How to hire a junior underwriter

How to hire a junior underwriter, step by step

Here's a step-by-step junior underwriter hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a junior underwriter job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new junior underwriter
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a junior underwriter do?

Post a junior underwriter job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a junior underwriter, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a junior underwriter to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a junior underwriter that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of junior underwriters.

   Type of Junior Underwriter	Description	Hourly rate
   Junior Underwriter	Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses.	$16-37
   Loan Administrator	A Loan Administrator is a person that takes care of all the documentation part of the loan process. Loans require a lot of documents and requirements, and a loan administrator is a person that helps the client accomplish all these requirements... Show more	$14-28
   Loan Originator	A Loan Originator is a potential liaison between borrowers and lenders. They help borrowers complete loan applications and evaluate which loans are most appropriate for the customers.	$13-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Loan Programs
   • Income Documentation
   • Credit Reports
   • FHA
   • Va
   • Loan Applications
   • Underwriting Guidelines
   • Investor Guidelines
   • Financial Statements
   • Loan Approval
   • Tax Returns
   • Underwriting Process
   • Account Executives
   • JR

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage AUS findings and analyze approvals and results accordingly.
   • Confirm documents meet requirements of FNMA, FHLMC, HUD, individual investors and other authorities.
   • Complete research need to create and clear underwriting conditions and issue clear-to-close for FNMA and FHLMC MHA loans.
   • Underwrite and process FHA, conventional conforming and conventional non-conforming mortgage loans following company, investor, and government standards.
   • Monitor compliance issues to meet DU/LP automate UW approval.
   • Submit and approve to DU/LP, verify income and assets reviewing credit for dispute resolution and debt.

   More junior underwriter duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your junior underwriter job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A junior underwriter salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, junior underwriters' average salary in mississippi is 46% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level junior underwriters earn 56% less than senior-level junior underwriters.
   • Certifications. A junior underwriter with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a junior underwriter's salary.

   Average junior underwriter salary

   $51,782yearly

   $24.90 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level junior underwriter salary

   $34,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average junior underwriter salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$70,364	$34
   2	New Jersey	$66,225	$32
   3	Maryland	$65,954	$32
   4	California	$63,886	$31
   5	Massachusetts	$60,932	$29
   6	Colorado	$52,045	$25
   7	Pennsylvania	$51,637	$25
   8	Florida	$50,113	$24
   9	Oklahoma	$49,304	$24
   10	Ohio	$48,126	$23
   11	Kansas	$47,974	$23
   12	Illinois	$47,886	$23
   13	Texas	$47,419	$23
   14	Arizona	$47,022	$23
   15	Wisconsin	$45,385	$22
   16	Louisiana	$43,913	$21
   17	Georgia	$43,509	$21
   18	Mississippi	$38,158	$18

   Average junior underwriter salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chubb	$83,528	$40.16	199
   2	Beyond	$77,586	$37.30
   3	Zurich	$74,479	$35.81	8
   4	The Judge Group	$70,513	$33.90
   5	Confie	$68,616	$32.99
   6	Marsh & McLennan Companies	$60,142	$28.91
   7	Shift4	$56,820	$27.32	2
   8	Jobot	$56,017	$26.93
   9	Randstad North America, Inc.	$54,212	$26.06	5
   10	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$53,641	$25.79	344
   11	Allianz Life	$53,127	$25.54	9
   12	Freedom Mortgage	$52,785	$25.38
   13	Robert Half	$51,556	$24.79	16
   14	New York Community Bank	$49,249	$23.68
   15	Luther Burbank Savings	$47,910	$23.03
   16	QBE Insurance Group	$47,885	$23.02	11
   17	Ent Credit Union	$47,373	$22.78
   18	PRMG	$46,325	$22.27	3
   19	Summit Funding	$44,652	$21.47	3

4. Writing a junior underwriter job description

   A job description for a junior underwriter role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a junior underwriter job description:

   Junior underwriter job description example

   Beyond is currently seeking a detail oriented, critical thinker who can take initiative and work consultatively with others. This person will work efficiently and effectively to meet contracted turnaround times. We look to our underwriters to be the best in the business, both analytically and in their ability to communicate their findings. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
   What You Will Do
   Review, analyze, modify, and make confident decisions and recommendations for merchant applications within delegated level of authority. Reviews and analyzes exposures of risks. Consistently adheres to underwriting letter of authority, guidelines, and company policy. Manage results of book of business and implement underwriting action when applicable. Communicates regularly with Sales to achieve production profit objectives. Identifies the steps that facilitate movement from the problem to the resolution stage. Other duties as assigned.
   
   Educational Requirements
   Two years related experience in the Credit Card or Banking industry
   Who You Are
   Ability to effectively present information. Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Have high levels of accuracy and detail along with a specific focus on timeliness, productivity, and quality. Able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Hours 10am to 7pm M-F(shift per days may very)
   
   About Us
   
   Beyond strives to simplify operations, reduce costs and streamline payments for small and mid-size business owners across the country. Every customer is provided with the reliable, flexible, and secure business solutions they need in a clear, transparent manner they can trust. We are committed to the highest level of technological innovation, contract terms and customer service-earning our customers' business every day. Every employee is provided with the vital tools, resources and compensation needed to achieve success.
   
   We will deliver results, tell the truth, and make a difference with a determination to transform the business world. Good is not nearly good enough. We go Beyond.
   
   This job description provides many examples of the types of responsibilities required, but is in not intended to be a comprehensive list. The incumbent will complete other job responsibilities as needed which are not specifically described in this document.
   
   Beyond is an equal opportunity employer to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. Beyond complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
   
   Beyond's Privacy Policy

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find junior underwriters for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your junior underwriter job on Zippia to find and attract quality junior underwriter candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as efinancialcareers, financialjobsweb.com, careerbank, financial job bank.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit junior underwriters, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new junior underwriter

   Once you've selected the best junior underwriter candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a junior underwriter?