Top Skills for This Career
BLS identifies these as the three highest-rated skills for this detailed occupation. TrustInEd adds the plain-language explanations so visitors understand what each skill means.
Identifying problems, considering possible solutions, and choosing appropriate actions.
Adjusting effectively when priorities, conditions, tools, or expectations change.
Understanding written information and communicating ideas clearly in writing.
How Do You Prepare for This Career?
BLS describes the typical preparation for this occupation. Requirements can vary by employer, state, licensing rules and individual circumstances.
How to Become One
How to Become an Insurance Underwriter Most firms prefer to hire applicants with a bachelor’s degree. Insurance underwriters typically need a bachelor’s degree to enter the occupation. However, candidates who have an associate's degree or a high school diploma and insurance-related work experience sometimes qualify for positions. Certification may be beneficial.
Education
Employers usually prefer to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree. A common field of degree is business. Coursework in finance, economics, and mathematics is helpful. Some colleges and universities partner with local businesses to offer internships. These opportunities allow students to gain knowledge or practical experience through assisting in a variety of tasks, such as underwriting.
Training
Beginning underwriters typically work under the supervision of senior underwriters for up to 12 months. Trainees work on basic applications and learn the most common risk factors. Some companies offer training programs that include classroom instruction on the basics of underwriting. As new underwriters gain experience, they may work independently and handle more complex applications.
Licenses, Certifications & Registrations
Employers may expect underwriters to become certified through coursework. These courses are important for keeping current with new insurance policies and changes in state and federal regulations. Many options are available for certification or insurance specialty designations. Information on certifications is available from CareerOneStop. Requirements for certification or designation vary and often include coursework or exams or both. Some credentials are available to new underwriters, but others require candidates to have a specified number of years of experience. Advancement Experienced underwriters may advance to become senior underwriters or underwriter managers. Underwriters may need certification to progress into these positions.
Your Next Step
Compare colleges and education options that can support the typical entry-level education for this career.
Pay
the median annual wage for all workers was $50,980.
Job Outlook
Job Outlook Employment of insurance underwriters is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, decline. About 6,800 openings for insurance underwriters are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire. Employment Automated underwriting software allows workers to process applications quickly, reducing the need for underwriters. As this technology continues to improve and become more widely adopted in the insurance industry, more underwriting decisions are expected to be made automatically. Insurance Underwriters Percent change in employment, projected 2025–35 Financial specialists 4% Total, all occupations 3% Insurance underwriters -4% Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U.S. Economy.
What They Do
What Insurance Underwriters Do
Insurance underwriters evaluate insurance applications and decide whether to approve them. For approved applications, underwriters determine coverage amounts and premiums.
Duties
Insurance underwriters typically do the following:
- Analyze information stated on insurance applications
- Determine the risk involved in insuring a client
- Screen applicants based on set criteria
- Use automated software to determine the risk of insuring applicants
- Review recommendations from underwriting software
- Contact field representatives, medical personnel, and others to obtain additional information
- Decide whether to offer insurance
- Determine appropriate premiums and amounts of coverage
Underwriters are the main link between an insurance company and an insurance sales agent. Insurance underwriters use computer software to analyze risk for determining whether to approve an applicant. They take specific information about an applicant and enter it into a program. The program then provides recommendations on coverage and premiums. Underwriters evaluate these recommendations and decide whether to approve or reject the application. If a decision is difficult, they may consult additional sources, such as medical documents and credit scores.
For simple and common types of insurance, such as automobile insurance, underwriters typically rely on automated recommendations. For specific and complex insurance types, such as workers’ compensation, underwriters need to rely more on analytical insight.
Underwriters analyze the risk factors appearing on an application. For example, if an applicant reports a previous bankruptcy, the underwriter must determine whether that information is relevant to the policy being applied for. If relevant, the underwriter would then consider how far in the past the bankruptcy occurred and how the applicant’s financial situation has changed since the bankruptcy filing.
Insurance underwriters must achieve a balance between risky and cautious decisions. If underwriters allow too much risk, the insurance company will pay out too many claims. But if they don’t approve enough applications, the company will not make enough money from premiums.
Most insurance underwriters specialize in one of three broad fields: health, life, and property and casualty. Although the job duties in each field are similar, the criteria that underwriters use vary. For example, for someone seeking life insurance, underwriters consider the person’s age and financial history. For someone applying for car insurance (a form of property and casualty insurance), underwriters consider the person’s driving record.
Within the broad field of property and casualty, underwriters may specialize in commercial (business) insurance or personal insurance. They also may specialize by the type of policy, such as for insuring automobiles, homes, or pets.
Work Environment
Work Environment
Insurance underwriters held about 125,600 jobs in 2025. The largest employers of insurance underwriters were as follows:
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 52% |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 24 |
| Other insurance related activities | 5 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 4 |
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 1 |
Underwriters work in an office setting during regular business hours. They spend much of their time alone at a computer, most often working on applications but sometimes handling customer inquiries.
Some property and casualty underwriters travel to assess properties in person.
Work Schedules
Most underwriters work full time.
Important Qualities
The following are examples of qualities that are important for these workers to perform their duties. For more information, visit the Employment Projections (EP) skills data page. Analytical skills. Underwriters must evaluate information from a variety of sources to balance risk against caution. Decision-making skills. Underwriters determine whether to approve applicants for insurance coverage and, if approved, at what level to set premiums. Detail oriented. Underwriters must stay focused when reviewing insurance applications because each item may affect the coverage decision. Interpersonal skills. Underwriters need to communicate and relate well with people because much of their work involves dealing with clients or others, such as insurance sales agents. Math skills. Underwriters need math knowledge to ensure accuracy in determining the probability of losses and calculating appropriate premiums on an insurance policy.
More Information
More Information, Including Links to O*NET
Learn more about insurance underwriters by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.
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Start with ED →Career data and occupational profile text are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook and Employment Projections program. Education requirements are typical entry-level requirements and may vary by employer, state, occupation or individual circumstance. View the official BLS profile.