Insurance Underwriters Salary
Insurance Underwriters in Worcester, MA make a median of $98,000 a year, or about $47.12 an hour. The range runs from $60K at the entry level to $156K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.52), that's roughly $95,591 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,056/month, about 33.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $98K get you in Worcester?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Worcester’s Regional Price Parity (102.52). 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 Worcester
Worcester sits well above the national pay line for insurance underwriters, local pay runs about 20% higher than the U.S. median of $81K. Rent runs $2,056/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.1% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 102.52) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance underwriters in metros near Worcester, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton | $106K | $98K |
| 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, Worcester, MA
Entry-level insurance underwriters (10th percentile) start around $60K. Mid-career wages sit at $98K. Top earners bring in $156K or more, a $96K 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 Worcester numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance underwriter afford a 2BR apartment alone in Worcester?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $98K, rent takes 34.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,056/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance underwriters in Worcester?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance underwriters typically earn — is $60K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,588/month. At HUD’s $2,056/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Worcester?
Local pay is 20% above the national median — $98K here vs. $81K nationally.
How does Worcester compare to the national average for insurance underwriters?
Worcester pays $98K median vs. the U.S. average of $81K — that’s +20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.52), the purchasing-power equivalent is $96K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance underwriters make in Worcester, MA?
The median is $98,000 a year, that works out to about $47 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $59,800, and experienced insurance underwriters can clear $156,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $98K enough to live in Worcester?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,036/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,056/month, which eats 34.1% 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 Worcester?
Worcester has a Regional Price Parity of 102.52 (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 $95,591 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.