Insurance underwriters
Salary, job outlook, AI risk & career information
Insurance underwriters in the United States earn a median salary of $81,370 per year — about $39 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Roughly 127K people work in this occupation nationwide, with projected employment growth of -3%.
AI & Automation Risk
Underwriting is a fundamentally digital occupation centered on routine information processing, risk modeling, and data analysis—all areas where AI excels. The BLS already projects a decline in employment due to automation, and the shift from traditional software to advanced AI will likely automate even complex, non-standard risk assessments that previously required human judgment.
Salary by City — What You Actually Take Home
Real purchasing power = salary adjusted for cost of living. Higher = more money in your pocket.
| City | Local Salary | Cost of Living | Real Purchasing Power |
|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield, MABEST VALUE | $115,420 | Average (98.1) | $117,694 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $106,570 | Below avg (95.7) | $111,391 |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | $102,460 | Below avg (92.3) | $110,947 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $100,990 | Below avg (92.5) | $109,177 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area | $114,980 | Above avg (107.0) | $107,447 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | $95,130 | Below avg (91.5) | $104,007 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $101,300 | Average (98.3) | $103,067 |
| Topeka, KS | $88,400 | Below avg (85.8) | $102,983 |
| Appleton, WI | $95,610 | Below avg (93.7) | $101,999 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $102,030 | Average (101.0) | $101,040 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $95,370 | Below avg (94.9) | $100,473 |
| Madison, WI | $95,130 | Below avg (95.9) | $99,162 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $100,690 | Above avg (103.3) | $97,480 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $99,840 | Average (102.5) | $97,418 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $101,840 | Above avg (105.8) | $96,286 |