Insurance Underwriters Career, Salary and Skills
Insurance Underwriters have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $81,370 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 105,420. Wage data is published for 192 locations.
Occupation description
Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.
O*NET code
13-2053.00
Job zone
4
Typical education
Bachelor's Degree
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$81,370
Hourly median
$39.12
Employment
105,420
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$55,530
10th
$64,620
25th
$81,370
Median
$110,390
75th
$145,160
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Writing | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Speaking | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
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
- Anodas Software Limited Phoenix
- C++
- Consilience Software Maven Insurance Automation Suite
- CSC nbAccelerator
- Database software
- Delphi Technology
- Fair Isaac Enterprise Decision Management for Insurance
- Fannie Mae Desktop Underwriter
- Fiserv Advanced Underwriting
- IBM FileNet Content Manager
- LabOne NET
- LexisNexis
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Excel
Insurance Underwriters salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in TXMedian $78,890 · Employment 9,980
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in FLMedian $78,720 · Employment 7,300
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in GAMedian $85,980 · Employment 7,160
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in NYMedian $97,450 · Employment 6,900
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in New York, NYMedian $98,410 · Employment 6,740
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in CAMedian $95,320 · Employment 6,580
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in PAMedian $78,950 · Employment 5,160
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in OHMedian $79,260 · Employment 5,110
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in Atlanta, GAMedian $95,430 · Employment 5,090
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $79,590 · Employment 4,140
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $99,840 · Employment 4,060
- Insurance Underwriters Salary in NCMedian $77,120 · Employment 3,460
Related careers
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- ActuariesNational median $130,000
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.