Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Helena, MT make a median of $81,080 a year, or about $38.98 an hour. The range runs from $57K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers.
So what does $81K get you in Helena?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Helena’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Helena
Insurance underwriters pay in Helena tracks closely to the national median, $81K locally vs. $81K nationwide, a 0% difference. Rent runs $1,404/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 27.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) 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.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance underwriters in metros near Helena, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Missoula | $63K | , |
| Boise City | $80K | , |
| Sioux Falls | $77K | , |
| Fargo | $74K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Helena, MT
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $57K. Mid-career wages sit at $81K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $99K 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
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 Helena numbers change.
Related careers in Business & Finance
Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Helena?
Yes — at the median salary of $81K, rent takes 27.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,404/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Helena?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $57K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,402/month. At HUD’s $1,404/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 Helena?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $81K locally vs. $81K nationally, a 0% difference.
How does Helena compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Helena pays $81K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +0%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $85K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Helena, MT?
The median is $81,080 a year, that works out to about $39 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $56,700, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $155,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $81K enough to live in Helena?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,146/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,404/month, which eats 27.3% 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 Helena?
Helena has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance underwriters salary is worth about $84,723 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.