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What does a mortgage underwriter do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
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.

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Mortgage underwriter responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real mortgage underwriter resumes:

  • 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.
  • Underwrite conventional and FHA mortgage loan applications submit by national wholesale brokers.
  • Facilitate loan funding process by collecting require documentation from borrowers and submitting it to lenders.
  • Perform fee mortgage credit examinations for the San Antonio HUD office making final loan determinations base on borrower eligibility.
  • Receive loans originate by multiple loan officers, gather all necessary documentation and submit complete underwriting packages to lenders.
  • Stay current with secondary market activity, practices, and business/industry practices as they impact underwriting quality and origination activity.
  • Analyze and decision loan origination packages from internal partners while ensuring compliance with WAMU guidelines and secondary marketing investor standards.
  • Leverage knowledge of credit scoring and layering of risk to create tailor solutions while maintaining portfolio quality and processing productivity.
  • Clear conditions and resubmit file to UW for final review of outstanding conditions that UW must review.
  • Examine HUD-1 for various state allowable fees and regulatory placement on settlement statement.

Mortgage underwriter skills and personality traits

We calculated that 7% of Mortgage Underwriters are proficient in Customer Service, Work Ethic, and FHA. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Detail oriented, and Interpersonal skills.

We break down the percentage of Mortgage Underwriters that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Customer Service, 7%

    Provide exceptional customer service to both internal staff and external customer by explaining credit decision and offering alternative options when needed.

  • Work Ethic, 6%

    Value added work ethic to maintain the highest level of customer satisfaction.

  • FHA, 5%

    Reviewed MHA & FHA Modification applications for accuracy and determining financial hardships, contacted homeowners to verify or clarify information.

  • Va, 5%

    Provided complex personal and business financial analysis and utilized comprehensive knowledge of FHA/VA lending guidelines to maintain internal and investor standards.

  • Excellent Organizational, 4%

    Utilized excellent organizational skills to properly determine premium factors and provide quality service to large accounts.

  • Excellent Interpersonal, 4%

    Maintain excellent interpersonal relations with Mortgage Counselors.

"customer service," "work ethic," and "fha" are among the most common skills that mortgage underwriters use at work. You can find even more mortgage underwriter responsibilities below, including:

Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform mortgage underwriter duties is detail oriented. Mortgage underwriters responsibilities require that "information on an application affects the potential profitability of a loan, so loan officers must pay attention to details." Mortgage underwriters also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "performed detail review and credit analysis of residential mortgage loans submitted from originators to ensure loans meet underwriting guidelines. "

Interpersonal skills. mortgage underwriters are also known for interpersonal skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to mortgage underwriter responsibilities, because "loan officers must be able to guide customers through the application process and answer their questions." A mortgage underwriter resume example shows how interpersonal skills is used in the workplace: "cited for excellence in interpersonal communications, teamwork, qc review, flexibility and reliability. "

Initiative. For certain mortgage underwriter responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "initiative." The day-to-day duties of a mortgage underwriter rely on this skill, as "loan officers may act as salespeople in promoting their lending institution, so they must contact people and businesses to determine their need for a loan." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what mortgage underwriters do: "advanced cross-marketing initiatives with existing clients in loan origination and canvassing for new loan applications. "

All mortgage underwriter skills

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Compare different mortgage underwriters

Mortgage underwriter vs. 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. It is also their job to help clients resolve issues and problems during the loan process. A Loan Administrator is a crucial and hectic job. The one qualified for this position must be good at handling pressure, be good at resolving issues, handle complaints, and communicate with people.

If we compare the average mortgage underwriter annual salary with that of a loan administrator, we find that loan administrators typically earn a $12,862 lower salary than mortgage underwriters make annually.Even though mortgage underwriters and loan administrators are distinct careers, a few of the skills required for both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require customer service, fha, and financial statements in the day-to-day roles and responsibilities.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a mortgage underwriter are more likely to require skills like "work ethic," "va," "excellent organizational," and "excellent interpersonal." On the other hand, a job as a loan administrator requires skills like "data entry," "loan administration," "loan processing," and "loan portfolio." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Loan administrators earn the highest salaries when working in the finance industry, with an average yearly salary of $48,093. On the other hand, mortgage underwriters are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $70,618.The education levels that loan administrators earn slightly differ from mortgage underwriters. In particular, loan administrators are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a mortgage underwriter. Additionally, they're 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mortgage underwriter vs. 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.

On average, loan originators earn a $14,430 lower salary than mortgage underwriters a year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both mortgage underwriters and loan originators have skills such as "customer service," "fha," and "va."

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, mortgage underwriter responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "work ethic," "excellent organizational," "financial statements," and "income documentation." Meanwhile, a loan originator has duties that require skills in areas such as "phone calls," "nmls," "financial data," and "financial services." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Loan originators may earn a lower salary than mortgage underwriters, but loan originators earn the most pay in the transportation industry with an average salary of $46,524. On the other hand, mortgage underwriters receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $70,618.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Loan originators tend to reach similar levels of education than mortgage underwriters. In fact, they're 0.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Mortgage underwriter vs. Loan analyst

A loan analyst is responsible for determining the eligibility of loan applicants in purchasing loan services by analyzing their application documents, account statements, and financial and credit status. Loan analysts evaluate loan agreements and payment plans and explain feasibility to the customers and loan officers before granting the loan. They also provide loan options and alternatives to the clients according to their needs and risk limitations. A loan analyst must have excellent knowledge of the loan and financial industry, especially in handling credit policies and loan processes and ensuring timely submission of reports.

An average loan analyst eans a lower salary compared to the average salary of mortgage underwriters. The difference in salaries amounts to loan analysts earning a $17,864 lower average salary than mortgage underwriters.mortgage underwriters and loan analysts both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "customer service," "fha," and "excellent interpersonal," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a mortgage underwriter is likely to be skilled in "work ethic," "va," "excellent organizational," and "income documentation," while a typical loan analyst is skilled in "real estate," "loan portfolio," "data entry," and "loan applications."

Loan analysts earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $37,567. Comparatively, mortgage underwriters have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $70,618.When it comes to education, loan analysts tend to earn similar degree levels compared to mortgage underwriters. In fact, they're 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Mortgage underwriter vs. Closer

The duties of a closer depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around liaising with clients to ensure that they understand and adhere to all terms of the agreement, completing all requirements and necessary documents, and maintaining records of all transactions. A closer must also monitor the regular payments of clients to ensure their compliance with the agreement, answer any inquiries, perform follow-up calls, and address any issues or concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.

Closers average a lower salary than the annual salary of mortgage underwriters. The difference is about $26,430 per year.While their salaries may vary, mortgage underwriters and closers both use similar skills to perform their duties. Resumes from both professions include skills like "customer service," "work ethic," and "fha. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between mortgage underwriters and closers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a mortgage underwriter might have more use for skills like "excellent organizational," "excellent interpersonal," "financial statements," and "income documentation." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of closers require skills like "cleanliness," "punctuality," "dependability," and "food orders. "

In general, closers hold similar degree levels compared to mortgage underwriters. Closers are 4.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of mortgage underwriter

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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