Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$64,360
To
$76,660
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$99,840
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$76,660
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$130,050
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$106,450
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected estimate
Intermediate range for Underwriter in Chicago
$76,660 to $130,050
This is the 25th to 75th percentile. It uses salary percentiles, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$99,840
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$76,660
To
$130,050
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$130,050
To
$164,440
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare underwriter offers in Chicago against $64,360 to $76,660.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare underwriter offers in Chicago against $76,660 to $130,050.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare underwriter offers in Chicago against $130,050 to $164,440.
How Chicago Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Chicago is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Insurance Underwriters, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$115,600
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$115,260
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$114,200
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$111,900
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$106,450
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$105,860
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$104,320
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$104,220
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$101,440
Dallas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$94,020
How Underwriter Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares underwriter pay in Chicago with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$200,780
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$192,460
Branch Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
CFO
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Controller
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Finance Manager
Financial Managers, SOC 11-3031
$191,110
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$187,420
Underwriter
Insurance Underwriters, SOC 13-2053
$106,450
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for underwriters in Chicago is $99,840. The middle market range runs from $76,660 at the 25th percentile to $130,050 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $64,360to $164,440.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $64,360 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $76,660 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $99,840 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $130,050 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $164,440 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Underwriter to BLS occupation Insurance Underwriters, SOC 13-2053. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Insurance Underwriters, SOC 13-2053, as the public wage source for Underwriter.
- BLS area
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
- Employment estimate
- 4,060
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median underwriter salary in Chicago?
The median annual salary for underwriters in Chicago is $99,840, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Insurance Underwriters.
How much can fresher underwriter candidates expect in Chicago?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For underwriters in Chicago, that range is $64,360 to $76,660. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate underwriter salary range in Chicago?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For underwriters in Chicago, that range is $76,660 to $130,050.
What do senior underwriter candidates earn in Chicago?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For underwriters in Chicago, that range is $130,050 to $164,440.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Insurance Underwriters instead of only Underwriter?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Underwriter to Insurance Underwriters, SOC 13-2053, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Chicago mean city limits or a metro area?
Chicago is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 25 Apr 2026|Last updated: 26 Jun 2026
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