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Career overview · SOC 41-3021

Insurance Sales Agents

Sell life, property, casualty, health, automotive, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as an independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.

Also called: Insurance Agent · Insurance Broker · Insurance Sales Agent · Sales Agent · Sales Associate · Sales Representative

Median pay (national)
$60,370
$36,390–$135,660 (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
469,480
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.7%
~47,000 openings/yr
Typical entry
High school diploma or equivalent

What the numbers say

Refit analysis ·Pay for insurance sales agents shows an unusually wide range: the top 10% earn $135,660 versus $36,390 at the bottom 10% — 3.7x. The median of $60,370 leaves roughly 125% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.7% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 47,000 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 54 states with released data, Minnesota pays the most for this role (median $78,650, +30% vs the national median), while Guam sits lowest at $35,030 — a 125% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook as in-demand technologies for this role.

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Top skills employers ask for

Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.

  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Speaking
  • Critical Thinking
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Active Learning
  • Monitoring
  • Learning Strategies
  • Science

What they actually do

Core O*NET tasks for this role.

  • Customize insurance programs to suit individual customers, often covering a variety of risks.
  • Sell various types of insurance policies to businesses and individuals on behalf of insurance companies, including automobile, fire, life, property, medical and dental insurance, or specialized policies, such as marine, farm/crop, and medical malpractice.
  • Explain features, advantages, and disadvantages of various policies to promote sale of insurance plans.
  • Perform administrative tasks, such as maintaining records and handling policy renewals.
  • Seek out new clients and develop clientele by networking to find new customers and generate lists of prospective clients.
  • Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.
  • Confer with clients to obtain and provide information when claims are made on a policy.
  • Interview prospective clients to obtain data about their financial resources and needs, the physical condition of the person or property to be insured, and to discuss any existing coverage.
  • Contact underwriter and submit forms to obtain binder coverage.
  • Select company that offers type of coverage requested by client to underwrite policy.

Tools & technology

  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Facebook
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Zoom
  • Advantage Information Systems The Agency Advantage
  • Agency management software
  • Agency Master
  • Agency Software AgencyPro
  • Allied Financial Software Act4Advisors
  • Allstar Software Systems Kofax
  • AMS Services AMS 360
  • AMS Services AMS Sagitta
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Applied Systems The Agency Manager

Knowledge areas

  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Sales and Marketing
  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Law and Government
  • Transportation
  • Administration and Management
  • Education and Training