How To Become A Commercial Lines Underwriter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a commercial lines underwriter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A commercial lines underwriter is an individual who reviews corporate insurance applications. They evaluate the risks involved with each application based on the company's business and determine whether the applicants qualify for an insurance policy. The underwriter analyzes customers' business information and claims history, accepts or rejects applicants, and monitors the activities of applicants to determine whether or not the risk of insuring those applicants is too high or insufficient.

Most commercial line underwriters have a bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, or a related field. However, some employers may consider candidates who have comparable experience in the insurance industry. A commercial lines underwriter should possess strong mathematical, analytical, and communication skills, and should be adept at using computers and financial software.

A commercial lines underwriter can make up to $52,000 annually, but the job market is expected to decline slightly by 5% in the next 10 years.

ScoreCommercial Lines UnderwriterUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $67,892

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.6

Growth rate -4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 5.78%

Black or African American 9.16%

Hispanic or Latino 10.06%

Unknown 2.49%

White 72.13%

Gender

female 56.86%

male 43.14%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.5

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a commercial lines underwriter

Explore commercial lines underwriter education requirements

Most common commercial lines underwriter degrees

Bachelor's

76.5 %

Associate

11.5 %

Master's

6.0 %

Start to develop specific commercial lines underwriter skills

Skills	Percentages
CPCU	14.30%
Multi-Line	13.29%
Commercial Property	8.17%
Loss Ratio	6.86%
Renewal Retention	4.31%

Complete relevant commercial lines underwriter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New commercial lines underwriters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a commercial lines underwriter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real commercial lines underwriter resumes.

Research commercial lines underwriter duties and responsibilities

Review individual mortgage origination/post origination documentation and perform database research.
Review individual mortgage origination/post origination documentation and perform database research.

Prepare your commercial lines underwriter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your commercial lines underwriter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a commercial lines underwriter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable commercial lines underwriter resume templates

Build a professional commercial lines underwriter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your commercial lines underwriter resume.