Quick answer: Iowa employs about 1,490 insurance underwriters (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing runs through your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance. Programs, the careers this degree opens, and what they pay are below.
Compare risk management programs enrolling now:
Licensing and Credentials in Iowa
Risk management itself is not licensed. Selling insurance requires a state license the degree does not confer, and voluntary industry designations exist for underwriting and enterprise risk roles; employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them.
Requirements are set at state level and are amended periodically. Before you enroll in any program, confirm with your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance that the specific program you are considering satisfies the education requirement, and ask what it accepts from any training you have already completed. Get the answer in writing.
Earning the Degree While You Work
Most people reading this already have a job in the field, and the practical question is whether the credential can be earned without leaving it. Programs designed for working adults deliver the academic portion online or in the evening, while any labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience happen in person and locally. Prior college credit, military training, apprenticeship coursework and industry certifications can all shorten the path, so request a written transfer credit evaluation before you commit to any school.
Schools Near You
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 1 school
within 82 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
1 of them carries a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
Insurance Underwriters in Iowa earn a median $75,160 per year, below the national median of $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Risk Management Pay and Employment in Iowa at a Glance
Metric
Iowa
National
Source
Median annual wage
$75,160
$81,370
BLS OEWS, May 2025
10th percentile
$51,800
$55,530
BLS OEWS, May 2025
25th percentile
$63,730
$64,620
BLS OEWS, May 2025
75th percentile
$97,390
$110,390
BLS OEWS, May 2025
90th percentile
$128,080
$145,160
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Employment
1,490
105,420
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Location quotient
1.41
1.00
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected change (2024-34)
not published by state
-2.6%
BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34
How Iowa Pay Compares to the Rest of the Country
The Iowa median of $75,160 sits below the national median of $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Percentiles matter more than the midpoint when you are deciding whether a degree pays for itself: the 10th percentile is roughly where people start, and the 90th is what the top of the local market looks like after years of experience.
A location quotient of 1.41 puts Iowa well above the national average, so the work is noticeably more common here than in the typical state. That usually means a deeper job market and more room to change employers without relocating (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The measure compares how concentrated the occupation is here against the national average of 1.00.
Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Risk and underwriting employment concentrates in insurance-industry hubs and around corporate headquarters and financial centers.
Insurance Underwriters Wages by Metro Area in Iowa
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics ( OES data), insurance underwriters wages in Iowa vary by metro area.
Metro Area
Employment
Median Annual Wage
Avg. Annual Wage
Entry Level (10th pctile)
Experienced (90th pctile)
Des Moines-West Des Moines
790
$79,230
$91,160
$59,970
$177,200
Omaha
760
$70,160
$74,670
$47,120
$104,910
Cedar Rapids
100
$77,440
$77,480
$58,260
$98,300
Sioux City
100
$74,130
$75,680
$64,760
$104,200
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island
80
$80,070
$86,770
$62,410
$123,890
Dubuque
50
$74,390
$78,910
$64,810
$95,720
Wages reflect survey data and vary based on experience, credentials, employer, and local market conditions. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May .
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do insurance underwriters make in Iowa?
The median annual wage for insurance underwriters in Iowa is $75,160, below the national median of $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle of the range runs from $63,730 at the 25th percentile to $97,390 at the 75th.
How many insurance underwriters work in Iowa?
Iowa holds about 1,490 risk professional jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Nationally the occupation employs 105,420, and BLS projects about 8,200 openings per year through 2034 (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34).
Do I need a license to work as a risk professional in Iowa?
Risk management itself is not licensed. Selling insurance requires a state license the degree does not confer, and voluntary industry designations exist for underwriting and enterprise risk roles; employers genuinely vary in the weight they give them. Requirements are set at the state level and change periodically, so confirm the current rules with your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance before you enroll in any program.
Can I earn a risk management bachelor's or master's online while working in Iowa?
Often yes. Programs built for working adults deliver coursework online or in the evenings, though any required labs, clinical hours or supervised field experience are completed in person. Confirm that the program's accreditation satisfies your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance.
What is the highest-paying area of Iowa for insurance underwriters?
Among Iowa metro areas with published data, Davenport reports the highest median at $80,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is Iowa a good state for insurance underwriters?
On pay, the state median of $75,160 sits below the national $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A location quotient of 1.41 means the occupation is more concentrated here than in the average state. Weigh that against cost of living and how concentrated the work is near where you actually want to live.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Insurance Underwriters (SOC 13-2053), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
