Real Estate Assessor Career
Real estate assessors place a value on a property and any buildings on the property for tax purposes. This is different from the job of a real estate appraiser who places a value on a property and any buildings on the property before the property is sold.
Assessors place a value on all the homes at once in an entire neighborhood. They use computerized appraisal systems that help them keep track of all the homes within their jurisdiction, and this system provides the assessment history of these homes.
Real Estate Assessor Career Snapshot
With few exceptions, real estate assessors work for a county or county-equivalent government since the primary job of an assessor job is to provide tax assessments on properties. Assessors have offices in government buildings, but most of their work is done on location throughout their assigned territory.
Further details on a career as a real estate assessor are listed below (statistics from the May 2016 Bureau of Labor Statistics and Onet Online):
is the median annual salary for real estate assessors.
increase in employment between 2014 and 2024.
have an Associate’s degree while 23% have some college, no degree.
Real Estate Assessor Education
Educational and certification requirements for assessors vary depending on state and local guidelines, but many assessors have a college degree. Employers look for candidates who have taken basic appraisal courses, and assessors should have a strong understanding of property tax valuations and policies. There are no federal assessor certification requirements, and for states that do not require assessor certification, they will use on-the-job training, work hour requirements, and continuing education courses in place of certification.
Real Estate Assessor Salaries
As of May 2016 BLS.gov statistics, the median annual salary for a real estate assessor is $51,850. New assessors may start off making around $27,000, and experienced assessor can make close to $100,000.
Real Estate Assessor Job Duties
Real estate assessors have many duties including checking public records, verifying legal descriptions of properties, maintaining data on each property, and assessing the value of properties for tax purposes. Assessors need to have a full understanding of tax assessment procedures and be proficient in computerized appraisal systems. They must also be willing to defend their property tax assessment if a taxpayer feels they are being charged too much.
Real Estate Assessor Job Outlook
Projected job growth for real estate assessors through 2024 is 8%, which is higher than the projected growth for all occupations. Areas that have an active real estate market will have more demand for assessors. The real estate market is cyclical, so the demand for assessors can increase or decrease based on the health of the economy.
Real Estate Assessor Skills & Traits
| Real Estate Assessor Skill Set: | Required Abilities: | Tools Used by Real Estate Assessors: | Typical Work Activities: |
|---|---|---|---|
| • Reading Comprehension • Active Listening • Critical Thinking • Speaking | • Inductive Reasoning • Oral Comprehension • Deductive Reasoning • Oral Expression | • Desktop computers • Electronic charts or maps or atlases • Handheld distance meters • Laptop computers | • Getting Information • Analyzing Data or Information • Interacting With Computers • Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People |
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