Insurance Underwriters salary
Business & finance · OCC code 13-2053 · gross annual wage · BLS OEWS May 2024
Insurance Underwriters in the US earn a median of $79,880 per year (mean $90,830) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey — that is +61.4% versus the $49,500 median for all US jobs, well above the US median wage for all jobs. The middle half earn between $63,070 and $104,820; the top 10% earn $138,020 or more. The median hourly wage is $38.40. About 107,820 are employed nationally. The highest-paying state is Vermont ($106,790). Wages are gross (pre-tax) and vary by employer, experience and location.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Insurance Underwriters pay range (national percentiles)
What insurance underwriters earn across the pay distribution, nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2024):
| Pay level | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-paid 10%) | $51,640 |
| 25th percentile | $63,070 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $79,880 |
| Mean (average) | $90,830 |
| 75th percentile | $104,820 |
| 90th percentile (highest-paid 10%) | $138,020 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
A dash (—) means BLS did not release that figure; a plus (+) means the wage is at or above the BLS top code of $239,200/yr. See what wage percentiles mean or check where your salary ranks.
Insurance Underwriters salary by state
Median and mean wage for insurance underwriters in each of the 50 states with published data, highest median first. The national median is $79,880.
| # | State | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | $106,790 | $92,710 | 240 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $100,660 | $112,270 | 100 |
| 3 | Colorado | $100,050 | $116,140 | 1,540 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $100,050 | $105,050 | 3,440 |
| 5 | Maine | $96,600 | $97,810 | 610 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $96,100 | $99,830 | 320 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $95,460 | $100,900 | 2,670 |
| 8 | Washington | $95,310 | $106,810 | 2,000 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $93,500 | $98,600 | 3,170 |
| 10 | Maryland | $88,820 | $93,190 | 1,100 |
| 11 | Nevada | $87,290 | $93,300 | 520 |
| 12 | California | $87,200 | $101,720 | 7,300 |
| 13 | Illinois | $84,580 | $97,210 | 8,480 |
| 14 | New York | $83,970 | $98,190 | 7,530 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $83,370 | $103,880 | 240 |
| 16 | Kansas | $81,920 | $98,130 | 1,290 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $81,760 | $87,470 | 500 |
| 18 | South Carolina | $81,080 | $83,710 | 890 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $80,960 | $87,260 | 310 |
| 20 | Florida | $80,000 | $89,710 | 7,430 |
| 21 | Ohio | $79,820 | $87,240 | 5,630 |
| 22 | Oregon | $79,290 | $86,660 | 630 |
| 23 | Idaho | $79,250 | $85,660 | 280 |
| 24 | Tennessee | $79,190 | $84,210 | 1,100 |
| 25 | Minnesota | $78,950 | $90,650 | 2,670 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $78,220 | $89,340 | 5,910 |
| 27 | Missouri | $78,100 | $80,330 | 1,910 |
| 28 | Georgia | $78,000 | $89,520 | 6,310 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $77,940 | $87,420 | 3,440 |
| 30 | Iowa | $77,660 | $86,410 | 1,730 |
| 31 | Virginia | $77,110 | $88,760 | 2,910 |
| 32 | Michigan | $77,060 | $79,290 | 2,550 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $76,810 | $81,690 | 190 |
| 34 | Texas | $76,760 | $85,950 | 8,150 |
| 35 | Nebraska | $75,280 | $77,620 | 1,280 |
| 36 | Arizona | $73,740 | $78,330 | 3,300 |
| 37 | North Carolina | $72,180 | $81,860 | 3,230 |
| 38 | Indiana | $71,490 | $78,000 | 1,620 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $68,290 | $72,570 | 960 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $67,690 | $72,610 | 200 |
| 41 | Delaware | $66,960 | $78,770 | — |
| 42 | Alabama | $63,760 | $71,820 | 1,050 |
| 43 | Arkansas | $63,690 | $66,730 | 300 |
| 44 | Louisiana | $63,480 | $80,590 | 1,140 |
| 45 | Utah | $63,410 | $77,720 | 460 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $62,390 | $70,750 | 130 |
| 47 | Alaska | $60,860 | $66,920 | 130 |
| 48 | Montana | $60,350 | $69,830 | 170 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $58,760 | $65,940 | 400 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $56,740 | $61,840 | 180 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Data as of OEWS May 2024 (BLS), retrieved June 2026.
Highest median: Vermont ($106,790). Lowest: West Virginia ($56,740).
Similar-paying jobs
| Occupation | Median wage | Mean wage | vs US median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurance Underwriters (this job) | $79,880 | $90,830 | +61.4% |
| Landscape Architects | $79,660 | $88,000 | +60.9% |
| Logisticians | $80,880 | $87,600 | +63.4% |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,680 | $93,520 | +65.0% |
| Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $77,660 | $79,760 | +56.9% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $76,290 | $79,320 | +54.1% |
Landscape Architects · Logisticians · Accountants and Auditors · Radiologic Technologists and Technicians · Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
Frequently asked questions
How much do insurance underwriters make?
Insurance Underwriters earn a national median of $79,880 per year (mean $90,830) as of the BLS OEWS May 2024 survey. The middle half earn between $63,070 (25th percentile) and $104,820 (75th percentile); the top 10% earn $138,020 or more and the bottom 10% earn under $51,640. These are gross, pre-tax wages.
What is the hourly wage for insurance underwriters?
The median hourly wage is $38.40 and the mean is $43.67 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). BLS reports some occupations only as annual wages, in which case hourly figures are shown as a dash.
Which state pays insurance underwriters the most?
Vermont has the highest median wage for insurance underwriters at $106,790, versus a national median of $79,880. State pay reflects local cost of living, demand and industry mix. See the full state table on this page.
How many insurance underwriters are there in the US?
BLS estimates about 107,820 insurance underwriters are employed in the US (OEWS, May 2024). Among the 124 occupations tracked here, this job ranks #55 of 124 by median pay.
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Sources & accuracy
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 (OCC 13-2053), gross annual wages, U.S. public domain, retrieved June 2026. OEWS figures are survey estimates and reflect pay before tax. Your actual pay depends on employer, experience, certifications, industry and location. This is information, not financial or career advice — see our methodology and disclaimer.
Last updated: 2026-06-20