Insurance Underwriters · California

Insurance Underwriters Salary in California

Insurance Underwriters in California earn a median annual wage of $95,320 —17.1% above the national median of $81,370. That ranks CA #11 of 49 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$95,320
Median hourly
$45.83
Entry level (P10)
$65,070
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$162,640
90th percentile
Employment
6,580
0.4 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+17.1%
U.S. $81,370

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$65,070
$77,370
$95,320
$124,660
$65,070$95,320$162,640
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $95,320.

Employment is only 0.53× as concentrated as the national average — this occupation is relatively scarce in California.

Highest-paying states for insurance underwriters

All 49 states ranked by median annual wage. California is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Massachusetts$106,640$51.272,8901.17
2New Hampshire$103,940$49.972700.58
3Nevada$101,440$48.774800.46
4Connecticut$100,690$48.412,0101.75
5Colorado$100,640$48.382,0401.05
6Washington$99,400$47.791,7400.72
7New York$97,450$46.856,9001.05
8Wisconsin$97,370$46.813,1101.56
9New Jersey$96,220$46.263,1501.08
10Maine$95,510$45.925201.20

Related occupations in California

Occupations in the same job family, compared within California.

OccupationCalifornia medianU.S. median
Accountants and Auditors$97,050$83,680
Business Operations Specialists, All Other$87,570$83,050
Project Management Specialists$120,910$102,320
Human Resources Specialists$83,500$75,940
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists$94,700$78,760
Management Analysts$101,460$101,860

Frequently asked questions

How much do insurance underwriters make in California?

The median annual wage for insurance underwriters in California is $95,320, or $45.83 per hour. That is 17.1% above the national median of $81,370.

What is the entry-level insurance underwriters salary in California?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $65,070 per year ($31.28/hour). The 25th percentile is $77,370.

How many people work as insurance underwriters in California?

About 6,580 people work in this occupation in California, or 0.4 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is California a good state for insurance underwriters?

California ranks #11 of 49 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment is only 0.53x as concentrated as the national average, so this occupation is relatively scarce in California.

Which state pays insurance underwriters the most?

Massachusetts has the highest median wage at $106,640 per year, followed by New Hampshire ($103,940) and Nevada ($101,440).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes