How Much do Real Estate Appraisers Make in Pennsylvania? (Residential| Commercial| Trainee)


(**) Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning our company, JCHQ Publishing will get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through the links, but at no additional cost to you.

Real estate appraisers in Pennsylvania make an average annual income of $62,250. It typically ranges between $47,230 and $76,080. Top earning property appraisers in Pennsylvania more than $101,270 per year. (-)

Real estate appraisers are not paid by commission. Rather they are usually paid a flat fee or compensated by the time to complete the assignment.

This fee structure helps ensure that the appraiser’s only motivation is to provide an accurate estimate of a property’s value rather than earning a commission from the sale. Thus, it minimizes any potential conflicts of interest that could arise.

In this guide, I will uncover how much do real estate appraisers make in Pennsylvania, the areas with top-earning appraisers, and whether being a commercial or residential appraisers has any effect on the income.

Source: (-) Bureau of Labor Statistics (May, 2021)

Income Distribution of Real Estate Appraisers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania real estate appraiser income distribution

How Much do Appraiser Trainees in Pennsylvania?

Real estate appraiser trainees in Pennsylvania make an average yearly income of $31,775. The income typically ranges between $22,605 to $36,620 Top earning trainees are making as much as $49,731 per year. (*)

At the beginning phase of your real estate appraisal career, you probably would not make a lot because you would be working as a trainee under the supervision of another Certified Appraiser.

However, the payout for evaluating the commercial real estates could be more lucrative, so that they might be able to compensate you better even when you’re just working as a trainee. One of the appraisers I spoke to said that CBRE, Colliers, JLL, and Cushman routinely hire trainees. You may check whether they are hiring in your area.

As you continue to accumulate work experience and obtain the necessary licensing (i.e., Certified Residential/General Appraiser License), you should be able to notice a significant improvement in your earnings.

Source: (*) ZipRecruiter (May 2022)

The first step to your appraisal career is to complete the pre-licensing courses from a trusted education provider. McKissock received an incredible rating from its students, and their online lessons are taught by instructors who have actual experience in the appraisal industry. You may click here to find out more about their courses. (**)

How Much do Residential Real Estate Appraisers Make in Pennsylvania?

Residential Real Estate Appraiser thinking about income potential

Residential real estate appraisers in Pennsylvania make an average annual salary of $59,061, typically range between  $48,744 and $70,305. Top earning residential property appraisers are making as high as $83,428 per year. (*)

A residential real estate appraiser is a professional who assesses the value of properties, such as houses or apartment units. You may appraise homes for a buyer or a mortgage lender by performing market research on comparable homes in similar areas sells for.

You may also work for a government agency, such as a county appraiser’s office or housing authority, or an appraisal firm to perform similar duties.

If the residential market is the niche you are pursuing, consider obtaining the Certified Residential Appraiser License. It gives you a broader scope of work than being a Licensed Residential Appraiser – thus, leading you to greater income potential.

Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Residential Real Estate Appraiser in Pennsylvania

CityAnnual Salary
Pittsburgh$64,908
Harrisburg$64,199
Philadelphia$62,852
Reading$61,115
Allentown$58,994
Pottstown$58,702
Lancaster$58,272
York$57,449
Scranton$53,995
Erie$50,387

Source: ZipRecruiter (May 28, 2022)

How much do real estate appraisers make per appraisal in Pennsylvania?

Residential Real Estate Appraiser thinking about business volume

According to HomeAdvisor, real estate appraisers make an average of $320 – $385 per home appraisal in Pennsylvania. Let’s take an median fee of $353.

Then you would need to complete 167 home appraisals per year to earn an average annual income of $59,061, which works out to be 14 appraisals per month, or around 3 to 4 appraisals per week.

However, if your work order is obtained from Appraisal Management Companies (AMC), you may need to share a portion of the appraisal fee with them for referring the business to you. Thus, you may need to complete a greater volume of appraisals to achieve your desired income level.

Here’s a Snippet of What Jamie Owen Thinks About Being a Real Estate Appraiser!

The more you learn, the more you will enjoy being an appraiser.”

I think that humility and honesty are the most important attributes. Humility is important because if we think we know it all, we are going to be in trouble. Being appraiser requires not being thin-skinned and defensive. Others have their opinions and we have ours. Both may be supportable in one way or another.

Being humble helps us to respect the views of others and not be offended if others have a different view. Humility also helps with business relationships, as well as accepting guidance and reminders when we need them, from peers and others.

– Jamie Owen, Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser at Aspen Appraisal Services

Here’s an exclusive interview with Jamie. He shared with us his journey and valuable experience in the appraisal industry. You’ll also learn what it is like to be a real estate appraiser nowadays. 

How Much do Commercial Real Estate Appraisers Make in Pennsylvania?

Michigan commercial real estate appraiser greeting cilent

Commercial real estate appraisers in Pennsylvania earn an average yearly income of $106,372, typically range between $91,491 and $122,023. Top earning CRE appraisers are making $136,272 per year. (+)

The role of a commercial real estate appraiser is to provide an objective and unbiased opinion on the value of a property based on market data, comparable sales, income analysis, and other relevant factors.

