Why Should I Consider an IT Career in Insurance?

You may think insurance is just about selling policies and assessing risk – but it takes a lot of technology to keep everything running behind the scenes.

From data scientists to software engineers, Information Technology (IT) jobs can be found in every industry – even insurance. At Erie Insurance, our IT professionals leverage technology to help improve customer experience, protect against cyber threats and maintain software used across the company.

Whether you’re considering a change or just beginning your career, here are a few reasons to consider an IT position in the insurance industry.

What types of IT jobs are in insurance?

Technology plays a crucial role in connecting the policyholder to the right ERIE employee or agent when they need them most. Whether it’s app development, computer system management or network security, IT professionals are a vital function in the insurance industry.

Here are some common roles you’ll discover in IT:

Software Engineer: IT professionals who design, develop, test and maintain software applications.  These experts can specialize in a number of practice areas such as front end, data, full-stack, integration, cloud and test automation.  They often write and maintain the code that automate and expedite many of ERIE’s business processes.
IT Administrator: These experts keep the lights on and the data flowing at ERIE. An administrator will specialize in one of several domains such as servers, networks, storage, middleware, database, unified communications, cloud computing, infrastructure as a service, infrastructure as code, automation or monitoring.
IT Analyst: It’s hard to narrow down what exactly an IT analyst does. At ERIE, our analysts range from data to systems experts. Each analyst specializes with a unique set of skills and communicates with our software engineers, project managers, business analysts and leaders to connect all the different computer systems and deliver technology solutions for each department.
Project Manager: Consider yourself a leader or problem solver? Project managers help plan and monitor company-wide initiatives like software developments, technology upgrades and infrastructure updates.
IT Technician: Our IT Techs work in rotational shifts to support, fix and maintain the hardware and software across the enterprise. They are the company technical problem-sovlers and work a number of different roles in the company like our employee-facing Techlink and our IT Service Desk that helps our employees with everyday “how-to” business process and computing systems questions, or our IT Datacenter Operations Techs focus on larger and more complex infrastructure solutions.
Information Security: These professionals monitor ERIE’s networks to protect our company’s confidential and sensitive information. They help lead trainings for employees to protect from common scams like phishing and can specialize in a number of areas like cloud security or governance risk and compliance.

Why join the insurance industry?

“Erie Insurance is a relationship company,” said David Edgerton, senior vice president of IT at ERIE. “We use technology to build the best relationships possible for all the different people we serve.”

At its core, insurance is about protecting people. Accidents happen, and it’s our job to help people get back on their feet. 

A career in insurance has a lot of other perks, too:

Stability: We’re a financially secure company that’s been around for nearly 100 years. As long as people buy homes, drive cars and run businesses, they’ll need insurance to protect them from risks.
Opportunity: The insurance industry has opportunities for nearly every skill set. Maybe IT is your passion… or maybe you discover you want to move over to risk management or become an agent. The possibilities for career development within the insurance industry are endless.
Benefits: As one of only 13 FORTUNE 500 companies to offer our full-time employees a pension and 401(k) savings plan, ERIE’s retirement benefits are a smart benefit for you. Learn more about benefits at ERIE.

How to get started in IT

Believe it or not, you don’t have to daydream about coding or have the most up-to-date computer to begin your career in IT.

“There is no one personality trait that unifies all IT professionals. People of all different backgrounds can be a great team member,” Edgerton said. “At ERIE, we are all working together to help the policyholder. That willingness to work as a team is really important.”

At ERIE, we welcome a variety of professional backgrounds and technical experience. Most, but not all, IT positions require an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in business, management, information systems or IT, as well as specific technical skills and experience. It’s never too late to pursue a degree or take extra courses to hone your skills. Consider earning relevant IT or project management certifications to help you stand out among candidates.

Haven’t graduated yet? Consider an apprenticeship or internship to add extra experience to your résumé. That real-world experience also gives you a peek at what working in IT is all about.

ERIE offers a variety of paid internships for students each year, which offers challenging opportunities for students to gain relevant and real-world business experience at a Fortune 500 company. Learn more about our Future Focus internship program.

Find your IT career at ERIE

At ERIE, we’ve always been focused on our customers and how we can help them the most. That means cultivating relationships with our policyholders, employees and agents.

While technology continues to evolve, ERIE is committed to our founding purpose: “Never lose the human touch.” Our people – employees and agents – are what sets us apart

“We are looking to be Above All in Service,” Edgerton said. “When you have technology as a tool to achieve that – and hardworking employees – then amazing things are possible.”

Think ERIE might be for you? Our IT team is located at our home office in Erie, Pennsylvania, and we’re always looking to add new members to our ERIE family.

Many of our IT positions offer relocation assistance to help make moving as smooth as possible. Learn about what makes Erie such a great place to live and check out all of our current IT career opportunities.

ERIE® insurance products and services are provided by one or more of the following insurers: Erie Insurance Exchange, Erie Insurance Company, Erie Insurance Property & Casualty Company, Flagship City Insurance Company and Erie Family Life Insurance Company (home offices: Erie, Pennsylvania) or Erie Insurance Company of New York (home office: Rochester, New York).  The companies within the Erie Insurance Group are not licensed to operate in all states. Refer to the company licensure and states of operation information.

The insurance products and rates, if applicable, described in this blog are in effect as of January 2024 and may be changed at any time. 

Insurance products are subject to terms, conditions and exclusions not described in this blog. The policy contains the specific details of the coverages, terms, conditions and exclusions. 

The insurance products and services described in this blog are not offered in all states.  ERIE life insurance and annuity products are not available in New York.  ERIE Medicare supplement products are not available in the District of Columbia or New York.  ERIE long term care products are not available in the District of Columbia and New York. 

Eligibility will be determined at the time of application based upon applicable underwriting guidelines and rules in effect at that time.

Your ERIE agent can offer you practical guidance and answer questions you may have before you buy.