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Underwriting technician vs technical assistant

The differences between underwriting technicians and technical assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an underwriting technician has an average salary of $44,704, which is higher than the $34,159 average annual salary of a technical assistant.

The top three skills for an underwriting technician include cancellations, insurance policies and data entry. The most important skills for a technical assistant are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Underwriting technician vs technical assistant overview

Underwriting TechnicianTechnical Assistant
Yearly salary$44,704$34,159
Hourly rate$21.49$16.42
Growth rate-4%10%
Number of jobs8,61573,750
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age4442
Years of experience-2

What does an underwriting technician do?

Underwriting technicians may also be known as underwriters or underwriting assistants. They determine which customers qualify for various insurance policies or loans. Their duties include finding information, writing quote letters, checking customer eligibility, and arranging loans. They are expected to carry out background checks and credit history checks for clients seeking insurance. They diligently analyze applications of clients based on certain criteria.

What does a technical assistant do?

A technical assistant is responsible for supporting business operations by doing administrative and technical tasks under a direct supervisor or tenured staff. Duties of a technical assistant include creating meeting reports, scheduling events, responding to clients' inquiries through email and phone calls, monitoring office inventories, basic troubleshooting on defective equipment, providing recommendations on product development, and analyzing operations processes. Technical assistants require strong time-management and multi-tasking skills to perform tasks in a fast-paced environment and high-level operations.

Underwriting technician vs technical assistant salary

Underwriting technicians and technical assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.

Underwriting TechnicianTechnical Assistant
Average salary$44,704$34,159
Salary rangeBetween $28,000 And $69,000Between $22,000 And $51,000
Highest paying City-Boston, MA
Highest paying state-Massachusetts
Best paying company-The American Musical and Dramatic Academy
Best paying industry-Insurance

Differences between underwriting technician and technical assistant education

There are a few differences between an underwriting technician and a technical assistant in terms of educational background:

Underwriting TechnicianTechnical Assistant
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaStanford University

Underwriting technician vs technical assistant demographics

Here are the differences between underwriting technicians' and technical assistants' demographics:

Underwriting TechnicianTechnical Assistant
Average age4442
Gender ratioMale, 25.2% Female, 74.8%Male, 54.8% Female, 45.2%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.9% Unknown, 2.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 5.6% White, 73.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 11.9% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%11%

Differences between underwriting technician and technical assistant duties and responsibilities

Underwriting technician example responsibilities.

  • Generate business leads by promoting AIG's products and servicing.
  • Assist underwriters in expediting new business, processing endorsements and/or modifying existing policies while achieving broker relationships.
  • Work directly with independent agents and BCBS marketing department to analyze information and make eligibility decisions with strict timelines.
  • Order and code clues and MVRs for renewing umbrella policies.
  • Train staff members on the MMS system.
  • Evaluate new and renewal submissions as delegated by underwriters for prescribe criteria and clearance into AS400 invoicing system.

Technical assistant example responsibilities.

  • Create and manage original MARC records from OCLC database including verification, editing and updating of data and shelf list.
  • Manage customer complaints and internal GMP audits for product manufacturing, coordinate FDA audits and recommend corrective actions.
  • Input service reports into AS400 using 10 key.
  • Assist with ambulation, transfer from bed to chair and CPR certify.
  • Work involve development in PHP with back end as MYSQL server database.
  • Operate heat sealers, centrifuges, sterile docking equipment, and irradiation unit.
  • Show more

Underwriting technician vs technical assistant skills

Common underwriting technician skills
  • Cancellations, 17%
  • Insurance Policies, 10%
  • Data Entry, 9%
  • Underwriting Guidelines, 7%
  • Underwriting Analysis, 6%
  • Worksheets, 4%
Common technical assistant skills
  • Patients, 23%
  • Customer Service, 12%
  • Patient Care, 11%
  • Technical Assistance, 6%
  • Lab Equipment, 5%
  • Phlebotomy, 4%

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