Unlike residential real estate appraisers, which focus on home valuation, CRE appraisers have a much broader scope of work, such as office space, retail stores, warehouses, hotels, golf courses, industrial properties, etc.

To become a commercial real estate appraiser, you must obtain the Certified General Appraiser license. This is the highest appraiser license you could get, which requires extensive work hours, pre-licensing education, and passing an exam.

Furthermore, if you aim to achieve greater recognition in the appraisal industry, you may consider obtaining the MAI designation. Many clients would prefer hiring an appraiser with such credentials for high-value projects or complex assignments.

According to HomeAdvisor, MAI appraisals are often completed for commercial properties, which cost between $2,000 to $10,000.

Source: (+) Salary.com (April 26, 2022)

Is commercial real estate appraisal a good career? Check out this complete guide. In it, you’ll find the type of work involved as a commercial real estate appraiser, the income potential, and the training you need to have to become one.

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Different data sources report different Pennsylvania property appraisers income figures

Average SalaryBureau of Labor StatisticsZipRecruiterSalary.com
Real Estate Appraiser $62,250$68,341N/A
Residential Real Estate Appraiser N/A$59,061$56,630
Commercial Real Estate Appraiser N/A$57,151$106,372

Most of the data in this article are obtained from different sources such as Bureau of Labor Statistics, Salary.com and ZipRecruiter. As you can see, there is quite a discrepancy among various sources.

Perhaps, it really depends on the appraisers in the sample. After all, their experience in the appraisal field, license level, and the real estate niche they specialize in could be different from one another.

But to confirm the validity of the figures, I also reviewed figures from other different sites (i.e. glassdoor, indeed, LinkedIn, SimplyHired). Below is one I found, which should give you a more updated idea of real estate appraisers’ income in the current market.

Job TitleIncome RangeEmployerCity
Real Estate Appraisal Reviewer $60,362 – $91,678 a yearCommonwealth of PADauphin County
Field Staff Appraiser$28 an hourClarioPhiladelphia
Entry Level Pennsylvania Real Estate Agent Mentor Program$40,000- $150,000 a yearReMax EndeavorGibsonia
Senior Staff Appraiser $60,000 – $100,000 a yearTown & Country Residential AppraisalsMurrysville
Real Estate Appraiser Trainee$40,000 a yearS.Brown AppraisalsChadds Ford
PA Licensed Appraiser Trainee$15- $25 an hourTown & Country Residential AppraisalsMurrysville
Senior Appraiser$40,000- $50,000 a yearNewmarkPhiladelphia
Valuation Associate$40,000- $60,000 a yearNewmarkPhiladelphia
Chief Real Estate Appraiser$61,051 a yearCommonwealth of PennsylvaniaOil City
Appraisal Assistant$35 an hourBowery ValuationWashington
Associate Appraiser$53,802 a yearProperty AppraiserPittsburgh

Video Summary of Real Estate Appraisers Income in Pennsylvania

Coming soon

Here are more incredible resources to learn about the Pennsylvania real estate appraisal career!

This article is part of the “Pennsylvania Real Estate Appraiser Career Series.” If you want to know more about being a real estate appraiser in Pennsylvania, the following articles would be helpful to you: 

If you are reading up to this point, I bet you must be interested in the real estate appraiser profession. Your first step is to complete the pre-licensing courses. You should select one that has an excellent reputation and long-term track record of satisfying students. McKissock is exactly that! You may click here to check it out yourself. (**)

(**) Affiliate Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you. Our company, JCHQ Publishing will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking on the link. Please understand that we include them based on our experience or the research on these companies or products, and we recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions we make if you decide to buy something through the links. Please do not spend any money on these products unless you feel you need them or that they will help you achieve your goals.

Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general information only, and not intend to provide any advice. They are subjected to change without any notice, and not guaranteed to be error-free. Some of the posts on this site may contain views and opinions from individual not related to JCHQ Publishing. They do not necessarily reflect our view or position.

Reference:

  • ZipRecruiter (May 2022)
    • Commercial Real Estate Appraiser Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
    • Residential Real Estate Appraiser Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
    • Real Estate Appraiser Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
    • Appraiser Trainee Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
  • Salary.com (April 26, 2022)
    • Appraiser (Commercial Real Estate) Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
    • Appraiser (Residential Real Estate) Salary in Pennsylvania (source)
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics – Property Appraiser and Assessors (source)
  • HomeAdvisor – How Much Does A Home Appraisal Cost? (source)
  • RedFin – Pennsylvania Housing Market (source)

Author

  • Jacob Coleman

    Jacob is a content writer and a real estate investor. He has experience working with different real estate professionals throughout the years. (i.e., appraisers, real estate agents, property managers, home inspectors.) In order to build a career you love, Jacob believes not only you need a thorough understanding about the profession, but you also have to find out what type of jobs could match your personality, lifestyle and expectation.

Jacob Coleman

Jacob is a content writer and a real estate investor. He has experience working with different real estate professionals throughout the years. (i.e., appraisers, real estate agents, property managers, home inspectors.) In order to build a career you love, Jacob believes not only you need a thorough understanding about the profession, but you also have to find out what type of jobs could match your personality, lifestyle and expectation.

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