Agent vs insurance agent

The differences between agents and insurance agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an insurance agent has an average salary of $51,936, which is higher than the $37,864 average annual salary of an agent.

The top three skills for an agent include insurance products, customer service and life insurance. The most important skills for an insurance agent are customer service, insurance sales, and health insurance.

Agent vs insurance agent overview

	Agent	Insurance Agent
Yearly salary	$37,864	$51,936
Hourly rate	$18.20	$24.97
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	184,325	67,977
Job satisfaction	2	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	-	-

What does an agent do?

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

What does an insurance agent do?

An insurance agent is responsible for inviting potential clients to the insurance company by offering different insurance services. Insurance agents must have a comprehensive knowledge of insurance types to provide the clients with the best insurance option in the market. The insurance agents should evaluate a client's long-term needs and financial goals to create individual packages as the insurance company allowed. An insurance agent also handles policy renewals and keeps customers' insurance files for reference.

Agent vs insurance agent salary

Agents and insurance agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Agent	Insurance Agent
Average salary	$37,864	$51,936
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $72,000	Between $30,000 And $88,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	Hawaii
Best paying company	Latham & Watkins	Z Capital Group
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between agent and insurance agent education

There are a few differences between an agent and an insurance agent in terms of educational background:

	Agent	Insurance Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Agent vs insurance agent demographics

Here are the differences between agents' and insurance agents' demographics:

	Agent	Insurance Agent
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between agent and insurance agent duties and responsibilities

Agent example responsibilities.

Schedule and meet individuals\groups for assign or self-generate leads, assist and enroll eligible individuals in suitable Medicare product.
Verify documentation and coding using CPT and ICD-9 correct coding standards.
Assist TANF customers with obtaining employment.
Direct compliance with all CPT and Medicare guidelines.
Train BDC representatives on phone skills and CRM use.
Bill appropriate ICD-9 codes to the correct insurance companies.

Insurance agent example responsibilities.

Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
Maintain personal and confidential Medicare & Medicaid customer information following all HIPAA.
Follow all applicable HIPPA and privacy regulations.
Explain medical plans to Medicare / Medicaid eligible clients to ensure best fit.
Identify and solicit sales prospects in agency database and in the general marketplace.
Develop productive business relationships with key marketplace players by identifying the right products and services.

Agent vs insurance agent skills

Common agent skills

Insurance Products, 11%
Customer Service, 10%
Life Insurance, 8%
HR, 6%
Inbound Calls, 6%
Financial Services, 6%

Common insurance agent skills

Customer Service, 25%
Insurance Sales, 8%
Health Insurance, 6%
Life Insurance Products, 6%
Financial Resources, 6%
Auto Insurance, 5%

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Agent vs Insurance Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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