Quick answer: The Columbia metro employs about 270 insurance underwriters (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance.
Compare risk management programs enrolling now:
Licensing
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. 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.
See the Missouri licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance.
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 2 schools
within 132 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
2 of them carry 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.
#1
Missouri State University-Springfield
📍
Springfield, MO
•131.5 miles away•BOC Score
56.3
Insurance Underwriters in the Columbia area earn a median $63,540 per year, below the national median of $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Risk Management Pay in Columbia, MO
Metric
Columbia metro
Missouri
National
Median annual wage
$63,540
$80,040
$81,370
10th percentile
$46,160
$56,720
$55,530
25th percentile
$59,590
$62,520
$64,620
75th percentile
$76,320
$95,370
$110,390
90th percentile
$97,120
$124,250
$145,160
Employment
270
2,130
105,420
Location quotient
3.72
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Columbia, MO metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Columbia median of $63,540 is below the national median of $81,370, and below the Missouri statewide median of $80,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 3.72 means insurance underwriters are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Risk and underwriting employment concentrates in insurance-industry hubs and around corporate headquarters and financial centers.
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 Columbia?
The median annual wage for insurance underwriters in the Columbia, MO metro area is $63,540, below the national median of $81,370 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many insurance underwriters work in the Columbia area?
The Columbia, MO metro area employs about 270 insurance underwriters (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do insurance underwriters in Columbia need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. 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. Confirm current requirements with your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance.
Can I study risk management online from Columbia?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state insurance department for licensing rules if you plan to sell insurance.
Is Columbia a better market than the rest of Missouri?
The Columbia metro median is $63,540 against a statewide median of $80,040 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
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/.
