GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Insurance Underwriters
Best States to Be a Insurance Underwriters
After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a insurance underwriters salary goes furthest in Nevada — a $101,440 BLS median worth $101,461 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 125.0).
Which US states are best for a insurance underwriters after cost of living and tax?
For a insurance underwriters, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks Nevada #1: a $101,440 BLS median becomes $101,461 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 125.0). Idaho ranks last ($62,925, index 77.5). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 49 states; re-dated annually.
Gera US Real Pay Index
Nevada ranks #1 of 49 states for a insurance underwriters. Index 100 = the average state; 125.0 means pay goes 25.0% further after tax and cost of living.
How this is calculatedInsurance Underwriters — real pay by state (best first)
| # | State | BLS median | State tax | Cost (RPP) | Real pay | Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $101,440 | — | 100.0 | $101,461 | 125.0 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $103,940 | — | 104.2 | $99,784 | 122.9 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $97,370 | $4,008 | 94.1 | $99,221 | 122.2 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $106,640 | $5,112 | 105.8 | $96,001 | 118.3 |
| 5 | Colorado | $100,640 | $3,768 | 103.1 | $94,003 | 115.8 |
| 6 | South Dakota | $83,130 | — | 88.6 | $93,841 | 115.6 |
| 7 | Maine | $95,510 | $4,880 | 97.0 | $93,385 | 115.1 |
| 8 | Connecticut | $100,690 | $3,963 | 103.6 | $93,357 | 115.0 |
| 9 | Washington | $99,400 | — | 107.0 | $92,886 | 114.4 |
| 10 | Arkansas | $82,130 | $2,995 | 86.9 | $91,026 | 112.1 |
| 11 | New York | $97,450 | $4,799 | 107.9 | $85,851 | 105.8 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $78,840 | — | 91.9 | $85,817 | 105.7 |
| 13 | Illinois | $89,620 | $4,295 | 100.0 | $85,361 | 105.2 |
| 14 | Georgia | $85,980 | $3,988 | 96.3 | $85,149 | 104.9 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $79,830 | $3,062 | 90.2 | $85,147 | 104.9 |
| 16 | Missouri | $80,040 | $2,881 | 90.8 | $84,961 | 104.7 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $96,220 | $3,939 | 108.8 | $84,813 | 104.5 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $76,540 | $1,921 | 88.2 | $84,595 | 104.2 |
| 19 | Ohio | $79,260 | $1,397 | 92.8 | $83,927 | 103.4 |
| 20 | Maryland | $92,120 | $4,043 | 105.0 | $83,916 | 103.4 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $74,130 | $208 | 89.0 | $83,097 | 102.4 |
| 22 | Iowa | $75,160 | $2,816 | 87.8 | $82,432 | 101.6 |
| 23 | California | $95,320 | $4,743 | 110.7 | $81,807 | 100.8 |
| 24 | Kansas | $77,070 | $3,501 | 90.1 | $81,682 | 100.6 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $79,570 | $3,326 | 93.7 | $81,328 | 100.2 |
| 26 | Texas | $78,890 | — | 97.1 | $81,282 | 100.1 |
| 27 | Indiana | $77,440 | $2,293 | 93.3 | $80,518 | 99.2 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $84,720 | $2,577 | 102.3 | $80,312 | 98.9 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $75,120 | $2,810 | 90.1 | $80,253 | 98.9 |
| 30 | Alaska | $81,620 | — | 102.4 | $79,739 | 98.2 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $77,120 | $2,736 | 94.3 | $78,859 | 97.2 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $78,950 | $2,424 | 97.6 | $78,431 | 96.6 |
| 33 | Minnesota | $80,700 | $3,999 | 98.6 | $77,774 | 95.8 |
| 34 | Michigan | $77,380 | $3,042 | 96.2 | $77,261 | 95.2 |
| 35 | Virginia | $81,870 | $3,908 | 101.1 | $77,111 | 95.0 |
| 36 | Vermont | $77,990 | $2,766 | 98.0 | $76,793 | 94.6 |
| 37 | Florida | $78,720 | — | 103.4 | $76,121 | 93.8 |
| 38 | Arizona | $77,740 | $1,469 | 100.7 | $75,759 | 93.3 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $66,770 | $2,634 | 87.8 | $73,012 | 90.0 |
| 40 | District of Columbia | $82,070 | $4,101 | 109.9 | $70,945 | 87.4 |
| 41 | Oregon | $79,200 | $6,126 | 103.4 | $70,698 | 87.1 |
| 42 | Utah | $72,730 | $3,309 | 98.9 | $70,218 | 86.5 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $64,000 | $1,894 | 92.2 | $67,351 | 83.0 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $62,290 | — | 92.7 | $67,202 | 82.8 |
| 45 | Alabama | $62,220 | $2,846 | 88.8 | $66,845 | 82.4 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $59,250 | $1,802 | 87.0 | $66,068 | 81.4 |
| 47 | Montana | $63,140 | $2,587 | 94.6 | $63,979 | 78.8 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $73,260 | $4,038 | 110.0 | $62,957 | 77.6 |
| 49 | Idaho | $62,530 | $2,441 | 95.5 | $62,925 | 77.5 |
"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 49 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.
Where does your salary go furthest?
Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.
In Nevada, a $101,440 salary is worth about $101,461 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.
State income tax $0 (no state income tax) · take-home $101,440 · BEA cost of living 100.0 (US = 100).
The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $114,510, a $13,049 gain over Nevada.
| # | State | Real value | Cost (RPP) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota | $114,510 | 88.6 |
| 2 | Arkansas | $112,132 | 86.9 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $111,552 | 88.2 |
| 4 | Mississippi | $111,528 | 87.0 |
| 5 | Iowa | $111,193 | 87.8 |
| 6 | North Dakota | $111,179 | 89.0 |
| 7 | Tennessee | $110,417 | 91.9 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $109,994 | 87.8 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $109,439 | 92.7 |
| 10 | Alabama | $108,494 | 88.8 |
| 11 | Kentucky | $108,012 | 90.2 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $107,881 | 89.5 |
Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).
Insurance Underwriters — real pay FAQ
- What is the best state to be a insurance underwriters?
- By the Gera US Real Pay Index, Nevada is the best state for a insurance underwriters: a BLS median of $101,440 is worth $101,461 after the 2025 state income tax ($0) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 100.0), an index of 125.0 where the average state is 100.
- Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?
- Not necessarily. Massachusetts has the highest headline BLS median for a insurance underwriters at $106,640, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #4 of 49 on real pay (index 118.3). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
- Where does a insurance underwriters salary go least far?
- Idaho ranks last of 49 states for a insurance underwriters: a $62,530 BLS median is worth only $62,925 after tax and cost of living (index 77.5). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.
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Related on GeraJobs
- Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
- Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
- Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a insurance underwriters is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.