Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH make a median of $106,170 a year, or about $51.04 an hour. The range runs from $74K at the entry level to $169K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.27), so that salary is closer to $98,060 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,941/month, about 43.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $106K get you in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Boston-Cambridge-Newton’s Regional Price Parity (108.27). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About insurance underwriters
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What this looks like in Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston-Cambridge-Newton sits well above the national pay line for insurance underwriters, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $81K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,941/month, which is 45.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.27), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance underwriters in metros near Boston-Cambridge-Newton, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Worcester | $98K | $96K |
| Springfield | $115K | $120K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $98K | $87K |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford | $101K | $98K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $74K. Mid-career wages sit at $106K. Top earners bring in $169K or more, a $95K spread from bottom to top.
Insurance Underwriters pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Insurance Underwriters salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $107K | +31% | 2,890 |
| New Hampshire | $104K | +28% | 270 |
| Nevada | $101K | +25% | 480 |
| Connecticut | $101K | +24% | 2,010 |
| Colorado | $101K | +24% | 2,040 |
| Washington | $99K | +22% | 1,740 |
| New York | $97K | +20% | 6,900 |
| Wisconsin | $97K | +20% | 3,110 |
| New Jersey | $96K | +18% | 3,150 |
| Maine | $96K | +17% | 520 |
| California | $95K | +17% | 6,580 |
| Maryland | $92K | +13% | 1,310 |
| Illinois | $90K | +10% | N/A |
| Georgia | $86K | +6% | 7,160 |
| Rhode Island | $85K | +4% | 250 |
| South Dakota | $83K | +2% | 210 |
| Arkansas | $82K | +1% | 290 |
| District of Columbia | $82K | +1% | N/A |
| Virginia | $82K | +1% | 2,470 |
| Alaska | $82K | +0% | 100 |
| Minnesota | $81K | -1% | 2,550 |
| Missouri | $80K | -2% | 2,130 |
| Kentucky | $80K | -2% | 900 |
| South Carolina | $80K | -2% | 910 |
| Ohio | $79K | -3% | 5,110 |
| Oregon | $79K | -3% | 570 |
| Pennsylvania | $79K | -3% | 5,160 |
| Texas | $79K | -3% | 9,980 |
| Tennessee | $79K | -3% | 1,250 |
| Florida | $79K | -3% | 7,300 |
| Vermont | $78K | -4% | 210 |
| Arizona | $78K | -4% | 3,360 |
| Indiana | $77K | -5% | 2,170 |
| Michigan | $77K | -5% | 2,590 |
| North Carolina | $77K | -5% | 3,460 |
| Kansas | $77K | -5% | 1,230 |
| Louisiana | $77K | -6% | 1,050 |
| Iowa | $75K | -8% | 1,490 |
| Nebraska | $75K | -8% | 1,410 |
| North Dakota | $74K | -9% | 210 |
| Hawaii | $73K | -10% | 230 |
| Utah | $73K | -11% | 490 |
| Oklahoma | $67K | -18% | 600 |
| New Mexico | $64K | -21% | 100 |
| Montana | $63K | -22% | 140 |
| Idaho | $63K | -23% | 360 |
| Wyoming | $62K | -23% | 50 |
| Alabama | $62K | -24% | 1,540 |
| Mississippi | $59K | -27% | 600 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track insurance underwriters salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Boston-Cambridge-Newton numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $106K, rent takes 45.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,941/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $74K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,454/month. At HUD’s $2,941/month FMR, rent would take 66% 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $106K here vs. $81K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Boston-Cambridge-Newton compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton pays $106K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.27), the purchasing-power equivalent is $98K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH?
The median is $106,170 a year, that works out to about $51 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $74,230, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $169,360. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $106K enough to live in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,481/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,941/month, which eats 45.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a insurance underwriters salary go in Boston-Cambridge-Newton?
Boston-Cambridge-Newton has a Regional Price Parity of 108.27 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance underwriters salary is worth about $98,060 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.