Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV make a median of $80,770 a year, or about $38.83 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $155K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.17), which stretches that salary to about $85,770 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,233/month, or 24.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $81K get you in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Hagerstown-Martinsburg’s Regional Price Parity (94.17). 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg
Insurance underwriters pay in Hagerstown-Martinsburg tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 1% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,233/month, 24% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.17 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance underwriters in metros near Hagerstown-Martinsburg, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $94K | $89K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $85K | $82K |
| Richmond | $81K | $83K |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria | $91K | $84K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $155K or more, a $109K 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 24% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,233/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,744/month. At HUD’s $1,233/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Hagerstown-Martinsburg compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.17), the purchasing-power equivalent is $86K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV?
The median is $80,770 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,740, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $154,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,129/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,233/month, which eats 24% 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 Hagerstown-Martinsburg?
Hagerstown-Martinsburg has a Regional Price Parity of 94.17 (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 $85,770 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.