Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Arizona make a median of $77,740 a year, or about $37.38 an hour. The range runs from $58K at the entry level to $127K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.41), that's roughly $80,635 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,437/month, or 27.6% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Arizona. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $78K get you in Arizona?
About insurance underwriters
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What this looks like in Arizona
Insurance underwriters pay in Arizona tracks closely to the national median, $78K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,437/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.41) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Arizona
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $58K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $127K or more, a $70K spread from bottom to top.
Insurance Underwriters salary by metro in Arizona
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $78K | +0% | 3,030 |
| Tucson | $76K | -3% | 110 |
Compare to other states
Track insurance underwriters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Arizona numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Arizona?
Yes — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 28.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,437/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Arizona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $58K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,466/month. At HUD’s $1,437/month FMR, rent would take 41% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is insurance underwriter a high-paying job in Arizona?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $78K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Arizona compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Arizona pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.41), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — below the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Arizona?
The median is $77,740 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $57,770, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $127,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in Arizona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,094/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,437/month, which eats 28.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a insurance underwriters salary go in Arizona?
Arizona has a Regional Price Parity of 96.41 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance underwriters salary is worth about $80,635 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do insurance underwriters get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.