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Insurance underwriter: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$81,370median pay per year, or $39.12 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $55,530lowest 10% earn less
  2. $64,62025th percentile
  3. $81,370median
  4. $110,39075th percentile
  5. $145,160top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[5]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[2]

An underwriter earned a median of $81,370 a year in May 2025, above the median for all occupations[1][2]. BLS projects the job count to shrink by 2035 as automated systems handle more applications[3][4].

Job growth, 2025–35
-3.8%[3]
Openings per year
6,800[6]
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree[7]

How much do underwriters make?

Insurance underwriters earned a median of $81,370 a year, or $39.12 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half earned more and half earned less. The national median for all occupations was $50,980[2], so underwriting sits above the all-occupations middle. The average (mean) wage was $93,700 a year[8].

Pay varies widely within the job:

Level Annual wage Hourly wage
10th percentile[5][9] $55,530 $26.70
25th percentile[5][9] $64,620 $31.07
Median[1] $81,370 $39.12
75th percentile[5][9] $110,390 $53.07
90th percentile[5][9] $145,160 $69.79

A percentile is a boundary, so the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $55,530[5]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10]. These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits such as health insurance[11].

Pay by state and city

Massachusetts had the highest state median for underwriters at $106,640, followed by New Hampshire at $103,940 and Nevada at $101,440[12]. Texas had the most jobs with 9,980, then Florida with 7,300 and Georgia with 7,160[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Springfield, MA had the highest median at $115,420, with Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT next at $114,980[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, 6,740, with a median of $98,410[15]. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell came next with 5,090 jobs[15].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
Massachusetts[12]$106,6402,890
New Hampshire$103,940270
Nevada$101,440480
Connecticut$100,6902,010
Colorado$100,6402,040
Washington$99,4001,740
New York$97,4506,900
Wisconsin$97,3703,110
New Jersey$96,2203,150
Maine$95,510520
California$95,3206,580
Maryland$92,1201,310
Illinois$89,620n/a
Georgia$85,9807,160
Rhode Island$84,720250
South Dakota$83,130210
Arkansas$82,130290
District of Columbia$82,070n/a
Virginia$81,8702,470
Alaska$81,620100
Minnesota$80,7002,550
Missouri$80,0402,130
Kentucky$79,830900
South Carolina$79,570910
Ohio$79,2605,110
Oregon$79,200570
Pennsylvania$78,9505,160
Texas$78,8909,980
Tennessee$78,8401,250
Florida$78,7207,300
Vermont$77,990210
Arizona$77,7403,360
Indiana$77,4402,170
Michigan$77,3802,590
North Carolina$77,1203,460
Kansas$77,0701,230
Louisiana$76,5401,050
Iowa$75,1601,490
Nebraska$75,1201,410
North Dakota$74,130210
Hawaii$73,260230
Utah$72,730490
Oklahoma$66,770600
New Mexico$64,000100
Montana$63,140140
Idaho$62,530360
Wyoming$62,29050
Alabama$62,2201,540
Mississippi$59,250600

How to become an underwriter

A bachelor's degree is the typical way in. BLS lists no related work experience as needed[7].

Some people with an associate's degree or a high school diploma plus insurance-related experience are hired too[20]. In an O*NET survey of 30 workers, 70% said a bachelor's degree is required[21].

Employers may expect certification earned through coursework[22]. Many credentials exist, and requirements often include courses, exams or both[23][24]. Some are open to new underwriters, while others need a set number of years of experience[24]. Experienced underwriters may move up to senior underwriter or underwriter manager, and certification may be needed for those roles[25].

What underwriters do

Underwriters review insurance applications to judge the risk and decide whether to accept them[26]. Typical tasks include:

Underwriters need analytical skills to weigh risk against caution[28]. They decide whether to approve coverage and how to set premiums[29]. They also need to stay focused on detail, since each item on an application can affect the decision[30].

