Appraiser Kimball Sterling says it's a prime time for the buying and selling
of art. "A lot of them can't find qualified people to appraise their art.
I get calls and e-mails every day from across the country," says Sterling.
He adds, however, a note of caution: there's a difference between becoming
certified and actually being qualified in this field. The market calls for
the qualified kind.
"You can go to school for 12 hours and become a certified appraiser. And
you can be a qualified appraiser and have worked in the field 15 or 20 years."
Qualification comes with years of experience. Sterling suggests finding
a mentor through a reputable auction house or a museum.
According to Sterling, a starting salary with a big auction house "would
be in the $28,000 to $35,000 range." In an auction house, however, you'll
be involved in the entire auction process, including setting up and taking
down.
Appraisers with their own businesses are typically paid by the hour. "My
appraisal fee, my top fee, is $125 an hour," says Sterling. He says he often
gets the job done within a few hours. He charges an additional $20 or so for
clerical work and calls it a day.
Essentially, appraisers can earn as much or as little as they want. A hard-working,
honest appraiser, says Sterling, "can make $150,000 a year."
Earnings and employment information from the U.S. Department of Labor is
not available for this field at this time.