Show me the money...

What are typical underwriter salaries? Do some companies pay a lot more for this position than others? What does a top earner make in this field?

What skills should you learn to increase your salary?

Well, I just had my second interview for a major insurance company and the starting wage was 40K. She said because I have two bachelor's degrees and have been in the working world for two years I would get a raise after 4 months. Straight out of college she said would stay at 40K till they worked their way up. I am not sure what the top pay scale is?

Underwriter salaries vary according to the company and the line of insurance you are underwriting. Personal lines underwriters generally make a few thousand less than commercial underwriters because commercial underwriting is so much more complex than personal lines. Farm underwriters make about what personal lines underwriters make. Sounds like you landed an entry level position. If you stay in underwriting, go commercial and give it some time because it generally takes several years before you know enough to get a high paying position, but once you get the experience and credentials such as CPCU, CIC, AU, etc., you will demand a higher salary. Last year I made $82,000 as a commercial underwriter and that is not the top pay in the field. Specialty underwriters can make a lot more than that. Get a mentor to help you navigate the best path to success in Commercial lines. Best of luck to you!

Also, I found out the hard way not all Underwriting is created equal! Like many residential mortgage underwriters I thought highly of my skill set & after being off for over a year I landed a Group Medical Underwriting position & it's infinitely more difficult than anything in the residential mortgage arena. On top of that I'm getting paid $1000 less per month to do literally 10 times more work & I have to retain 10 times as much information. The learning curve was brutal but I'm finally starting to see some light & enjoying it very much.

I have worked for 10 years for a large insurance company as a personal lines underwriter and make $49K. I have a college degree in insurance, 2 designations, and 13 years of total insurance work experience. I'm trying to move to commercial lines but am having a hard time trying to figure out what a fair offer would be.

Any advice of how to get into Commercial Underwriting. I have a degree in business and have tried some local insurance companies which I'd like to work for.

I've worked in group medical underwriting for five years. It's the only "real" experience I have because I was hired right out of college (bachelor degree in economics) and have been here ever since. I started at $44K and currently make $55K. I think this is on the lower end of group underwriting; everyone says my company doesn't pay much. It certainly doesn't pay enough for the abuse I endure!!!