Underwriter job description template: insurance or lending, authority limits, guidelines versus judgment, and overtime
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"Underwriter: evaluate applications and determine risk" fits a commercial property underwriter pricing warehouses and apartment buildings with brokers, a personal lines underwriter reviewing auto and home referrals from an automated system, a life underwriter reading medical records and paramedical exams, a mortgage underwriter clearing conditions on purchase loans, and a commercial credit underwriter at a bank writing analyses for loan committee. The data, the authority, the regulations and the career path differ. BLS notes that most insurance underwriters specialize in health, life, or property and casualty (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, last modified August 27, 2026), and lending underwriting is a separate world again. A useful underwriter job description names the industry, the line or loan type, the authority limit, the volume, the guidelines and systems, who the underwriter works with, and how much judgment versus guideline review the seat involves. Below are the seat types, a copy-ready template, the licensing and classification lines with sources, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes.
Name the seat: industry, line and authority
| Seat | What the work looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial lines underwriter (property and casualty) | Broker submissions, exposure analysis, pricing and terms, loss control reports, renewals, portfolio results | Has priced and quoted commercial risks within authority and can explain a declination to a broker |
| Personal lines underwriter | Referrals from automated rules, inspections, eligibility, agent questions, high volume | Fast, consistent decisions on referrals with clear notes and agent communication |
| Life or health underwriter | Medical records, lab results, financial underwriting, risk classification, reinsurer referrals | Has classified life or health risks from medical evidence and handled a rated or declined case |
| Mortgage underwriter | Income, asset, credit and collateral review against investor and agency guidelines, conditions, automated findings | Holds or has held the delegated authority the loan types need and can explain a condition to a loan officer |
| Commercial credit underwriter (bank) | Financial spreading, cash flow analysis, collateral, risk ratings, credit memos for committee | Has written credit memos that a committee approved, changed or declined, and knows why |
Settle before writing: industry and line or loan types, authority limit (premium, limit of insurance, face amount or loan size), expected volume, the guidelines (carrier manuals, agency or investor guidelines, bank credit policy), the systems and automated tools, distribution partners (brokers, agents, loan officers), referral and committee process, and the reporting line. For the lending seat upstream of a mortgage underwriter, see the loan officer job description template.
The underwriter job description template
[Associate / Senior] Underwriter, [Commercial Lines / Personal
Lines / Life / Health / Mortgage / Commercial Credit]
[Company], [city, state] — [In office / Hybrid: days / Remote
within: states], travel about [N]% [to brokers / agents]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per year. [Bonus: how it is calculated, if any.]
[Benefits summary, if required.] [Exempt or non-exempt, after
review.]
SUMMARY
You will underwrite [lines / loan types] for [client segment],
working with [brokers / agents / loan officers] in [regions]. Your
authority will be up to [premium / limit / face amount / loan
size of $N]; larger or unusual risks go to [title / committee].
You will review about [N] [submissions / files] a [week], using
[guidelines] and [systems], and report to [title].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Review [submissions / applications / loan files] and decide
within your authority: approve, modify, price, condition or
decline.
- Analyze [exposures and loss history / medical and financial
evidence / income, assets, credit and collateral / financial
statements and cash flow].
- Document each decision and the reasoning so it can be audited.
- Explain decisions and conditions to [brokers / agents / loan
officers] clearly and promptly.
- [Contribute to portfolio reviews / guideline updates / quality
control findings.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- [N] years of [underwriting / credit analysis / related]
experience in [line or loan type], [or a completed underwriting
training program].
- [Delegated authority experience for (loan types / lines).]
- Clear written decision notes and partner communication.
NICE TO HAVE
- [CPCU or other designation / experience with (systems)].
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
HOW WE HIRE
[Recruiter screen; conversation with (underwriting manager); a
file review exercise of at most (N) minutes on a sample submission
or loan we provide; meeting a distribution partner or peer
underwriter.]
[EEO STATEMENT]
Need an adjustment to apply or interview? Contact [address].Licensing, certification and classification lines, with sources
Not legal advice. The points below were checked against the SAFE Act, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, The Institutes, the federal regulations and Department of Labor pages as of October 2026. State insurance and lending regulators can add requirements; confirm them for your seats.
Mortgage underwriters and the SAFE Act. The SAFE Act defines a loan processor or underwriter as an individual who performs clerical or support duties at the direction of and subject to the supervision of a state-licensed or registered loan originator (12 U.S.C. 5102). Such an employee is not required to be a state-licensed loan originator unless they advertise or present themselves as able to originate, but an independent contractor may not act as a loan processor or underwriter unless they are a state-licensed loan originator (12 U.S.C. 5103(b)). If you hire contract underwriters, check this first.
