Hiring Insurance Underwriters

What do insurance underwriters do?

• 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.
• Evaluate possibility of losses due to catastrophe or excessive insurance.
• Review company records to determine amount of insurance in force on single risk or group of closely related risks.
• 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.

Core tasks, O*NET OnLine, 13-2053.00.

What does it take to become one?

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

O*NET Job Zone 4, SVP (7.0 to < 8.0). O*NET OnLine.

Employers commonly list experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, C++ for this role.

What do insurance underwriters get paid?

BLS OEWS, May 2025 publishes a wage for insurance underwriters in 77 of the metro areas in this build. The median ranges from $56,660 to $106,570 a year depending on the metro, with a midpoint of $79,780. This is what employers pay, place of work, not a single national figure and not what any one person takes home.

BLS OEWS, BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 13-2053.

What does hiring one cost?

The same as any role: tier, not location or salary, sets the fee. Across all six tiers the published range is $6,240 to $54,340 per search. For scale, the highest published median for insurance underwriters in this build is $106,570. A contingency firm hiring at that level would bill roughly $21,314 to $31,971 on the first year salary alone, 20 to 30%.

Frequently asked

How fast can a insurance underwriters search fill?

23 to 35 days, 2 to 3x faster than a typical contingency search, per the recruiting provider's published figures.

What if the hire does not work out?

A 45-day replacement guarantee, at 50% off a repeat search for the same role.