Insurance Underwriters Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for insurance underwriters is $81,370, or $39.12 per hour. About 105,420 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $106,640 in Massachusetts to $59,250 in Mississippi.
Wage distribution nationwide
Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Salary by state
All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $106,640 | $51.27 | 2,890 | 1.17 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $103,940 | $49.97 | 270 | 0.58 |
| 3 | Nevada | $101,440 | $48.77 | 480 | 0.46 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $100,690 | $48.41 | 2,010 | 1.75 |
| 5 | Colorado | $100,640 | $48.38 | 2,040 | 1.05 |
| 6 | Washington | $99,400 | $47.79 | 1,740 | 0.72 |
| 7 | New York | $97,450 | $46.85 | 6,900 | 1.05 |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $97,370 | $46.81 | 3,110 | 1.56 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $96,220 | $46.26 | 3,150 | 1.08 |
| 10 | Maine | $95,510 | $45.92 | 520 | 1.20 |
| 11 | California | $95,320 | $45.83 | 6,580 | 0.53 |
| 12 | Maryland | $92,120 | $44.29 | 1,310 | 0.70 |
| 13 | Illinois | $89,620 | $43.09 | — | — |
| 14 | Georgia | $85,980 | $41.34 | 7,160 | 2.16 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | $84,720 | $40.73 | 250 | 0.74 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $83,130 | $39.97 | 210 | 0.69 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $82,130 | $39.48 | 290 | 0.33 |
| 18 | District of Columbia | $82,070 | $39.46 | — | — |
| 19 | Virginia | $81,870 | $39.36 | 2,470 | 0.89 |
| 20 | Alaska | $81,620 | $39.24 | 100 | 0.46 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $80,700 | $38.80 | 2,550 | 1.27 |
| 22 | Missouri | $80,040 | $38.48 | 2,130 | 1.07 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $79,830 | $38.38 | 900 | 0.66 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $79,570 | $38.26 | 910 | 0.58 |
| 25 | Ohio | $79,260 | $38.11 | 5,110 | 1.36 |
| 26 | Oregon | $79,200 | $38.08 | 570 | 0.43 |
| 27 | Pennsylvania | $78,950 | $37.96 | 5,160 | 1.25 |
| 28 | Texas | $78,890 | $37.93 | 9,980 | 1.05 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $78,840 | $37.91 | 1,250 | 0.56 |
| 30 | Florida | $78,720 | $37.85 | 7,300 | 1.08 |
| 31 | Vermont | $77,990 | $37.50 | 210 | 1.04 |
| 32 | Arizona | $77,740 | $37.38 | 3,360 | 1.53 |
| 33 | Indiana | $77,440 | $37.23 | 2,170 | 1.00 |
| 34 | Michigan | $77,380 | $37.20 | 2,590 | 0.87 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $77,120 | $37.08 | 3,460 | 1.03 |
| 36 | Kansas | $77,070 | $37.05 | 1,230 | 1.26 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $76,540 | $36.80 | 1,050 | 0.80 |
| 38 | Iowa | $75,160 | $36.14 | 1,490 | 1.41 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $75,120 | $36.12 | 1,410 | 2.04 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $74,130 | $35.64 | 210 | 0.71 |
| 41 | Hawaii | $73,260 | $35.22 | 230 | 0.55 |
| 42 | Utah | $72,730 | $34.96 | 490 | 0.42 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $66,770 | $32.10 | 600 | 0.52 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $64,000 | $30.77 | 100 | 0.17 |
| 45 | Montana | $63,140 | $30.36 | 140 | 0.40 |
| 46 | Idaho | $62,530 | $30.06 | 360 | 0.62 |
| 47 | Wyoming | $62,290 | $29.95 | 50 | 0.26 |
| 48 | Alabama | $62,220 | $29.92 | 1,540 | 1.08 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $59,250 | $28.49 | 600 | 0.76 |
Related occupations
Same job family, ranked by national employment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do insurance underwriters make?
The median annual wage for insurance underwriters in the United States is $81,370, or $39.12 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $55,530, and the top 10% earn $145,160.
How many insurance underwriters are employed in the U.S.?
About 105,420 people work as insurance underwriters nationwide.
Which state pays insurance underwriters the most?
Massachusetts pays the most at a median of $106,640, followed by New Hampshire ($103,940) and Nevada ($101,440).
Which state pays insurance underwriters the least?
Mississippi has the lowest median at $59,250.
Where are insurance underwriters jobs most concentrated?
The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Georgia at 2.16×.