How To Become An Underwriting Associate: What It Is and Career Path

What is an underwriting associate and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

An underwriting associate works in the insurance industry, specifically in the underwriting department. They evaluate and assess risks associated with potential clients, analyzing data and financial information, and determining appropriate insurance policies and premiums. Underwriting associates work closely with underwriters to ensure that all policies adhere to company regulations. They may also assist with processing applications and maintaining accurate records.

ScoreUnderwriting AssociateUS Average

Salary

3.7

Avg. Salary $47,503

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 5.70%

Black or African American 9.42%

Hispanic or Latino 9.80%

Unknown 2.48%

White 72.23%

Gender

female 65.24%

male 34.76%

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

What are the pros and cons of being an underwriting associate?

Pros

Good salary, benefits, and job security
Chance to develop analytical skills
Potential for career advancement
Good work-life balance
Chance to make a positive impact on society

Cons

Repetitive nature of work
High stress environment, especially during busy periods
Strict adherence to regulations can be limiting
Constant need for accuracy and attention to detail
Pressure to meet performance metrics

Key steps to become an underwriting associate

Explore underwriting associate education requirements

Most common underwriting associate degrees

Bachelor's

68.1 %

Associate

16.4 %

Master's

5.9 %

Start to develop specific underwriting associate skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.73%
Data Entry	7.95%
Risk Assessments	5.06%
Strong Analytical	4.53%
Underwriting Guidelines	4.02%

Complete relevant underwriting associate training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New underwriting associates 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 an underwriting associate based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real underwriting associate resumes.

Research underwriting associate duties and responsibilities

Assist underwriters in expediting new business, processing endorsements and/or modifying existing policies while achieving broker relationships.
Save BCBS significant dollars annually by conducting conscientious and thorough research to support decisions and revisions to group plans.
Work directly with independent agents and BCBS marketing department to analyze information and make eligibility decisions with strict timelines.
Review premium audits, pull ISO rates and run property valuations.

Prepare your underwriting associate resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your underwriting associate 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 an underwriting associate resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable underwriting associate resume templates

Build a professional underwriting associate 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 underwriting associate resume.