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Underwriting specialist salary

Average underwriting specialist salary

$63,325

$30.44 hourly rate

Entry-level underwriting specialist salary
$39,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Underwriting Specialist Salaries

The average salary for an Underwriting Specialist stands at $63,325 per year, translating to about $30 per hour. Factors influencing this figure include geographic location, industry specifics, and years of experience. For example, specialists in higher demand regions or industries may see salaries surpass this average. Additionally, those with advanced experience often command higher wages, reflecting their expertise and responsibilities.

Regional Salary Variations

States such as California, New York, and Texas typically offer the highest salaries for underwriting specialists. These regions host a plethora of insurance companies and financial institutions, driving competition for skilled professionals. Understanding these regional salary dynamics can guide job seekers in their career decisions.

Career Advancement Opportunities

For those looking to increase their earning potential, pursuing additional certifications or specializations in underwriting can open doors to higher-paying roles. Networking within the industry and staying updated on market trends also enhances job prospects. Seek out positions that align with your career goals and expertise to maximize your salary potential.

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Where can an Underwriting Specialist earn more?

Compare salary by location
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113k
93k
73k
53k
33k
Columbus, OH$98,387
Seattle, WA$62,899
Compare salary by company
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125k
105k
85k
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AIG$106,241
The Jonus Group$75,150

Underwriting specialist salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level underwriting specialist$36,500$17.56
Mid-level underwriting specialist$61,800$29.69
Senior-level underwriting specialist$108,000$51.70

Underwriting specialist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Glassdoor and Payscale, the average salary for an underwriting specialist typically falls between $63,325 and $132,553.
zippia
$63,325yearly
glassdoor[1]
$64,195yearly
Salary.com[2]
$132,553yearly
payscale[3]
$83,528yearly

Average underwriting specialist salary by state

The average underwriting specialist salary in Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average underwriting specialist salary states are Louisiana, South Carolina, and Arkansas.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for underwriting specialists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1New York$88,630$42.61
2Delaware$71,351$34.30
3Connecticut$81,176$39.03
4Ohio$71,508$34.38
5California$80,234$38.57
6Pennsylvania$72,032$34.63
7Illinois$71,995$34.61
8Massachusetts$98,238$47.23
9Arizona$66,101$31.78
10Michigan$63,810$30.68
11North Carolina$65,096$31.30
12North Dakota$63,313$30.44
13New Hampshire$74,330$35.74
14Maine$66,944$32.18
15Colorado$66,038$31.75
16Texas$64,332$30.93
17Indiana$66,705$32.07
18Wisconsin$65,517$31.50
19Kansas$62,730$30.16
20District of Columbia$76,109$36.59
21Vermont$63,802$30.67
22Rhode Island$64,395$30.96
23South Dakota$58,268$28.01
24Nevada$60,732$29.20
25Georgia$62,965$30.27
26Iowa$56,880$27.35
27Washington$62,703$30.15
28Florida$58,675$28.21
29Hawaii$56,025$26.94
30New Jersey$63,894$30.72
31Oregon$60,217$28.95
32Utah$55,466$26.67
33Minnesota$60,689$29.18
34West Virginia$56,578$27.20
35Wyoming$52,676$25.32
36Montana$57,136$27.47
37Idaho$55,918$26.88
38Alaska$45,464$21.86
39Maryland$58,504$28.13
40Virginia$58,070$27.92
41Nebraska$52,845$25.41
42New Mexico$56,742$27.28
43Missouri$56,573$27.20
44Kentucky$54,931$26.41
45Oklahoma$56,039$26.94
46Tennessee$53,467$25.71
47Louisiana$49,975$24.03
48Alabama$48,535$23.33
49Arkansas$49,163$23.64
50South Carolina$49,690$23.89
51Mississippi$48,142$23.15

Highest paying cities for underwriting specialists

The highest-paying cities for underwriting specialists are Boston, MA, New York, NY, and San Francisco, CA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Boston, MA$98,387$47.30
2New York, NY$88,717$42.65
3San Francisco, CA$84,338$40.55
4Hartford, CT$81,298$39.09
5Washington, DC$76,191$36.63
6Chicago, IL$72,357$34.79
7Philadelphia, PA$72,329$34.77
8Wilmington, DE$71,462$34.36
9Fort Wayne, IN$68,735$33.05
10Phoenix, AZ$66,248$31.85
11Denver, CO$65,952$31.71
12Wauwatosa, WI$65,624$31.55
13Bedford, TX$64,920$31.21
14Johnston, RI$64,380$30.95
15Jersey City, NJ$64,004$30.77
16Alpharetta, GA$63,479$30.52
17Lansing, MI$63,241$30.40
18Charlotte, NC$63,215$30.39
19Overland Park, KS$62,997$30.29
20Seattle, WA$62,899$30.24

