Summary Report for:
13-2021.01 - Assessors
Appraise real and personal property to determine its fair value. May assess taxes in accordance with prescribed schedules.
Sample of reported job titles:
Appraiser, Assessor, Deputy Assessor, Tax Assessor, Residential Appraiser, Personal Property Appraiser, Commercial Appraiser, County Assessor, Field Appraiser, Auditor Appraiser
Tasks | Tools & Technology | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment
Tasks
- Determine taxability and value of properties, using methods such as field inspection, structural measurement, calculation, sales analysis, market trend studies, and income and expense analysis.
- Inspect new construction and major improvements to existing structures to determine values.
- Explain assessed values to property owners and defend appealed assessments at public hearings.
- Inspect properties, considering factors such as market value, location, and building or replacement costs to determine appraisal value.
- Prepare and maintain current data on each parcel assessed, including maps of boundaries, inventories of land and structures, property characteristics, and any applicable exemptions.
- Identify the ownership of each piece of taxable property.
- Conduct regular reviews of property within jurisdictions to determine changes in property due to construction or demolition.
- Complete and maintain assessment rolls that show the assessed values and status of all property in a municipality.
- Issue notices of assessments and taxes.
- Review information about transfers of property to ensure its accuracy, checking basic information on buyers, sellers, and sales prices and making corrections as necessary.
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Tools & Technology
Tools used in this occupation:
| Desktop computers |
| Electronic charts or maps or atlases — Appraisal, mapping, and comparison data reporting systems; Electronic flood maps; Mapping or location-based analysis systems; Real estate mapping and property description systems |
| Laser measuring systems — Handheld distance meters; Laser measuring devices; Ultrasonic distance measurers |
| Notebook computers — Laptop computers |
| Personal digital assistant PDAs or organizers — Personal digital assistants PDA |
Technology used in this occupation:
| Analytical or scientific software — a la mode WinTOTAL; Compass Municipal Services CAMAlot; Wilson's Computer Applications RealEasy Appraisals; WinGap software |
| Data base user interface and query software — Ascend Property Assessment; eTrac software; Softree Technical Systems Terrain Tools; Visual PAMSPro |
| Financial analysis software — HomeValue Plus software; RealData Comparative Lease Analysis; REI Wise Commercial; RPIS Silent CMA |
| Map creation software — Emerald Data Deed-Chek; Geomechanical design analysis GDA software; Greenbrier Graphics Deed Plotter; Informatik MapDraw Deed Plotter |
| Word processing software — atValue Narrative Report Software; Concierge Systems Report Concierge; ValueTech Report Builder |
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Knowledge
| Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction. |
| Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications. |
| Building and Construction — Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads. |
| Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming. |
| Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process. |
| English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. |
| Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology. |
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Skills
| Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times. |
| Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents. |
| Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively. |
| Mathematics — Using mathematics to solve problems. |
| Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others. |
| Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making. |
| Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do. |
| Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems. |
| Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience. |
| Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions. |
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Abilities
| Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. |
| Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events). |
| Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences. |
| Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand. |
| Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing. |
| Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). |
| Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you. |
| Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations). |
| Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem. |
| Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person. |
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Work Activities
| Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. |
| Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. |
| Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information. |
| Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests. |
| Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. |
| Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. |
| Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. |
| Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. |
| Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail. |
| Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. |
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Work Context
| Telephone — How often do you have telephone conversations in this job? |
| Contact With Others — How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? |
| Face-to-Face Discussions — How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions? |
| Deal With External Customers — How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job? |
| Frequency of Decision Making — How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? |
| Freedom to Make Decisions — How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? |
| Work With Work Group or Team — How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — How do the decisions an employee makes impact the results of co-workers, clients or the company? |
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Job Zone
| Title |
Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed |
| Overall Experience |
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. |
| Job Training |
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. |
| Job Zone Examples |
These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include funeral directors, electricians, forest and conservation technicians, legal secretaries, interviewers, and insurance sales agents. |
| SVP Range |
(6.0 to < 7.0) |
| Education |
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. Some may require a bachelor's degree. |
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Interests
Interest code: CEI
| Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow. |
| Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business. |
| Investigative — Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally. |
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Work Styles
| Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical. |
| Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. |
| Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. |
| Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. |
| Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations. |
| Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. |
| Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. |
| Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. |
| Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. |
| Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. |
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Work Values
| Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employs to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy. |
| Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
| Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions. |
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Related Occupations
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Wages & Employment Trends
National
Median wages data collected from Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate.
Employment data collected from Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate.
| Median wages (2008) |
$22.77 hourly, $47,370 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
101,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Faster than average (14% to 20%)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
37,000 additional employees |
State & National
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2008 wage data
and 2006-2016 employment projections
.
"Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2006-2016). "Projected need" represents job openings due to growth and net replacement.
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