Where they work

Underwriters work in an office during regular business hours. Much of their day is spent on their own at a computer, mostly on applications and sometimes on customer questions[31]. Some property and casualty underwriters travel to look at properties in person[32]. Full-time schedules are the usual pattern[33].

Direct insurance carriers (other than life, health and medical) were the largest employer group, with 52% of underwriters in 2025[34]. Only 0.4% of underwriters were self-employed[35].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of insurance underwriters to decline 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 125,600 jobs to 120,800[3]. Employment across all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[36]. These counts include self-employed workers[3], so they differ from the 105,420 wage and salary jobs counted in the pay data[37].

BLS names productivity change as the factor. Automated underwriting systems let computers handle more applications, which reduces the number of underwriters needed[4].

Even so, about 6,800 openings a year are projected on average[6]. Openings count retirements and moves to other occupations as well as new positions[6]. Each year, 2.5% of underwriters are projected to leave the labor force and 3.3% to switch occupations[38].

Is it a good fit?

The facts describe an office job with pay above the all-occupations median[1][2]. It usually calls for a bachelor's degree and up to a year of supervised training[7][18]. The tradeoff is the outlook, since BLS projects fewer underwriting jobs by 2035[3] while automated systems take on more of the work[4]. Openings from retirements and job changes still continue[6].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[39].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an underwriter make an hour?
The median was $39.12 an hour in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $26.70 and the 90th percentile was $69.79[9].
What degree do you need to be an underwriter?
A bachelor's degree is the typical entry education[7]. Some people with an associate's degree or a high school diploma plus insurance-related experience also qualify[20].
Are insurance underwriters in demand?
BLS projects employment to decline 3.8% from 2025 to 2035[3], with about 6,800 openings a year from retirements, job changes and new positions[6].
What is the highest paying state for underwriters?
Massachusetts had the highest median at $106,640 in May 2025[12].
How long is underwriter training?
New underwriters typically work under senior staff for up to 12 months[18].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Insurance Underwriters in the US was $81,370 per year and $39.12 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Insurance Underwriters is projected to decline 3.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 125,600 to 120,800 jobs (a change of -4,800). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Insurance Underwriters: Productivity change - share decreases as automated underwriting systems will allow more applications to be handled by computer processing, reducing the needed number of insurance underwriters. BLS Employment Projections
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Insurance Underwriters: 10th percentile $55,530, 25th percentile $64,620, 75th percentile $110,390, 90th percentile $145,160. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 6,800 openings for Insurance Underwriters are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Insurance Underwriters: education needed for entry: Bachelor's degree; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Insurance Underwriters was $93,700 per year and $45.05 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Insurance Underwriters: 10th percentile $26.70, 25th percentile $31.07, 75th percentile $53.07, 90th percentile $69.79. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Insurance Underwriters in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Insurance Underwriters jobs: Texas 9,980; Florida 7,300; Georgia 7,160; New York 6,900; California 6,580. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Insurance Underwriters (areas with at least 100 jobs): Springfield, MA $115,420; Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $114,980; Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $106,570; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $106,170; Chattanooga, TN-GA $102,460; Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $101,840; Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $101,300; Lexington-Fayette, KY $100,990. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Insurance Underwriters jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 6,740 (median $98,410); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 5,090 (median $95,430); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,140 (median $79,590); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 4,060 (median $99,840); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 3,030 (median $77,740); Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 2,590 (median $84,580). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  17. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  18. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. O*NET 13-2053.00 survey of workers (30 respondents), education level they say is required: Bachelor's Degree 70%, High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 10%, Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree 10%, Some College Courses 7% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Advancement. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. O*NET description of Insurance Underwriters. O*NET OnLine
  27. O*NET task list for Insurance Underwriters. O*NET OnLine
  28. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  34. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of insurance underwriters in 2025: Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers 52%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  35. BLS Employment Projections: 0.4% of Insurance Underwriters were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  36. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  37. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 105,420 people were employed as Insurance Underwriters in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  38. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Insurance Underwriters: 2.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 3.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  39. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.