Agent vs licensed agent

The differences between agents and licensed agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a licensed agent has an average salary of $42,315, 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 a licensed agent are HIPAA, customer service, and inbound calls.

Agent vs licensed agent overview

	Agent	Licensed Agent
Yearly salary	$37,864	$42,315
Hourly rate	$18.20	$20.34
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	184,325	68,666
Job satisfaction	2	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
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 a licensed agent do?

Licensed Agents act as authorized brokers acting on behalf of an individual owner or organization in selling a product, service, or property. There are many different pathways a licensed agent can delve into, such as in real estate, insurance, and banking. For instance, a real estate agent uses its license to be able to sell and rent properties. Their duties include gathering property information, evaluating property estimates, marketing properties, and represent sellers in the process of negotiation. They seek prospective buyers, monitor the sale process between stakeholders, and reach a mutually agreed price.

Agent vs licensed agent salary

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

	Agent	Licensed Agent
Average salary	$37,864	$42,315
Salary range	Between $19,000 And $72,000	Between $28,000 And $62,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Kirkland, WA
Highest paying state	New York	Alaska
Best paying company	Latham & Watkins	HPOne
Best paying industry	-	Insurance

Differences between agent and licensed agent education

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

	Agent	Licensed Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 44%	Bachelor's Degree, 52%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Agent vs licensed agent demographics

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

	Agent	Licensed Agent
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 50.5% Female, 49.5%	Male, 41.3% Female, 58.7%
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, 9.2% 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 licensed 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.

Licensed agent example responsibilities.

Train and manage employees and achieve significant improvements in their productivity & maintain sales go9als consistently.
Educate and advise in different investment products, such as life insurance and fix annuities.
Work with clients to satisfy financial needs offering products such as life insurance, annuities, and Medicare supplements.
Provide education on Medicare/ Medicaid coverage, rights and responsibilities.
Provide objective information pertaining to coverage and how to obtain Medicaid coverage.
Generate referral business and cultivate individual lead sources, using networking and prospecting techniques to grow potential sales opportunities.

Agent vs licensed agent skills

Common agent skills

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

Common licensed agent skills

HIPAA, 31%
Customer Service, 11%
Inbound Calls, 9%
Casualty Insurance, 6%
Life Insurance Products, 6%
Financial Services, 5%

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Agent vs Licensed Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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