Is this a competitive Insurance Underwriters salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$56K
P25$65K
P50$81K
P75$110K
P90$145K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
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Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- finance & insurance openings are at 4.3% (JOLTS, June 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
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Merit budget: Wages in financial activities are rising about 3.1% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.7-3.2% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $81,370 to $110,386 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Insurance Underwriters pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 1.9% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.1% wage growth of Finance & Insurance (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · MODERATE
Finance & Insurance is running a 4.3% job-openings rate with quits at 0.9% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted down from 6.1% to 4.3% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.6 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is wider than typical, so expect large pay differences by experience, employer size, and geography; build generous ranges and differentiate strongly.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings whipsawed up to 4.3%, but quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any sector. Workers are staying put.
Jul 31, 2026ECI Q2 2026: sector wages growing 3.1% per year, a sharp slowdown from 4.1% the prior quarter.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Insurance Underwriters is $81,370 per year ($39.12/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $64,626 and $110,386 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $145,163 per year. There are approximately 105,420 insurance underwriters employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-2.6%
Slower than average
Annual openings
8K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
127K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Bachelor's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Insurance Carriers
NAICS 524100
61K
$81,520
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities
NAICS 524200
36K
$81,060
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
3K
$82,680
State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999200
700
$69,460
Nondepository Credit Intermediation
NAICS 522200
570
$93,210
Wage range across top 5 industries: $69,460 to $93,210 (34% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$26.70
$55,536
P25
$31.07
$64,626
P50MEDIAN
$39.12
$81,370
P75
$53.07
$110,386
P90
$69.79
$145,163
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · finance sector
Active
Openings Rate
4.3%
Quits Rate
0.9%
Finance and Insurance openings rebounded 43K to 303K in June, rate up from 3.7% to 4.3% -- a volatile series this year. Quits fell to 0.9%, the lowest of any major sector, so workers are staying put and wage pressure stays muted despite the openings pop.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average insurance underwriters salary?
The national median salary for Insurance Underwriters is $81,370 per year ($39.12/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $64,626 and $110,386 annually.
How much do top-earning insurance underwriters make?
The 90th percentile salary for Insurance Underwriters is $145,163 per year ($69.79/hr). The 75th percentile is $110,386 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters?
Entry-level Insurance Underwriters (10th percentile) earn approximately $55,536 per year ($26.70/hr). The 25th percentile is $64,626 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
