Insurance Underwriters Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for insurance underwriterss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $93,700 ≈ $45/hr
National median salary $81,370
Total employment 105,420 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth -2.6%
Decline
Annual openings 8,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 127,000 → 123,700 (-3,300)
Typical entry education Bachelor's degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Massachusetts$114,510
- Colorado$111,330
- New York$110,210
- New Hampshire$109,760
- Washington$108,920
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Mississippi$63,890
- Wyoming$67,760
- New Mexico$71,970
- Oklahoma$72,490
- Hawaii$76,090
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $114,510 | $106,640 | $55 | +22.2% | 2,890 |
| 2 | Colorado | $111,330 | $100,640 | $54 | +18.8% | 2,040 |
| 3 | New York | $110,210 | $97,450 | $53 | +17.6% | 6,900 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $109,760 | $103,940 | $53 | +17.1% | 270 |
| 5 | Washington | $108,920 | $99,400 | $52 | +16.2% | 1,740 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $108,350 | $82,070 | $52 | +15.6% | — |
| 7 | Connecticut | $106,140 | $100,690 | $51 | +13.3% | 2,010 |
| 8 | Nevada | $103,000 | $101,440 | $50 | +9.9% | 480 |
| 9 | California | $102,850 | $95,320 | $49 | +9.8% | 6,580 |
| 10 | Georgia | $100,720 | $85,980 | $48 | +7.5% | 7,160 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $99,990 | $96,220 | $48 | +6.7% | 3,150 |
| 12 | South Dakota | $99,910 | $83,130 | $48 | +6.6% | 210 |
| 13 | Illinois | $99,120 | $89,620 | $48 | +5.8% | — |
| 14 | Maryland | $96,540 | $92,120 | $46 | +3% | 1,310 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $95,750 | $80,700 | $46 | +2.2% | 2,550 |
| 16 | Kansas | $95,660 | $77,070 | $46 | +2.1% | 1,230 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $95,410 | $97,370 | $46 | +1.8% | 3,110 |
| 18 | Maine | $94,640 | $95,510 | $46 | +1% | 520 |
| 19 | Virginia | $92,270 | $81,870 | $44 | -1.5% | 2,470 |
| 20 | Rhode Island | $91,620 | $84,720 | $44 | -2.2% | 250 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $90,490 | $78,950 | $44 | -3.4% | 5,160 |
| 22 | Florida | $89,040 | $78,720 | $43 | -5% | 7,300 |
| 23 | Texas | $88,790 | $78,890 | $43 | -5.2% | 9,980 |
| 24 | Oregon | $87,660 | $79,200 | $42 | -6.4% | 570 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $87,610 | $79,570 | $42 | -6.5% | 910 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $87,430 | $79,830 | $42 | -6.7% | 900 |
| 27 | Ohio | $86,900 | $79,260 | $42 | -7.3% | 5,110 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $86,390 | $82,130 | $42 | -7.8% | 290 |
| 29 | Arizona | $85,770 | $77,740 | $41 | -8.5% | 3,360 |
| 30 | Missouri | $84,070 | $80,040 | $40 | -10.3% | 2,130 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $83,920 | $77,120 | $40 | -10.4% | 3,460 |
| 32 | Iowa | $83,220 | $75,160 | $40 | -11.2% | 1,490 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $82,570 | $78,840 | $40 | -11.9% | 1,250 |
| 34 | Michigan | $81,620 | $77,380 | $39 | -12.9% | 2,590 |
| 35 | Louisiana | $81,450 | $76,540 | $39 | -13.1% | 1,050 |
| 36 | Vermont | $81,310 | $77,990 | $39 | -13.2% | 210 |
| 37 | North Dakota | $78,330 | $74,130 | $38 | -16.4% | 210 |
| 38 | Indiana | $78,280 | $77,440 | $38 | -16.5% | 2,170 |
| 39 | Idaho | $77,420 | $62,530 | $37 | -17.4% | 360 |
| 40 | Montana | $76,970 | $63,140 | $37 | -17.9% | 140 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $76,900 | $75,120 | $37 | -17.9% | 1,410 |
| 42 | Alaska | $76,560 | $81,620 | $37 | -18.3% | 100 |
| 43 | Alabama | $76,480 | $62,220 | $37 | -18.4% | 1,540 |
| 44 | Utah | $76,430 | $72,730 | $37 | -18.4% | 490 |
| 45 | Hawaii | $76,090 | $73,260 | $37 | -18.8% | 230 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $72,490 | $66,770 | $35 | -22.6% | 600 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $71,970 | $64,000 | $35 | -23.2% | 100 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $67,760 | $62,290 | $33 | -27.7% | 50 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $63,890 | $59,250 | $31 | -31.8% | 600 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 159 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Springfield, MA | $115,420 | $108,170 | 130 |
| 2 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $114,980 | $127,970 | 160 |
| 3 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $106,570 | $105,930 | 950 |
| 4 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $106,170 | $115,600 | 2,080 |
| 5 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $102,460 | $98,350 | 110 |
| 6 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $102,030 | $102,180 | 50 |
| 7 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $101,840 | $115,260 | 1,540 |
| 8 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $101,300 | $96,780 | 400 |
| 9 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $100,990 | $90,840 | 290 |
| 10 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $100,690 | $105,280 | 1,430 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing insurance underwriterss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $101,700 | $96,230 | 60 |
| 2 | All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $101,700 | $96,230 | 60 |
| 3 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $101,110 | $106,800 | 50 |
| 4 | Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds | $96,500 | $97,710 | 400 |
| 5 | Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles | $96,290 | $96,840 | 400 |
| 6 | Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $95,300 | $95,150 | 510 |
| 7 | Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $94,410 | $105,330 | 240 |
| 8 | Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $93,210 | $91,680 | 570 |
| 9 | Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $91,290 | $93,350 | 4,070 |
| 10 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $89,110 | $91,470 | 180 |
| 11 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $89,110 | $91,470 | 180 |
| 12 | Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | $86,690 | $89,280 | 920 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do insurance underwriters make in the U.S.?
The median insurance underwriters salary in the United States is $81,370 per year (mean $93,700), and about 80% earn between $55,530 and $145,160.
How much do insurance underwriters make per hour?
Roughly $45 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $93,700 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays insurance underwriters the most?
Massachusetts has the highest average pay for insurance underwriters at $114,510 per year (median $106,640).
What is the job outlook for insurance underwriters?
Employment is projected to change -2.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 8,200 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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