Insurance Underwriter
Salary, job outlook, education and requirements
Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.
Also called: Account Underwriter · Automobile and Property Underwriter · Commercial Lines Underwriter · Health Underwriter · Life Underwriter · Personal Lines Underwriter · Underwriter · Underwriting Consultant
O*NET-SOC 13-2053.00 (Insurance Underwriters)
Insurance Underwriter salary
Wages for insurance underwriters across all employers, 2025 data. The 10th percentile is typical entry-level pay; the 90th percentile reflects the most experienced and highest-paid workers.
National median hourly wage: $39.12.
Insurance Underwriter pay by state
Ten largest states by population, annual wages.
| State | 10th percentile | Median | 90th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $65,070 | $95,320 | $162,640 |
| Texas | $51,440 | $78,890 | $135,410 |
| Florida | $49,880 | $78,720 | $134,850 |
| New York | $65,160 | $97,450 | $168,790 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,310 | $78,950 | $135,600 |
| Illinois | $59,730 | $89,620 | $161,410 |
| Ohio | $52,080 | $79,260 | $128,320 |
| Georgia | $61,160 | $85,980 | $165,910 |
| North Carolina | $48,560 | $77,120 | $129,980 |
| Michigan | $50,960 | $77,380 | $123,440 |
Insurance Underwriter job outlook
- Employment is projected to go from 125,600 jobs in 2025 to 120,800 in 2035 (-4% change).
- About 6,800 openings are projected each year, including jobs that open up as workers retire or change occupations.
- CareerOneStop outlook rating: Below Average.
How to become an insurance underwriter
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- No work experience
- On-the-job training
- 1 to 12 months on-the-job training
Education level of current workers
- Less than high school diploma.7%
- High school diploma or equivalent9.7%
- Some college, no degree17.4%
- Associate's degree8.5%
- Bachelor's degree50.5%
- Master's degree11%
- Doctoral or professional degree2.4%
Related training programs
- Actuarial Science
- Financial Risk Management
- Insurance
- Risk Management
What does an insurance underwriter do?
Common 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.
Most important skills
- Writing
- Writing things for co-workers or customers.
- Reading Comprehension
- Reading work-related information.
- Critical Thinking
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
- Active Listening
- Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
- Speaking
- Talking to others.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
- Active Learning
- Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
Insurance Underwriter certifications
8 of 17 certifications CareerOneStop maps to this occupation. Requirements vary by employer and state.
- The Institutes · Core
- The Institutes · Core
- The Institutes · Core
- Mortgage Bankers Association of America · Core
- Professional Risk Managers International Association · Core
- The Institutes · Core
- The Institutes · Core · In demand
- Insurance Data Management Association · Specialty
See all 17certifications in CareerOneStop's Certification Finder
Insurance Underwriter jobs
Current federal openings from USAJOBS. For more business & industry jobs, including private-sector listings, see the Business & Industry jobs hub.
Job data from USAJOBS.gov. Careers.org is not affiliated with or endorsed by OPM.
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This page includes information from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (DOLETA), and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
Source: CareerOneStop occupation profile for Insurance Underwriters. Wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program; projections are national long-term projections.