If you are an appraiser or assessor of real estate looking to find your perfect new home state, take a look into our list of the 25 best states for appraisers and assessors of real estate.
So, what exactly do appraisers and assessors of real estate do? In short, they decide the assessed value of property (land and/or buildings). Generally they visit sites to provide an estimate before the property is sold, taxed, developed, etc.
Becoming a real estate appraiser requires education and training. Positions will require at least a bachelor’s degree, as far as formal education, plus some sort of certification. Certification varies by state, but will require an exam. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a real estate appraiser is about $51,850 per year (about $24.93 hourly). Working conditions can vary for this field of work. While real estate dealings may seem like an office-specific job, many appraisers and assessors will actually travel to the sites they are currently working on.
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If you are interested in working in a different field, you can also check our list of 25 best states for anthropologists and archaeologists.
Deciding which states qualify as the best states for appraisers and assessors of real estate is not a simple task. Different factors matter more to different people. We decided to consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics for information on the average mean wage and the number of employed real estate appraisers and assessors in each state. We then sourced information on the cost of living index from Missouri Economic Research And Information Center. Considering all of these factors, we were able to sort our list.
It is not enough for a state to simply have a high average salary for its real estate appraisers and assessors. It must also be considered that the number of working real estate appraisers and assessors in the state may affect the number of job positions that are open to newcomers. On the other side of that argument, more employed real estate appraisers and assessors points to the possibility of a more steady stream of work available. The cost of living index can also not be considered alone. It is great to have a low cost of living, but this only matters if your salary is also not super low. A low cost of living paired with a high salary is the most advantageous situation. States falling into this category made the top of our list.
Without further ado, here is our list of 25 best states for appraisers and assessors of real estate.
25. Kansas
Cost of living index: 90.4
Annual mean wage: $48,840
Hourly mean wage: $23.48
Number of employees: 720
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24. Arizona
Cost of living index: 98.1
Annual mean wage: $53,650
Hourly mean wage: $25.79
Number of employees: 1,150
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23. Pennsylvania
Cost of living index: 102.8
Annual mean wage: $56,460
Hourly mean wage: $27.14
Number of employees: 1,570
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22. Missouri
Cost of living index: 90.8
Annual mean wage: $50,260
Hourly mean wage: $24.16
Number of employees: 1,780
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21. Michigan
Cost of living index: 88.2
Annual mean wage: $49,990
Hourly mean wage: $24.03
Number of employees: 2,530
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20. Nebraska
Cost of living index: 91.3
Annual mean wage: $51,980
Hourly mean wage: $24.99
Number of employees: 520
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19. Alabama
Cost of living index: 91.2
Annual mean wage: $52,040
Hourly mean wage: $25.01
Number of employees: 710
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18. Virginia
Cost of living index: 100.2
Annual mean wage: $58,170
Hourly mean wage: $27.96
Number of employees: 1,480
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17. Alaska
Cost of living index: 131.6
Annual mean wage: $76,820
Hourly mean wage: $36.93
Number of employees: 150
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16. South Dakota
Cost of living index: 102.8
Annual mean wage: $60,190
Hourly mean wage: $28.93
Number of employees: 280
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15. California
Cost of living index: 134.8
Annual mean wage: $79,670
Hourly mean wage: $38.30
Number of employees: 4,220
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14. Nevada
Cost of living index: 104.5
Annual mean wage: $61,790
Hourly mean wage: $29.70
Number of employees: 690
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13. Illinois
Cost of living index: 95.5
Annual mean wage: $57,450
Hourly mean wage: $27.62
Number of employees: 2,090
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12. Tennessee
Cost of living index: 89.8
Annual mean wage: $54,270
Hourly mean wage: $26.09
Number of employees: 900
We’re halfway through our list of best states for appraisers and assessors of real estate, and for the other half, click next.
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11. North Carolina
Cost of living index: 94.2
Annual mean wage: $57,070
Hourly mean wage: $27.43
Number of employees: 1,480
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10. Wyoming
Cost of living index: 91.7
Annual mean wage: $55,890
Hourly mean wage: $26.87
Number of employees: 240
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9. New Jersey
Cost of living index: 121
Annual mean wage: $73,880
Hourly mean wage: $35.51
Number of employees: 1,520
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8. Delaware
Cost of living index: 102.6
Annual mean wage: $63,150
Hourly mean wage: $30.36
Number of employees: 180
7. Ohio
Cost of living index: 93
Annual mean wage: $58,670
Hourly mean wage: $28.20
Number of employees: 1,720
6. Washington
Cost of living index: 107.1
Annual mean wage: $67,970
Hourly mean wage: $32.67
Number of employees: 880
5. Wisconsin
Cost of living index: 96.9
Annual mean wage: $61,600
Hourly mean wage: $29.61
Number of employees: 860
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4. Texas
Cost of living index: 90.7
Annual mean wage: $61,610
Hourly mean wage: $29.62
Number of employees: 5,750
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3. Minnesota
Cost of living index: 101.1
Annual mean wage: $69,000
Hourly mean wage: $33.17
Number of employees: 2,160
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2. Colorado
Cost of living index: 102.1
Annual mean wage: $71,720
Hourly mean wage: $34.48
Number of employees: 1,690
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1. Iowa
Cost of living index: 91.7
Annual mean wage: $68,720
Hourly mean wage: $33.03
Number of employees: 640
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This was our list of 25 best states for appraisers and assessors of real estate. We hope we managed to show you some great options, and what you should expect from each state when deciding where to move.
