Explore Jobs
Find Specific Jobs
Explore Careers
Explore Professions
Best Companies
Explore Companies
An underwriter assesses and evaluates the risks involved in insuring a person or organization. They work for insurance companies, banks, and investment firms to determine insurance policies, loans, or investments. Underwriters review financial information and other relevant data to determine the risk level of applicants. The job requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and knowledge of industry regulations. Underwriters play a critical role in managing risk for their employers and ensuring profitability.
Avg. Salary $61,751
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate -4%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%
Asian 5.64%
Black or African American 9.16%
Hispanic or Latino 9.63%
Unknown 2.47%
White 72.73%
Genderfemale 61.59%
male 38.41%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Pros
Job stability
Opportunities for career advancement
Opportunity to develop risk management skills
Opportunity to work in a team-oriented environment
Potential to work remotely
Cons
Heavy workload during peak periods
Exposure to liability risks if errors are made
Limited interpersonal interaction with clients
Risk of the job becoming repetitive and monotonous
Potential for rejection or disappointment when applications are declined.
Skills![]() ![]() | Percentages![]() ![]() |
---|---|
Customer Service | 10.78% |
Investor Guidelines | 5.70% |
Mortgage Loans | 5.47% |
Underwriting Guidelines | 5.11% |
Financial Statements | 3.54% |
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your underwriter 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 underwriter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Now it's time to start searching for an underwriter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
Are you an Underwriter?
Share your story for a free salary report.
The average Underwriter salary in the United States is $61,751 per year or $30 per hour. Underwriter salaries range between $39,000 and $96,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
Remote work, banking hours and benefits
High pressure, Toxic work environment when rates increase & people become defensive & scared of layoffs
Remote work opportunity
High pressure environment, constant scrutiny of job performance
I was fortunate to start via an underwriting training program with a large insurance company. These are difficult to get into now and companies aren't as committed to training. The training offered me a great overview of the industry & various product lines. This offered me flexibility as I learned new products and specialty programs. I enjoy a 9-5 role, great benefits, good bonuses and travel. You also meet many people with variety of education and professional backgrounds and interests and make great long term friendships. The industry welcomes and needs people with many talents. I've enjoyed working remote and with small teams in the office.
Industry goes through high & low pricing cycles with, making lots of money or struggling to make budget. This puts direct pressure on underwriters to produce new business in a crowded space promoting the same basic products. I see younger underwriters now with business degrees, advanced degrees & industry certifications promoted quickly with little experience. Underwriting/computer systems are often dated and inefficient. We spend too much time sitting and looking at double monitors with lots of eye strain.