If you’re interested in pursuing a career in home appraisal, one of the first things you’ll want to know is how to get there. There are different licenses you can earn in appraisal, and each one has their own requirements including, sometimes, a college education. Here are the licenses and the amount of college they require at a glance:

The Trainee Appraiser (No College Degree Required)
Licensed Residential Home Appraiser (No College Degree Required)
Certified Residential Home Appraiser (Some College Required)
Certified General Appraiser (Bachelor’s Degree or Higher)

Does a Home Appraiser Need a College Degree? It Depends

Depending on the career you’re aiming for in home appraisal, a college degree might be necessary. We’ll explain the education requirements for each level, why that education is necessary, and why it’s worth it.

The Trainee Appraiser

Although no college degree is required to be a trainee, it’s not a level you’ll want to stay at forever. Before you can get your appraiser license, all prospective appraisers have to begin in a training stage, often referred to as the Trainee Appraiser level, whether you have a college degree or not. Think of it as a learning stage before you become an official Licensed Residential Appraiser, which is where your career will really begin.

Some states omit this level (and have different pre-licensing requirements) so check your state requirements to see exactly what level you’ll start at. You might come across different names for this beginning stage, including:

Associate Appraiser
Registered Appraiser
Apprentice Appraiser

At this level, the trainee must report to at least one Supervisory Appraiser while they complete their training. You’ll perform appraisals alongside your mentor to learn.

The Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) of the Appraisal Foundation determines the education and training needed to become an appraiser at each licensing level. According to the AQB, there is no requirement for this license level to complete any number of hours in addition to their coursework.

No College Education Is Required, But There is a Little Bit of Work

According to the AQB, 75 hours of Core Curriculum coursework in the following courses are required to become a Trainee Appraiser:

Trainee Appraiser Course	Coursework Hours
National USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) Course	15 Hours
Basic Appraisal Principles Course	30 Hours
Basic Appraisal Procedures Course	30 Hours

After having completed the courses and passing the end-of-course exams, you’ll earn your Trainee Appraiser License.

How Much Does Being a Trainee Appraiser Pay?

Once you’ve completed your trainee education requirements, you can work as a trainee for an independent appraisal firm or government agency. According to Indeed the compensation often ranges from $1,000-$3,000 per month. It’s typical for trainees to use this time to gain the necessary experience and education required to become a Licensed Appraiser. Afterall, no one wants to be a trainee forever.

Licensed Residential Appraiser

A Licensed Residential Appraiser is the next license level up from Trainee. Once you have your Trainee license, you can start working with non-complex, one-to-four-unit residential properties with a value of less than $1,000,000, and complex residences with a value of less than $400,000.

No College Education Is Required

Like the Trainee license, in most cases, this level does not require a college degree. Here are the courses that are required (in addition to those previous) to earn this license:

Licensed Appraiser Course	Coursework Hours
Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use	15 Hours
Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach	15 Hours
Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches	30 Hours
Residential Report Writing and Case Studies	15 Hours

In addition to 150 hours of total coursework, a Licensed Residential Appraiser needs to complete 1,000 hours of experience in no less than six months.

Finally, the appraiser needs to take the AQB-approved Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser examination and pass to earn this license (National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers).

Once these are completed, you can expect to make a healthy pay and start a career that is stable and fruitful, all without getting a degree.

How Much Does Being a Licensed Appraiser Pay?

This license is a great opportunity if you’re unable or not interested in getting a college degree because it offers independence, flexibility, and stability as well as an average yearly income of $55,000.

If you’re aiming for more expertise in the field and, ultimately, more money, you’ll want to consider aiming for a higher license level.

Certified Residential Appraiser

Certified Residential Appraisers are responsible for A Certified Residential Appraiser is the next license up, the second highest for residential appraisers. Unlike the Licensed Residential Appraiser, in this position you can appraise vacant and unimproved land for one-to-four residential properties (but not subdivisions).

Some College Education Is Required

This is the second to highest tier of licensed home appraisers, so there are more requirements to earn the license, including either a bachelor’s degree or, in some states, an associate’s degree. Specific requirements vary from state to state, but the AQB lists several ways to make your education count. The list includes the option to pass at least 30 semester hours of College Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) examinations.

The education needed for this license includes the following courses (in addition to those in the previous two levels):

Certified Residential Appraiser Course	Coursework Hours
Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use	15 Hours
Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach	15 Hours
Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approach	30 Hours
Residential Report Writing and Case Studies	15 Hours
Statistics, Modeling and Finance	15 Hours
Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies	15 Hours
Appraisal Subject Matter Electives	20 Hours

This is a total of 125 hours in addition to the 75 Trainee Appraiser hours. Combined, 200 hours of coursework needs to be completed for this level of licensing. If you already hold a Licensed Appraiser classification, this is only 50 additional hours of coursework.

Finally, after these prerequisites, you must take and pass the appropriate AQB exam for Certified Residential Appraisers.

Certified General Appraiser

The Certified General Appraiser is the highest license for appraisers, so it requires the most education and experience. Once they attain this license, the General Appraiser can appraise any real property, including:

Residential
Subdivision
Commercial
Vacant land

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Is Required

At this level, a bachelor’s degree is necessary. Again, specific requirements vary state to state, though no state specifies a type of degree necessary. If this is the license you’re after, it’s a good idea to check those requirements. If you already have a college degree, you can check the AQB’s list of qualifying college coursework.

If the appraiser already holds the previous license (Certified Residential Appraiser), these are the additional coursework requirements:

Certified General Course	Coursework Hours
General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use	15 Hours
General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach	15 Hours
General Appraiser Sales Comparison and Approach	15 Hours
General Appraiser Income Approach	45 Hours
General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies	10 Hours

That is 100 course hours in addition to the 200 previous course hours. Additionally, the appraiser must complete a total of 3,000 hours of experience in no less than 18 months. These hours can be accumulated from previous licenses, like in former license levels, but they still must be completed in 18 months and no less.

Finally, the National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified General Appraisers must be taken and passed.

Appraisers Are a Crucial Piece of the Market

Real Estate is in need of good appraisers. They hold both buyers and sellers accountable by using unbiased data points and informed perspectives about the market to assign accurate price points to various properties. Without appraisers, the market would fall into disarray. We also can’t complain about the work! Becoming an appraiser is one of the best decisions you can make for your career. Between a solid income and the independence to do your work when and how you want to, it’s a hard career to deny, and makes the hours of education and training beyond worth it.