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Insurance Underwriters

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeModerate pressure

What they do

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

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $81,370 Median per year · $39.12/hr Most earn $55,530–$145,160

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Examine documents to determine degree of risk from factors such as applicant health, financial standing and value, and condition of property.
  • Authorize reinsurance of policy when risk is high.
  • Decrease value of policy when risk is substandard and specify applicable endorsements or apply rating to ensure safe, profitable distribution of risks, using reference materials.
  • Examine documents to determine degree of risk from factors such as applicant health, financial standing and value, and condition of property.
  • Decline excessive risks.
  • Write to field representatives, medical personnel, or others to obtain further information, quote rates, or explain company underwriting policies.

Job outlook

United States
4% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 6,800 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers52.2%
  • Insurance agencies and brokerages24.0%
  • Other insurance related activities4.7%
  • Direct health and medical insurance carriers4.3%
  • Management of companies and enterprises2.2%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Bachelor's degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Insurance underwriting usually requires a bachelor's degree, and most people spend about 1 to 2 years in a related entry-level role before they become underwriters. So it's not usually a straight-from-school job, but graduates can get started on the path right away.

  1. Bachelor's degree in finance, economics, business, math, or statistics

    4 years

    You build the analytical and risk-thinking skills that underwriting depends on, and employers look for this degree first.

  2. Underwriting Assistant

    1-2 years

    You support senior underwriters by gathering application details, checking documents, and learning how risk decisions are made and recorded.

  3. Insurance Underwriter

    Career

    You review applications, judge the level of risk, and decide whether to accept a policy, set its terms, or set its price.

Where it can lead

  1. Senior Underwriter

    3-5 years as an underwriter of experience first

    You handle larger or more complex accounts, mentor newer underwriters, and make harder judgment calls with less oversight.

  2. Underwriting Manager

    5+ years as an underwriter or senior underwriter of experience first

    You lead a team of underwriters, set guidelines for accepting risk, and answer to the company's leaders for the quality of the book of business.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math through statistics or the highest level offeredStrong math skills make college business and finance majors much easier and are what underwriting work relies on.
  • Take an economics or personal finance classThese classes introduce you to how money, loans, and risk work in everyday life.
  • Get a part-time job that involves handling money or recordsWorking at a store, bank, or office teaches responsibility, accuracy, and customer communication.
  • Join a business club such as DECA or FBLAThese clubs build presentation, teamwork, and business knowledge that help in any finance-related career.
  • Volunteer with a free tax-preparation help siteHelping people read forms and check details builds attention to detail and comfort with official paperwork.

In college

  • Major in finance, economics, business, or statisticsThese majors are the most common backgrounds for underwriters and teach the risk and numbers skills the job uses.
  • Take statistics and an introductory accounting courseStatistics helps you judge probability and risk, and accounting helps you read financial information in applications.
  • Apply for an internship at an insurance company or bankInternships show you how underwriting teams work and often lead to entry-level offers after graduation.
  • Work a campus job that involves data or recordsJobs in the registrar's office, the financial aid office, or a campus lab build accuracy and spreadsheet experience.
  • Earn a basic Excel or data analysis certificateA short, low-cost course or community college class shows employers you can work with the numbers underwriters handle.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with spreadsheets and basic data tools like Excel, since underwriters work with numbers all day.
  • Look for entry-level jobs or internships at insurance companies, banks, or brokerages. Even office support work gives you a foot in the door and a chance to learn underwriting from the inside.
  • Practice clear written explanations of your decisions, because underwriters document why they accepted or declined an application.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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