SOC 13-2053.00

    Insurance Underwriters

    Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.

    Median pay
    $81,370
    Growth
    -3.8%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    6,800
    Typical education
    Bachelor's degree

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $55,530
    Median
    $81,370
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $145,160
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    105,420 people work in this occupation.

    In short

    Insurance underwriters evaluate insurance applications to determine the level of risk and decide whether to accept them. In 2025, these professionals earned a median annual pay of $81,370.

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What insurance underwriters do

    Job Zone 4: Considerable preparation

    Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.

    Most need a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience.

    What the work is like

    Insurance underwriters spend their days analyzing data, processing information, and evaluating applications to determine if they comply with established standards. They must gather information, solve complex problems, and make critical decisions regarding risk acceptance. This role requires strong skills in reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking, and judgment. Underwriters also communicate frequently with supervisors, peers, and external clients to maintain strong professional relationships.

    This career appeals to individuals with conventional interests, meaning they enjoy structured work, clear procedures, and detail-oriented tasks. To succeed, underwriters rely on knowledge of economics, accounting, mathematics, customer service, and administrative procedures. They also need a solid understanding of law, government regulations, and sales principles. Important work styles for this job include attention to detail, cautiousness, dependability, and integrity. Underwriters must also demonstrate stress tolerance, self-confidence, and perseverance when managing challenging risk assessments.

    How to get there

    To enter this field, candidates typically need a bachelor's degree. Because this career requires considerable preparation, most individuals also need several years of related work experience before becoming underwriters. Common college majors that prepare students for this career path include business administration, management and operations, finance, management sciences, quantitative methods, and insurance.

    While not always mandatory, professional certifications can help underwriters advance in their careers. Available credentials from The Institutes include the Associate in Commercial Underwriting, Associate in Commercial Underwriting - Management, Associate in Marine Insurance Management, Associate in Personal Insurance, Associate in Premium Auditing, and Associate in Regulation and Compliance. Additionally, some states list specific licensing requirements for individuals performing this work.

    Pay and outlook explained

    In 2025, the median annual pay for insurance underwriters was $81,370. The lowest 10 percent of earners in this field made less than $55,530, while the highest 10 percent earned more than $145,160.

    There were 105,420 people employed in this occupation. Between 2025 and 2035, employment is projected to decline by -3.8 percent. Despite this projected decrease in total jobs, the field is still expected to have 6,800 openings each year.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R)
    12 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    44 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    31 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    58 / 100
    Conventional (C) · strongest
    86 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code CEI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Getting Information
    95
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    91
    Analyzing Data or Information
    86
    Working with Computers
    85
    Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships
    83
    Processing Information
    78
    Communicating with People Outside the Organization
    77
    Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
    76
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    75
    Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
    73
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Writing
    • Speaking
    • Judgment and Decision Making
    • Active Learning
    • Complex Problem Solving
    • Coordination
    • Monitoring

    Knowledge

    • English Language
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mathematics
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Administrative
    • Economics and Accounting
    • Law and Government
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Administration and Management
    • Psychology

    Abilities

    • Written Comprehension
    • Inductive Reasoning
    • Written Expression
    • Oral Expression
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Speech Clarity
    • Category Flexibility
    • Near Vision

    Work styles

    • Cautiousness
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Integrity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Confidence
    • Intellectual Curiosity
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Stress Tolerance

    Also called

    Account Manager Underwriter · Account Underwriter · Automobile and Property Underwriter · Bond Underwriter · Casualty Underwriter · Commercial Credit Underwriter · Commercial Insurance Underwriter · Commercial Lines Underwriter · Commercial Underwriter · Credit Underwriter

    Career pathway

    From your interests to insurance underwriters

    Interests that fit the work, the career, majors that lead there and colleges whose graduates in those majors earn the most. Hover or focus a step to follow one path.

    1. Interests

    2. This career

      • Insurance Underwriters$81,370 median pay

    3. Majors

    4. Colleges

    College Scorecard program outcomes

    Colleges with strong outcomes

    Programs that lead to this career, ranked by what their graduates earn four years after finishing. Earnings are for graduates who received federal aid.

    1. 1Washington University in St Louis WUSTL logo
      Washington University in St Louis WUSTL

      Saint Louis, MO · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $108,590
      4 yrs after
      $185,551
      Median debt
      $20,750
    2. 2Carnegie Mellon University logo
      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $97,419
      4 yrs after
      $160,783
      Median debt
      $19,000
    3. 3University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN logo
      University of Notre Dame-South Bend IN

      Notre Dame, IN · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $141,543
      4 yrs after
      $160,313
      Median debt
      $19,500
    4. 4
      New York University NYU

      New York, NY · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $111,101
      4 yrs after
      $158,559
      Median debt
      $13,250
    5. 5University of Pennsylvania UPENN logo
      University of Pennsylvania UPENN

      Philadelphia, PA · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $125,147
      4 yrs after
      $153,279
      Median debt
      $11,250
    6. 6Georgetown University-DC logo
      Georgetown University-DC

      Washington, DC · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $126,622
      4 yrs after
      $152,744
      Median debt
      $13,088
    7. 7Boston College logo
      Boston College

      Chestnut Hill, MA · Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      $92,127
      4 yrs after
      $147,746
      Median debt
      $18,650
    8. 8Wake Forest University logo
      Wake Forest University

      Winston-Salem, NC · Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods · Bachelor's

      1 yr after
      Not reported
      4 yrs after
      $146,608
      Median debt
      Not reported

    Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025. Programs with few graduates are not listed.

    NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk

    Majors that lead here

    Related programs by four-digit CIP code. They are common routes in, not the only ones.

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What insurance underwriters may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work. Showing 12 of 13.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Training

    Programs of study that prepare people for this work.

    • Actuarial Science
    • Financial Risk Management
    • Insurance
    • Risk Management

    Find training near you on CareerOneStop

    Licenses by state

    42 states list a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

    Build my pathway plan

    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

    All careers

    Questions about insurance underwriters

    Written with AI from the BLS, O*NET and CareerOneStop data on this page. Every figure is checked against that data before it is published.

    What are some alternative job titles for insurance underwriters?

    People in this field may be called account underwriters, commercial lines underwriters, casualty underwriters, or automobile and property underwriters. Other titles include bond underwriters, credit underwriters, and account manager underwriters.

    What college majors are most relevant to this career?

    Students interested in this career often major in finance, business administration, management and operations, or insurance. Other relevant majors include quantitative methods and management sciences.

    Is a license required to work as an insurance underwriter?

    Licensing requirements vary depending on where you live, as some states list a license for this specific type of work. Candidates should check their local state regulations for details.

    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.