Updated · 2026 tax rules · Data: IRS, BLS, BEA, HUD · How we calculate

Insurance Underwriter Salary in New York, NY

Insurance Underwriters in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $98,410 a year — 21% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $73,295 take-home, or $6,108 a month.

Median salary
$98,410
$47.31 per hour
Typical range
$73,400 – $168,630
10th to 90th percentile
Jobs in New York, NY
6,740
1.05× national concentration
▲12.8%
Pay trend: The median for insurance underwriters in New York, NY rose from $87,250 (May 2024) to $98,410 (May 2025). That beat inflation (2.4%), a real raise of about 10.4%.

Take-home pay calculator

Pre-filled with the median insurance underwriter salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.

Insurance Underwriter in New York, NY
Deductions, kids & local tax

2026 tax year. Federal brackets from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

Your take-home pay
$73,295
per year · effective tax rate 25.5%
$6,108Monthly
$3,054Twice a month
$2,819Every 2 weeks
$35.24Hourly
  • Federal income tax$12,820
  • Social Security (6.2%)$6,101
  • Medicare (1.45%)$1,427
  • New York income tax$4,766
  • Take-home pay$73,295

Marginal rate: 22% federal + 5.90% state

Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $3,379 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $69,916 ($5,826 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.

Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →

Insurance Underwriter pay by experience in New York, NY

PercentileSalaryHourlyTake-home / yrPer month
10th percentile (entry level)$73,400$35.29$57,100$4,758
25th percentile$81,420$39.14$62,309$5,192
Median (50th)$98,410$47.31$73,295$6,108
75th percentile$131,760$63.35$94,590$7,883
90th percentile (top earners)$168,630$81.07$117,616$9,801

Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.

What $98,410 buys in New York, NY

Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median insurance underwriter's $73,295 take-home pay has the buying power of $65,115 in a typical American city.

1-bedroom rent
$2,378
39% of monthly take-home
2-bedroom rent
$2,697
44% of monthly take-home
Left after 1-BR rent
$3,730
per month for everything else

Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.

Insurance Underwriter jobs are about as common in New York, NY as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.05).

Best-paying cities for insurance underwriters, adjusted for cost of living

New York, NY ranks #3 of 6 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.

#Metro areaMedian salaryTake-homeReal value*
1Chicago, IL $99,840$74,270$71,693
2Atlanta, GA $95,430$71,635$71,593
3New York, NY $98,410$73,295$65,115
4Philadelphia, PA $84,580$65,735$64,098
5Dallas, TX $79,590$64,822$62,879
6Phoenix, AZ $77,740$61,785$59,802

*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 6 metros →

About the job: insurance underwriters

Review individual applications for insurance to evaluate degree of risk involved and determine acceptance of applications.

Typical education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience
None required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
-3.8% (declining)

Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a insurance underwriter make in New York, NY?

The median insurance underwriter salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $98,410 a year, or about $47.31 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $81,420 and $131,760.

What is a insurance underwriter’s take-home pay in New York, NY?

On the median $98,410 salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $73,295 a year ($6,108 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,766 in New York taxes in 2026.

Is New York, NY a good place to work as a insurance underwriter?

Pay here is 21% above the national median of $81,370. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $65,115 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #3 of 6 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.

Can a insurance underwriter afford rent in New York, NY?

HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 39% of a median insurance underwriter’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.

Related jobs in New York, NY

Cost of living & all salaries in New York, NY →