Insurance underwriters evaluate insurance applications and decide whether to approve them. For approved applications, underwriters determine coverage amounts and premiums.
Insurance underwriters typically do the following:
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.
Insurance underwriters held about 123,300 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of insurance underwriters were as follows:
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 43% |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 27 |
| Credit intermediation and related activities | 5 |
| Other insurance related activities | 5 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 4 |
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.
Most underwriters work full time.
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.
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.
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.
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. Examples include the Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF) designation, the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) certification.
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.
Experienced underwriters may advance to become senior underwriters or underwriter managers. Underwriters may need certification to progress into these positions.
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.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for insurance underwriters was $76,390 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,330, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $126,380.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for insurance underwriters in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Credit intermediation and related activities | $78,060 |
| Direct health and medical insurance carriers | 77,290 |
| Insurance agencies and brokerages | 76,450 |
| Direct insurance (except life, health, and medical) carriers | 76,040 |
| Other insurance related activities | 62,320 |
Most underwriters work full time.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Employment of insurance underwriters is projected to decline 4 percent from 2021 to 2031.
Despite declining employment, about 8,400 openings for insurance underwriters are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
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.
However, there still will be a need for underwriters to review and update the criteria that run the automation. In addition, their analytical insight will be needed in specific fields, such as workers’ compensation, marine insurance, and health insurance.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Insurance underwriters |
13-2053 | 123,300 | 117,800 | -4 | -5,500 | Get data | |
For more information about property and casualty insurance, visit
Insurance Information Institute (III)
For more information about certifications, visit
The American College of Financial Services
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA)