$Who Earns What

How much does a insurance agent make?

US Insurance Sales Agents

Answer: A typical insurance agent in the United States makes $62,280 a year (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Yearly pay of a typical person doing this job in the US
$62,280

Line up 100 people; this is the one in the middle (median). about 479,000 people work in this job. About the same as the US-wide typical pay ($50,980).

Lower earner
$37,330
10th from the bottom of 100
Typical person
$62,280
Right in the middle (median)
Higher earner
$138,140
10th from the top of 100

If 100 people had this job

Lowest at bottom-left, highest at top-right

Hover over a person to see their yearly pay

53 of 100
more than half

Insurance agent pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread)

Insurance agent pay in the United States (May 2025, median and spread) — Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lower earner (10th from bottom)Typical person (median)Higher earner (10th from top)People in this job
$37,330$62,280$138,140about 479,000
States where insurance agents earn the most (median, May 2025)
StateTypical person (median)People in this job
New Jersey$81,640about 11,000
Rhode Island$79,930about 2,000
Wisconsin$79,450about 8,000
Massachusetts$79,300about 10,000
Minnesota$78,640about 10,000

Why does pay differ?

In the United States, pay can depend on experience and sales: commissions change with the type and amount of insurance sold and whether a policy is new or renewed. Employers may offer salary, commission, or bonuses, and industry and location also matter.

What if you lived in a different state?

Pay varies a lot by state in the US
Whole US$62,280
New Jersey$81,640
Rhode Island$79,930
Wisconsin$79,450
Massachusetts$79,300
Minnesota$78,640
Delaware$46,710
West Virginia$45,480
New Mexico$45,180

Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.

What does a insurance agent do?

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.

What's a typical day like?

They call or meet people, ask what they need to protect, and explain insurance choices before preparing applications. They also help with renewals or claims and update client records.

How to get this job

In the US, a high school diploma is usually enough; then complete any state-required courses, pass an exam, and get licensed, often at 18 or older. Employers train new agents; life/health and property/casualty sales may need separate licenses.

Usually a bachelor's degree (preparation level 4 of 5)

Good for people who like leading and selling and keeping things organized.

Did you know?

In the US, some agents sell only one insurer’s policies, while independent agents can offer policies from several companies to match a client’s needs.

What about Japan?

Nearly the same job
US
Insurance agent (typical)
$62,280
Insurance salesperson (average)
$36,039

The US figure is the median and the Japan figure is the average, so it's not a perfect comparison. Prices differ too.

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Sources and data

Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine

Pages used for the text

Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY