Insurance Underwriters
Insurance Underwriters (SOC 13-2053) earn a median $81,370 a year ($39.12 an hour) in the United States, with 105,420 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Massachusetts.
What insurance underwriters do
Insurance underwriters review applications for insurance and decide whether to accept the risk, and on what terms. Where a risk is substandard, they can reduce a policy's value and specify endorsements or apply a rating so risks are distributed safely, and when a risk is high they authorize reinsurance. Underwriters examine documents to judge how risky a case is, looking at things like an applicant's health, the state of a property, or the kind of business involved. They contact agents in the field, doctors, and others when they need more information, evaluate the potential for losses from catastrophes or excessive exposure, and decline risks they judge too great. Their decisions shape the price and terms of coverage that an insurer offers. The occupation differs from claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators, who handle losses after they occur, and from insurance sales agents, who sell policies. Titles include account underwriter, casualty underwriter, and commercial lines underwriter. Company records are reviewed to see how much insurance is already in force on a single risk or on a group of closely related risks.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the typical level of education for this occupation.
Also called: Account Manager Underwriter, Account Underwriter, Automobile and Property Underwriter, Bond Underwriter, Casualty Underwriter.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $26.70 | $31.07 | $39.12 | $53.07 | $69.79 | $45.05 | 105,420 |
| Annual | $55,530 | $64,620 | $81,370 | $110,390 | $145,160 | $93,700 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where insurance underwriters earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $33.94 | $38.58 | $51.27 | $64.96 | $80.57 | $55.05 | 2,890 | 0.79 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $70,590 | $80,250 | $106,640 | $135,110 | $167,590 | $114,510 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $33.89 | $41.35 | $49.97 | $62.28 | $79.51 | $52.77 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $70,490 | $86,010 | $103,940 | $129,530 | $165,380 | $109,760 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $29.22 | $30.99 | $48.77 | $58.96 | $75.71 | $49.52 | 480 | 0.31 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $60,780 | $64,450 | $101,440 | $122,630 | $157,470 | $103,000 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $31.95 | $38.32 | $48.41 | $62.43 | $76.39 | $51.03 | 2,010 | 1.18 | 1.75 |
| Annual | $66,450 | $79,710 | $100,690 | $129,850 | $158,890 | $106,140 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $32.40 | $36.95 | $48.38 | $62.92 | $80.62 | $53.53 | 2,040 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $67,390 | $76,860 | $100,640 | $130,880 | $167,680 | $111,330 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | $24.73 | $29.63 | $37.93 | $50.50 | $65.10 | $42.69 | 9,980 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $51,440 | $61,620 | $78,890 | $105,040 | $135,410 | $88,790 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $23.98 | $29.38 | $37.85 | $50.68 | $64.83 | $42.81 | 7,300 | 0.74 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $49,880 | $61,110 | $78,720 | $105,410 | $134,850 | $89,040 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $29.40 | $34.11 | $41.34 | $62.32 | $79.76 | $48.42 | 7,160 | 1.46 | 2.16 |
| Annual | $61,160 | $70,940 | $85,980 | $129,630 | $165,910 | $100,720 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $31.33 | $38.10 | $46.85 | $63.23 | $81.15 | $52.99 | 6,900 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $65,160 | $79,250 | $97,450 | $131,530 | $168,790 | $110,210 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $31.28 | $37.20 | $45.83 | $59.94 | $78.19 | $49.45 | 6,580 | 0.36 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $65,070 | $77,370 | $95,320 | $124,660 | $162,640 | $102,850 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Springfield, MA | Hourly | $34.39 | $36.70 | $55.49 | $59.89 | $75.24 | $52.01 | 130 | 0.67 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $71,540 | $76,340 | $115,420 | $124,570 | $156,510 | $108,170 | ||||
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | Hourly | $36.73 | $39.23 | $55.28 | $75.57 | $99.05 | $61.53 | 160 | 0.40 | 0.58 |
| Annual | $76,400 | $81,600 | $114,980 | $157,190 | $206,020 | $127,970 | ||||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | Hourly | $30.84 | $37.39 | $51.24 | $64.46 | $64.46 | $50.93 | 950 | 1.15 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $64,150 | $77,770 | $106,570 | $134,090 | $134,090 | $105,930 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $35.69 | $38.99 | $51.04 | $65.08 | $81.43 | $55.58 | 2,080 | 0.77 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $74,230 | $81,100 | $106,170 | $135,360 | $169,360 | $115,600 | ||||
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | Hourly | $27.24 | $37.64 | $49.26 | $54.94 | $60.58 | $47.28 | 110 | 0.41 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $56,650 | $78,300 | $102,460 | $114,270 | $126,000 | $98,350 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $35.29 | $39.14 | $47.31 | $63.34 | $81.07 | $53.80 | 6,740 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| Annual | $73,400 | $81,420 | $98,410 | $131,760 | $168,630 | $111,900 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $30.51 | $36.41 | $45.88 | $63.37 | $80.01 | $50.16 | 5,090 | 1.76 | 2.60 |
| Annual | $63,460 | $75,740 | $95,430 | $131,810 | $166,430 | $104,320 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $27.33 | $30.39 | $38.27 | $56.88 | $76.62 | $45.20 | 4,140 | 1.02 | 1.51 |
| Annual | $56,840 | $63,200 | $79,590 | $118,310 | $159,360 | $94,020 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $30.94 | $36.86 | $48.00 | $62.52 | $79.06 | $51.18 | 4,060 | 0.90 | 1.33 |
| Annual | $64,360 | $76,660 | $99,840 | $130,050 | $164,440 | $106,450 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $28.25 | $30.11 | $37.38 | $48.75 | $61.27 | $41.36 | 3,030 | 1.28 | 1.88 |
| Annual | $58,770 | $62,630 | $77,740 | $101,390 | $127,450 | $86,030 | ||||
Top industries employing insurance underwriters
Insurance Carriers employ 58.3% of insurance underwriters nationally (61,490 jobs) at a median $81,520 a year ($39.19 an hour), followed by Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities (34.3%) and Management of Companies and Enterprises (2.8%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Carriers NAICS 524100 | 61,490 | 58.3% | $81,520 | $39.19 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities NAICS 524200 | 36,110 | 34.3% | $81,060 | $38.97 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 2,940 | 2.8% | $82,680 | $39.75 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999200 | 700 | 0.7% | $69,460 | $33.40 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation NAICS 522200 | 570 | 0.5% | $93,210 | $44.81 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (105,420). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $76,390 for insurance underwriters in May 2021 and $81,370 in May 2025, with employment of 107,690 and 105,420.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $76,390 | $36.73 | 107,690 |
| May 2022 | $76,230 | $36.65 | 105,900 |
| May 2023 | $77,860 | $37.44 | 101,310 |
| May 2024 | $79,880 | $38.40 | 107,820 |
| May 2025 | $81,370 | $39.12 | 105,420 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts profile | $51.27 | $106,640 | $70,590 | $167,590 | 2,890 | 0.79 | 1.17 |
| 2 | New Hampshire profile | $49.97 | $103,940 | $70,490 | $165,380 | 270 | 0.39 | 0.58 |
| 3 | Nevada profile | $48.77 | $101,440 | $60,780 | $157,470 | 480 | 0.31 | 0.46 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $48.41 | $100,690 | $66,450 | $158,890 | 2,010 | 1.18 | 1.75 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $48.38 | $100,640 | $67,390 | $167,680 | 2,040 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $47.79 | $99,400 | $64,130 | $164,730 | 1,740 | 0.49 | 0.72 |
| 7 | New York profile | $46.85 | $97,450 | $65,160 | $168,790 | 6,900 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Wisconsin profile | $46.81 | $97,370 | $61,410 | $134,090 | 3,110 | 1.06 | 1.56 |