Underwriting specialist salary details

An underwriting specialist's salary ranges from $39,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $101,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average underwriting specialist salary graph
Average underwriting specialist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an underwriting specialist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$101,000$8,417$49
75th Percentile$81,000$6,750$39
Average$63,325$5,277$30
25th Percentile$49,000$4,083$24
10th Percentile$39,000$3,250$19

Highest paying underwriting specialist jobs

The highest paying types of underwriting specialists are credit officer, senior credit analyst, and bank officer.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Closer$29,291$2,441$14.087,560
Mortgage Banker$27,331$2,278$13.1424,297
Credit Officer$129,478$10,790$62.2560,323
Bank Officer$79,562$6,630$38.2569,880
Loan Officer$45,817$3,818$22.0363,663
Mortgage Consultant$38,934$3,245$18.7224,057

Top companies hiring underwriting specialists now:

  1. AIG jobs (20)
  2. Cigna jobs (17)
  3. JPMorgan Chase & Co. jobs (14)
  4. Nationwide jobs (25)
  5. Liberty Mutual Insurance jobs (23)

Which companies pay underwriting specialists the most?

Underwriting specialist salaries at AIG and Citi are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average underwriting specialist salary at companies like Berkshire Hathaway and W. R. Berkley are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1AIG$106,241$51.08
2Citi$105,515$50.73
3Berkshire Hathaway$97,706$46.97
4W. R. Berkley$97,592$46.92
5American Family Insurance$87,544$42.09
6BERKLEY TECHNOLOGY SERVICES$85,473$41.09
7The General$82,874$39.84
8BCforward$82,324$39.58
9Markel$80,228$38.57
10Philadelphia Insurance Companies$79,347$38.15
11Nationwide$77,252$37.14
12Liberty Mutual Insurance$77,169$37.10
13Allianz of America, Inc.$77,016$37.03
14James River Group$76,606$36.83
15Munich Reinsurance America, Inc.$76,534$36.80
16James River Ins$76,024$36.55
17Versapay$75,866$36.47
18CNA Holding Corporation$75,837$36.46
19The Independent Traveler$75,812$36.45
20The Jonus Group$75,150$36.13

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$66,000$65,200$64,400$63,600$62,800$62,000
MaleFemale

Underwriting specialist salary trends

The average underwriting specialist salary has risen by $9,668 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average underwriting specialist earned $53,657 annually, but today, they earn $63,325 a year. That works out to a 6% change in pay for underwriting specialists over the last decade.

Compare underwriting specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average underwriting specialist salary over time

Compare underwriting specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Underwriting specialist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$63,300$30.44+2.5%
2025$61,800$29.69+0.9%
2024$61,200$29.42-0.5%
2023$61,500$29.58+3.0%
2022$59,700$28.70+3.9%

Recently added underwriting specialist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
CNA Financial CorpUnderwriting Specialist (Commercial Middle Market)Glastonbury, CT06/28/2025$72,000
CNA Financial CorpUnderwriting Specialist (Commercial Middle Market)Fine, NY06/28/2025$72,000
Great American InsuranceSenior GL Underwriting Specialist-Environmental DivisionNew York, NY06/28/2025$100,000
Continental Casualty CompanyUnderwriting Specialist (Commercial Middle Market)Glastonbury, CT06/28/2025$72,000
Arch Capital Group Ltd.Underwriting Specialist, PropertyPhiladelphia, PA06/27/2025$133,753
Arch Capital Group Ltd.Underwriting Specialist, Middle Market SolutionsMemphis, TN06/27/2025$83,600
Arch Capital Group Ltd.Underwriting Specialist, PropertyNew York, NY06/27/2025$133,753
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial GroupUnderwriting Specialist-Marine CargoLexington, NY06/27/2025$180,000
YrefyUnderwriting SpecialistPhoenix, AZ06/27/2025$50,000
American International GroupUnderwriting Specialist, Primary CasualtyChicago, IL06/26/2025$104,600

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