032 Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage. BLS groups Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser within Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
Annual wages: Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032)
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032), the United States, annual wages: 10% earned less than $58,360, half earned less than the median of $78,240, 90% earned less than $101,590 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $58,360 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $65,050 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $78,240 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $91,880 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $101,590 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $78,900 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032)
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032), the United States, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $28.06, half earned less than the median of $37.61, 90% earned less than $48.84 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $28.06 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $31.28 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $37.61 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $44.17 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $48.84 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $37.93 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Employment: BLS estimates 11,560 workers in this occupation nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 13-1032 Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage, National.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Target metros
New York City and Northern New Jersey share the New York-Newark-Jersey City BLS area and one estimate, shown once below.
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th percentile | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $61,200 | $60,360 to $76,270 | 160 | 0.77 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $60,020 | $59,840 to $78,220 | 140 | 1.34 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $62,860 | $59,110 to $82,120 | 90 | 0.81 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | Not published by BLS for this area. North Carolina annual median: $74,810. | |||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $99,670 | $87,130 to $99,670 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $79,810 | $77,330 to $100,250 | 470 | 1.57 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Not published by BLS for this area. Texas annual median: $79,200. | |||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $75,730 | $61,570 to $76,490 | 370 | 1.11 |
How does Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser pay differ by industry?
These are national industry estimates for SOC 13-1032, not local offers or separate estimates for the niche title. Industry names are exactly as BLS publishes them.
| Industry | NAICS | Median | Basis | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repair and Maintenance | 811000 | $73,130 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | 811100 | $73,130 | Annual | Not published by BLS |
Industry estimates are national. Do not combine an industry median with a local percentile to invent an industry-specific local rate.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
Automotive Shop Foreman (49-1011)Which metros publish the highest and lowest medians?
This ranking uses the May 2025 annual median for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage. It is not adjusted for living costs. A metro is a BLS statistical area, not just the city limits. Top-coded or suppressed medians are not ranked.
The wage ratio is simple arithmetic: this occupation's median divided by the all-occupations median in the same area and unit. It is not a cost-of-living measure. Location quotient describes the concentration of employment, not relative pay. Neither predicts what a particular candidate will accept.
What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser), the published median for SOC 13-1032, Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage, is $78,240 per year. The middle half of the Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) wage distribution runs from $65,050 to $91,880, a width of $26,830 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
For the national Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) comparison used for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports $79,810 per year while Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN reports $75,730 per year; these are the largest-employment metros with published medians for the occupation, rather than neighboring places to a national estimate. The United States Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser pools markets with different work scopes and schedules, so use the area table before setting a local offer.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage, read alongside Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser), are Repair and Maintenance at $73,130 per year (NAICS 811000); Automotive Repair and Maintenance at $73,130 per year (NAICS 811100). Those Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) median was $76,650 per year in May 2024, compared with $78,240 in May 2025, a published difference of $1,590. That Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $76,650 and $78,240 Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $78,240 per year from Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) to calibrate an offer, separate flat-rate hours, diagnostic work and paid comeback work before deciding what the paycheck would look like; tool allowances and benefits need separate terms. The Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) is broader: BLS groups Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser within Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. For a Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) opening, establish the equipment, license requirements and responsibility before deciding which people the pay range should attract. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) buyer?
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) has a published middle-half band of $65,050 to $91,880, a width of $26,830 per year, with median $78,240. An offer inside that Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser)?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN are the largest-employment comparison markets used for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser). Comparing those Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage tables with the $78,240 Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser)?
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) uses national industry rows for SOC 13-1032, not local sector-specific wages. Repair and Maintenance leads the selected sortable rows at $73,130 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser).
What changed between the releases for Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser)?
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) moved from $76,650 in May 2024 to $78,240 in May 2025. These Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage (SOC 13-1032) in National (reference for Collision Estimator / Damage Appraiser) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 13-1032. Published annual median: $76,650 (May 2024) and $78,240 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.