Job Type:Permanent
Job Industry:Financial Services
Salary:The pay we're offering is $1 - $1 per year
Description
+ Underwrites FHA loans to verify for completeness, accuracy, and compliance.
+ Develops and maintains an up-to-date and sound knowledge of multiple loan product guidelines offered by the company, DU/LP guidelines, and risk assessment tools used to decision mortgage loans.
+ Reviews various applicant documents, e.g. final reports, tax returns, credit reports, etc., to ensure all necessary information is included for approval.
+ Reworks loans to new terms, identifies additional conditions as needed to ensure a viable credit decision.
+ Communicates regularly with related lending professionals, such as the sales team, loan processors, and management, to secure all required documents.
+ Functions in an ever-changing environment and works across all business channels in Underwriting (Retail/CC/Wholesale) as needed.
Our Client
Professional Staffing Group is one of Massachusetts' largest staffing companies. Recruitment leaders count on us for help. You can too!
Why? Because of the great service we provide. We were the "overwhelming winner" of the first Excellence Award for Customer Acquisition and Retention. Our customers' satisfaction means opportunity for you!
Want to work with someone who cares? We provide staffing to sponsored non-profits. Support scholarships and sponsorships. Give direct assistance to improve employability.
We care about you too! And we have the expertise to help. Do you want help with this opportunity?
Experience Required for Your Success
+ 5 years of current frontline mortgage underwriting
+ DE/direct endorsement certification
+ Familiarity with home loans and residential mortgages and an understanding of TILA, RESPA and Predatory Lending
+ Prior experience must include reviewing, analyzing and calculating income, reviewing credit reports and collateral documents
+ Strong analytical and decision making/problem solving skills
+ Good working knowledge of mortgage loan processing and relevant legal regulations
+ Driven to deliver effective results and meet metrics while maintaining quality
+ Self-starter, able to adapt to a remote work environment and have the ability to communicate and work well with investors and co-workers
What Do You Think?
Does your experience reflect what it takes to be successful in this role? Do the work and challenges get you excited about what's possible?
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How to hire a mortgage underwriter
Mortgage underwriter hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring mortgage underwriters in the United States:
- HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
- It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
- It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
- The median cost to hire a mortgage underwriter is $1,633.
- Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per mortgage underwriter on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
- There are currently 123,503 mortgage underwriters in the US and 9,260 job openings.
- Pittsburgh, PA, has the highest demand for mortgage underwriters, with 7 job openings.
- Jacksonville, FL has the highest concentration of mortgage underwriters.
How to hire a mortgage underwriter, step by step
To hire a mortgage underwriter, you need to identify the specific skills and experience you want in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and advertise the job opening to attract potential candidates. To hire a mortgage underwriter, you should follow these steps:
Here's a step-by-step mortgage 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 mortgage underwriter job description
- Step 5: Post your job
- Step 6: Interview candidates
- Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new mortgage underwriter
- Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist
What does a mortgage underwriter do?
A mortgage underwriter is responsible for reviewing mortgage loan applications and deciding on its approval or rejection by evaluating the submitted documents and the applicant's eligibility. Mortgage underwriters create assessment reports, research on the applicant's credit score, analyze potential loan risk, and request for additional documentation as needed. A mortgage underwriter must have extensive knowledge of the loan disciplines and processes, including its legislative procedures and regulations, to provide accurate decisions or discuss necessary findings to the loan officer for advice.
Post a mortgage underwriter job for free, promote it for a fee
Identify your hiring needs
Before you post your mortgage underwriter job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a mortgage underwriter for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.
Determine employee vs contractor statusIs the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a mortgage 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 mortgage underwriter that fits the bill.
The following list breaks down different types of mortgage underwriters and their corresponding salaries.
Type of Mortgage Underwriter Description Hourly rate Mortgage Underwriter Loan officers evaluate, authorize, or recommend approval of loan applications for people and businesses. $18-38 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 Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:- Customer Service
- Work Ethic
- FHA
- Va
- Excellent Organizational
- Excellent Interpersonal
- Financial Statements
- Income Documentation
- Credit Analysis
- Credit Reports
- Investor Guidelines
- Credit Decisions
- Origination
- USDA
Responsibilities:- Manage AUS findings and analyze approvals and results accordingly.
- Involve with USDA and NH housing loans.
- Obtain NMLS license in 2011 and real estate license in 2005.
- Prepare and respond to compliance HMDA, NMLS, and ECOA relate inquiries.
- Audit and analyze TIL, GFE and HUD documentation for accuracy to insure compliance.
- Review MHA and FHA guidelines and calculate proper income to approve or decline loans for a temporary or permanent modification.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your mortgage underwriter job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A mortgage underwriter can vary based on:
- Location. For example, mortgage underwriters' average salary in alaska is 43% less than in new mexico.
- Seniority. Entry-level mortgage underwriters 53% less than senior-level mortgage underwriters.
- Certifications. A mortgage underwriter with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
- Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a mortgage underwriter's salary.
Average mortgage underwriter salary
$55,721yearly
$26.79 hourly rateEntry-level mortgage underwriter salary$38,000 yearly salaryUpdated January 17, 2026Average mortgage underwriter salary by state
Rank State Avg. salary Hourly rate 1 New York $69,161 $33 2 Pennsylvania $68,484 $33 3 California $65,543 $32 4 Maryland $63,741 $31 5 North Carolina $62,909 $30 6 Oregon $62,017 $30 7 Virginia $61,738 $30 8 Ohio $61,242 $29 9 Texas $61,030 $29 10 Michigan $59,805 $29 11 Illinois $56,916 $27 12 Massachusetts $56,792 $27 13 Minnesota $56,715 $27 14 Colorado $56,172 $27 15 Arizona $55,443 $27 16 Missouri $54,670 $26 17 Iowa $54,164 $26 18 Florida $53,258 $26 19 South Carolina $53,043 $26 20 Wisconsin $52,671 $25 Average mortgage underwriter salary by company
Rank Company Average salary Hourly rate Job openings 1 CTBC Bank $80,852 $38.87 2 CyberCoders $79,224 $38.09 3 Morgan Stanley $78,345 $37.67 3 4 PulteGroup $74,939 $36.03 5 JPMorgan Chase & Co. $74,411 $35.77 7 6 Raymond James Financial $74,405 $35.77 5 7 City National Bank $73,919 $35.54 157 8 Hoosier Hills Credit Union $72,697 $34.95 9 COMMUNITY BANCORP INC $72,654 $34.93 10 Visio Lending $72,227 $34.72 11 System One $71,864 $34.55 12 Premium Merchant Funding $71,629 $34.44 13 International Business-Government Counsellors $69,665 $33.49 14 HomeXpress Mortgage $69,629 $33.48 3 15 Psg $69,553 $33.44 16 Jobot $66,907 $32.17 17 Randstad North America, Inc. $66,724 $32.08 2 18 Robert Half $64,645 $31.08 1 19 Cushman & Wakefield $64,092 $30.81 20 KNF&T Staffing Resources $62,784 $30.18 Writing a mortgage underwriter job description
A mortgage underwriter job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a mortgage underwriter job description:
Mortgage underwriter job description example
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right mortgage underwriter for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit mortgage underwriters, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new mortgage underwriter
Once you've selected the best mortgage 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.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new mortgage underwriter. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
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.)
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How much does it cost to hire a mortgage underwriter?
Before you start to hire mortgage underwriters, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire mortgage underwriters pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.
You can expect to pay around $55,721 per year for a mortgage underwriter, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for mortgage underwriters in the US typically range between $18 and $38 an hour.
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Updated January 17, 2026