Insurance underwriters salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $55,530 | $26.70 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $81,370 | $39.12 |
| Mean (average) | $93,700 | $45.05 |
| 90th percentile | $145,160 | $69.79 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Insurance underwriters pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $62,220 | $43,540 | $129,600 | 1,540 | 1.08 |
| Alaska | $81,620 | $47,120 | $106,990 | 100 | 0.46 |
| Arizona | $77,740 | $57,770 | $127,450 | 3,360 | 1.53 |
| Arkansas | $82,130 | $41,450 | $158,530 | 290 | 0.33 |
| California | $95,320 | $65,070 | $162,640 | 6,580 | 0.53 |
| Colorado | $100,640 | $67,390 | $167,680 | 2,040 | 1.05 |
| Connecticut | $100,690 | $66,450 | $158,890 | 2,010 | 1.75 |
| Delaware | Data unavailable | 210 | 0.64 | ||
| District of Columbia | $82,070 | $64,800 | $173,060 | ||
| Florida | $78,720 | $49,880 | $134,850 | 7,300 | 1.08 |
| Georgia | $85,980 | $61,160 | $165,910 | 7,160 | 2.16 |
| Hawaii | $73,260 | $46,470 | $105,970 | 230 | 0.55 |
| Idaho | $62,530 | $47,680 | $120,890 | 360 | 0.62 |
| Illinois | $89,620 | $59,730 | $161,410 | ||
| Indiana | $77,440 | $48,160 | $104,580 | 2,170 | 1 |
| Iowa | $75,160 | $51,800 | $128,080 | 1,490 | 1.41 |
| Kansas | $77,070 | $49,900 | $162,210 | 1,230 | 1.26 |
| Kentucky | $79,830 | $46,550 | $138,670 | 900 | 0.66 |
| Louisiana | $76,540 | $46,540 | $126,190 | 1,050 | 0.8 |
| Maine | $95,510 | $62,730 | $133,390 | 520 | 1.2 |
| Maryland | $92,120 | $59,520 | $152,690 | 1,310 | 0.7 |
| Massachusetts | $106,640 | $70,590 | $167,590 | 2,890 | 1.17 |
| Michigan | $77,380 | $50,960 | $123,440 | 2,590 | 0.87 |
| Minnesota | $80,700 | $60,350 | $138,710 | 2,550 | 1.27 |
| Mississippi | $59,250 | $38,520 | $100,710 | 600 | 0.76 |
| Missouri | $80,040 | $56,720 | $124,250 | 2,130 | 1.07 |
| Montana | $63,140 | $50,280 | $130,880 | 140 | 0.4 |
| Nebraska | $75,120 | $49,150 | $105,760 | 1,410 | 2.04 |
| Nevada | $101,440 | $60,780 | $157,470 | 480 | 0.46 |
| New Hampshire | $103,940 | $70,490 | $165,380 | 270 | 0.58 |
| New Jersey | $96,220 | $66,290 | $144,230 | 3,150 | 1.08 |
| New Mexico | $64,000 | $47,170 | $106,680 | 100 | 0.17 |
| New York | $97,450 | $65,160 | $168,790 | 6,900 | 1.05 |
| North Carolina | $77,120 | $48,560 | $129,980 | 3,460 | 1.03 |
| North Dakota | $74,130 | $54,790 | $99,490 | 210 | 0.71 |
| Ohio | $79,260 | $52,080 | $128,320 | 5,110 | 1.36 |
| Oklahoma | $66,770 | $45,280 | $107,900 | 600 | 0.52 |
| Oregon | $79,200 | $61,620 | $124,760 | 570 | 0.43 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,950 | $50,310 | $135,600 | 5,160 | 1.25 |
| Puerto Rico | $46,990 | $22,970 | $75,320 | 870 | 1.37 |
| Rhode Island | $84,720 | $50,240 | $138,930 | 250 | 0.74 |
| South Carolina | $79,570 | $51,020 | $134,950 | 910 | 0.58 |
| South Dakota | $83,130 | $58,980 | $152,720 | 210 | 0.69 |
| Tennessee | $78,840 | $50,200 | $123,150 | 1,250 | 0.56 |
| Texas | $78,890 | $51,440 | $135,410 | 9,980 | 1.05 |
| Utah | $72,730 | $40,780 | $119,990 | 490 | 0.42 |
| Vermont | $77,990 | $62,100 | $101,440 | 210 | 1.04 |
| Virginia | $81,870 | $61,940 | $130,120 | 2,470 | 0.89 |
| Washington | $99,400 | $64,130 | $164,730 | 1,740 | 0.72 |
| West Virginia | Data unavailable | 190 | 0.39 | ||
| Wisconsin | $97,370 | $61,410 | $134,090 | 3,110 | 1.56 |
| Wyoming | $62,290 | $47,520 | $104,890 | 50 | 0.26 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for insurance underwriters
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 6,800. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 0.4%.
- Read the official BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for insurance underwriters
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- Risk Management CIP 52.0215
- Financial Risk Management CIP 52.0810
- Actuarial Science CIP 52.1304
- Insurance CIP 52.1701
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Examine documents to determine degree of risk from factors such as applicant health, financial standing and value, and condition of property.
- Decline excessive risks.
- Write to field representatives, medical personnel, or others to obtain further information, quote rates, or explain company underwriting policies.
- Evaluate possibility of losses due to catastrophe or excessive insurance.
- Review company records to determine amount of insurance in force on single risk or group of closely related risks.
- Decrease value of policy when risk is substandard and specify applicable endorsements or apply rating to ensure safe, profitable distribution of risks, using reference materials.
- Authorize reinsurance of policy when risk is high.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Excel (in demand)
- Microsoft Office software (in demand)
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft PowerPoint (in demand)
- C++ (hot technology)
- Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Anodas Software Limited Phoenix
- CSC nbAccelerator
- Consilience Software Maven Insurance Automation Suite
- Database software
- Delphi Technology
- Fair Isaac Enterprise Decision Management for Insurance
- Fannie Mae Desktop Underwriter
- Fiserv Advanced Underwriting
Transferable skills for career changers: Judgment and Decision Making, Complex Problem Solving, Social Perceptiveness, Coordination, Service Orientation, Persuasion.
Common job titles: Account Underwriter, Automobile and Property Underwriter, Commercial Lines Underwriter, Health Underwriter, Life Underwriter, Personal Lines Underwriter, Underwriter, Underwriting Consultant.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do insurance underwriters make?
The national median annual wage for insurance underwriters was $81,370 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $55,530 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $145,160. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do insurance underwriters need?
BLS lists bachelor's degree as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and moderate-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is insurance underwriters a growing career?
BLS projects employment of insurance underwriters to change -3.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 6,800 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay insurance underwriters the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Massachusetts ($106,640), New Hampshire ($103,940), Nevada ($101,440). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.