Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Manhattan, KS make a median of $66,280 a year, or about $31.86 an hour. The range runs from $53K at the entry level to $131K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.16), which stretches that salary to about $73,514 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,068/month, or 24.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K get you in Manhattan?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Manhattan’s Regional Price Parity (90.16). 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 Manhattan
Pay for insurance underwriters in Manhattan runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $81K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,068/month, 24.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.16 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Manhattan can be a reasonable trade-off for insurance underwriterss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance underwriters in metros near Manhattan, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Topeka | $88K | $100K |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $102K | , |
| St. Louis | $82K | $87K |
| Kansas City | $85K | $92K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Manhattan, KS
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $53K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $131K or more, a $78K 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 Manhattan numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Manhattan?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 24.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,068/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Manhattan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $53K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,169/month. At HUD’s $1,068/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Manhattan?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $66K here vs. $81K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Manhattan compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Manhattan pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — below the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Manhattan, KS?
The median is $66,280 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $52,820, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $131,150. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Manhattan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,324/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,068/month, which eats 24.7% 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 Manhattan?
Manhattan has a Regional Price Parity of 90.16 (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 $73,514 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.