| 9 | New Jersey profile | $46.26 | $96,220 | $66,290 | $144,230 | 3,150 | 0.74 | 1.08 |
| 10 | Maine profile | $45.92 | $95,510 | $62,730 | $133,390 | 520 | 0.82 | 1.20 |
| 11 | California profile | $45.83 | $95,320 | $65,070 | $162,640 | 6,580 | 0.36 | 0.53 |
| 12 | Maryland profile | $44.29 | $92,120 | $59,520 | $152,690 | 1,310 | 0.48 | 0.70 |
| 13 | Illinois profile | $43.09 | $89,620 | $59,730 | $161,410 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Georgia profile | $41.34 | $85,980 | $61,160 | $165,910 | 7,160 | 1.46 | 2.16 |
| 15 | Rhode Island profile | $40.73 | $84,720 | $50,240 | $138,930 | 250 | 0.50 | 0.74 |
| 16 | South Dakota profile | $39.97 | $83,130 | $58,980 | $152,720 | 210 | 0.47 | 0.69 |
| 17 | Arkansas profile | $39.48 | $82,130 | $41,450 | $158,530 | 290 | 0.22 | 0.33 |
| 18 | District of Columbia profile | $39.46 | $82,070 | $64,800 | $173,060 | ** | ** | ** |
| 19 | Virginia profile | $39.36 | $81,870 | $61,940 | $130,120 | 2,470 | 0.60 | 0.89 |
| 20 | Alaska profile | $39.24 | $81,620 | $47,120 | $106,990 | 100 | 0.31 | 0.46 |
| 21 | Minnesota profile | $38.80 | $80,700 | $60,350 | $138,710 | 2,550 | 0.86 | 1.27 |
| 22 | Missouri profile | $38.48 | $80,040 | $56,720 | $124,250 | 2,130 | 0.73 | 1.07 |
| 23 | Kentucky profile | $38.38 | $79,830 | $46,550 | $138,670 | 900 | 0.45 | 0.66 |
| 24 | South Carolina profile | $38.26 | $79,570 | $51,020 | $134,950 | 910 | 0.40 | 0.58 |
| 25 | Ohio profile | $38.11 | $79,260 | $52,080 | $128,320 | 5,110 | 0.92 | 1.36 |
| 26 | Oregon profile | $38.08 | $79,200 | $61,620 | $124,760 | 570 | 0.29 | 0.43 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania profile | $37.96 | $78,950 | $50,310 | $135,600 | 5,160 | 0.85 | 1.25 |
| 28 | Texas profile | $37.93 | $78,890 | $51,440 | $135,410 | 9,980 | 0.71 | 1.05 |
| 29 | Tennessee profile | $37.91 | $78,840 | $50,200 | $123,150 | 1,250 | 0.38 | 0.56 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $37.85 | $78,720 | $49,880 | $134,850 | 7,300 | 0.74 | 1.08 |
| 31 | Vermont profile | $37.50 | $77,990 | $62,100 | $101,440 | 210 | 0.71 | 1.04 |
| 32 | Arizona profile | $37.38 | $77,740 | $57,770 | $127,450 | 3,360 | 1.04 | 1.53 |
| 33 | Indiana profile | $37.23 | $77,440 | $48,160 | $104,580 | 2,170 | 0.68 | 1.00 |
| 34 | Michigan profile | $37.20 | $77,380 | $50,960 | $123,440 | 2,590 | 0.59 | 0.87 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $37.08 | $77,120 | $48,560 | $129,980 | 3,460 | 0.70 | 1.03 |
| 36 | Kansas profile | $37.05 | $77,070 | $49,900 | $162,210 | 1,230 | 0.86 | 1.26 |
| 37 | Louisiana profile | $36.80 | $76,540 | $46,540 | $126,190 | 1,050 | 0.54 | 0.80 |
| 38 | Iowa profile | $36.14 | $75,160 | $51,800 | $128,080 | 1,490 | 0.95 | 1.41 |
| 39 | Nebraska profile | $36.12 | $75,120 | $49,150 | $105,760 | 1,410 | 1.38 | 2.04 |
| 40 | North Dakota profile | $35.64 | $74,130 | $54,790 | $99,490 | 210 | 0.48 | 0.71 |
| 41 | Hawaii profile | $35.22 | $73,260 | $46,470 | $105,970 | 230 | 0.37 | 0.55 |
| 42 | Utah profile | $34.96 | $72,730 | $40,780 | $119,990 | 490 | 0.29 | 0.42 |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $32.10 | $66,770 | $45,280 | $107,900 | 600 | 0.35 | 0.52 |
| 44 | New Mexico profile | $30.77 | $64,000 | $47,170 | $106,680 | 100 | 0.12 | 0.17 |
| 45 | Montana profile | $30.36 | $63,140 | $50,280 | $130,880 | 140 | 0.27 | 0.40 |
| 46 | Idaho profile | $30.06 | $62,530 | $47,680 | $120,890 | 360 | 0.42 | 0.62 |
| 47 | Wyoming profile | $29.95 | $62,290 | $47,520 | $104,890 | 50 | 0.17 | 0.26 |
| 48 | Alabama profile | $29.92 | $62,220 | $43,540 | $129,600 | 1,540 | 0.73 | 1.08 |
| 49 | Mississippi profile | $28.49 | $59,250 | $38,520 | $100,710 | 600 | 0.52 | 0.76 |
| – | Delaware profile | * | * | * | * | 210 | 0.44 | 0.64 |
| – | West Virginia profile | * | * | * | * | 190 | 0.27 | 0.39 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (13-2050), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Business and Financial Operations Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 13-2053 Insurance Underwriters.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 13-2053, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 13-2053.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.