Insurance underwriters. BLS describes certification through coursework and specialty designations rather than a state license for insurance underwriters (BLS profile above). If an underwriter will also sell, solicit or negotiate insurance, the producer licensing rules covered in the insurance agent job description template may apply. The Institutes says its CPCU requires eight courses plus ethics and two years of experience in risk management or insurance; list it as preferred for property and casualty seats.
Exempt or nonexempt. Insurance and finance are among the functional areas the regulations list as related to management or general business operations (29 CFR 541.201(b)). The administrative exemption also needs a salary of at least the standard level, which the Department of Labor lists as $684 a week, and discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance (DOL Fact Sheet 17C). The regulations say that judgment must be more than the use of skill in applying well-established techniques, procedures or specific standards, and they name authority to commit the employer in matters with significant financial impact as one factor (29 CFR 541.202). The regulations do not name underwriters, so the answer turns on the seat: pricing and structuring risks with real authority points one way; checking files against a guideline and an automated decision points the other. Review each seat with counsel.
Pay and EEO. Post the range and any bonus mechanics (check your state pay transparency rules). This page does not quote pay figures; BLS publishes them for insurance underwriters in the profile above. Close with a short EEO statement and an accommodation contact.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Risk judgment | "Tell me about a risk or loan you declined or changed. What concerned you and what did you ask for?" | Underwriting judgment | Specific exposure or credit factor, evidence requested, a reasoned decision |
| Authority | "What was your authority limit, and describe a file you referred above it." | Working within authority | Knows the limit, referred appropriately, documented the recommendation |
| Analysis | "Walk me through how you analyze [a commercial submission / a self-employed borrower's income / an applicant's medical history]." | Technical analysis | Logical order, the right documents, red flags named |
| Partner communication | "A broker or loan officer is angry about a decline. What do you say?" | Communication | Explains the reason clearly, offers what would change it, stays respectful |
| Documentation | "What goes into your decision notes so an auditor could follow them?" | Audit readiness | Facts, guideline references, exceptions and who approved them |
The later rounds are in the interview guide for insurance roles for insurance seats, or the interview guide for banking roles for lending seats. The first months are in the 30-60-90 day plan for underwriters, and sourcing strings are in the boolean search strings for underwriters.
Common mistakes in underwriter job descriptions
"Underwriter" with no industry
Insurance and lending underwriters rarely cross over. Put the industry and line in the title.
No authority limit
Authority is how underwriters measure seniority. State it in dollars or risk size.
Hiding the automation
If most decisions come from an automated system and the underwriter reviews exceptions, say so. It changes who applies and how the seat is classified.
Hiring contract mortgage underwriters without checking licensing
The SAFE Act treats independent contractor underwriters differently from employees. Check before posting a contract role.
Requiring a designation for an associate seat
Designations take years. For trainees, ask for analytical evidence and offer the coursework.
Before you publish
- Industry, line or loan type, and authority limit are in the title or summary.
- Volume, guidelines, systems and partners are named.
- Contract seats have been checked against the SAFE Act where relevant.
- Classification has been reviewed against the duties test.
- Pay range, EEO statement and an accommodation contact close the posting.
Questions people ask
What should an underwriter job description say first?
Whether it is insurance or lending, and then the line or loan type and the authority. A commercial property underwriter, a life underwriter and a mortgage underwriter share a title but not a skill set. Give the authority limit in dollars or risk size and say what goes to a referral or committee.
Does a mortgage underwriter need an NMLS license?
Usually not if they are an employee. The SAFE Act says a loan processor or underwriter who performs clerical or support duties at the direction of and under the supervision of a licensed or registered loan originator is not required to be state-licensed, as long as they do not represent themselves as able to originate. An independent contractor may not act as a loan processor or underwriter unless they are a state-licensed loan originator.
Is an underwriter exempt from overtime?
It depends on the judgment involved. The administrative exemption needs a salary of at least $684 a week and discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and the regulations say that judgment must be more than applying well-established techniques, procedures or specific standards. An underwriter who prices and structures risks with real authority fits better than one who checks files against a guideline and an automated decision. Review each seat with counsel.
What is a good first screening question for an underwriter?
Ask about a risk or loan they declined or changed: what in the file concerned them, what they asked for, and what they decided. Underwriters who have held authority describe the specific exposure or credit factor and the documentation; others describe following the guidelines.