Career Advice on How to Become An Insurance Appraiser for Auto Damage

General Career Information

Some people just can’t handle the excitement of working as an insurance appraiser. Insurance appraisers are the people that work for insurance companies and serve to investigate insurance claims and also make settlements. The latter is largely frowned upon, as it means shorter skyscrapers for insurance companies. And short skyscrapers are sad. The insurance appraiser is the guy or gal that gets sent out to find out how to get around that insurance policy that you’ve been paying every month for years. Oh sure, that isn’t the stated agenda, but everybody and their mother (and the insurance appraiser’s mother) knows that it’s the case and the basis for promotion and that lovely corner office with the window.

Career Facts:

Insurance appraisers often find that their job of giving back to the community often overlaps with other positions within the insurance company, such as examiners. They spend most of their time investigating claims, which in the insurance industry is another word for looking for loopholes. By discovering loopholes or “ways out,” the insurance company does not have to pay and the skyscraper can get an extra floor. It’s just like an angel getting its wings!

In the auto insurance game, appraisers will investigate by grilling the policyholder, eyewitnesses and anyone else they can get their hands on. They may also look at records relating to the case, such as hospital records, hoping to find a much-needed ray of hope. Often appraisers will work with lawyers and experts to make sure that the insurance company pays out as little money as is legally possible.

Career Opportunities and Job Outlook- Average:

The expected job growth rate for insurance adjusters is about seven percent or roughly on pace with the national average for all jobs between 2008 and 2010. Therefore, you can expect your job search to be at the average level of competitiveness.

A Day in The Life:

Insurance appraisers investigate insurance claims and look for fraud, which in all fairness, obviously does exist. This work is largely done by carefully evaluating every aspect of the claim and picking it apart and doing so repeatedly. They may interview doctors, nurses, first grade teachers, the girl who works at Starbucks and anyone else they can get their hands on who will help them figure out why their employer doesn’t have to pay. Those insurance appraisers working in the auto insurance will spend a good deal of time working to make sure that any damage that did occur is fixed for as little money as possible.

Average Salary:

Members of this community can expect to earn about $53,000 per year for their troubles, with the top ten percent of earners taking home about $73,000 per year.

$53k

Career Training and Qualifications:

There are no specific educational requirements for insurance appraisers who are working in the auto insurance field, but vocational training in auto body repair is common.