How to hire an agent

How to hire an agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step agent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an agent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the agent you need to hire. Certain agent roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, agents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of agents.

   Type of Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Agent	Insurance sales agents help insurance companies generate new business by contacting potential customers and selling one or more types of insurance. Insurance sales agents explain various insurance policies and help clients choose plans that suit them.	$9-34
   Licensed Insurance Agent	A licensed insurance agent is primarily responsible for finding and utilizing opportunities to secure insurance sales. Moreover, a licensed insurance agent must reach out to potential clients, discuss and negotiate terms, respond to inquiries, and perform various assessments to determine their ability to uphold financial obligations... Show more	$15-42
   Customer Service Agent	Customer service agents are employees assigned to answer incoming calls to their company's service hotline. They are equipped with proper training on company products and policies so that they can assist customers... Show more	$11-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Insurance Products
   • Customer Service
   • Life Insurance
   • HR
   • Inbound Calls
   • Financial Services
   • Real Estate
   • Outbound Calls
   • Health Insurance
   • Windows
   • Customer Issues
   • Credit Card
   • Troubleshoot
   • Telephone Calls

   Check all skills

   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.

   More agent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your agent job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An agent can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, agents' average salary in idaho is 53% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level agents 74% less than senior-level agents.
   • Certifications. An agent with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an agent's salary.

   Average agent salary

   $37,864yearly

   $18.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level agent salary

   $19,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average agent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$58,324	$28
   2	Massachusetts	$52,774	$25
   3	Wisconsin	$46,782	$22
   4	Indiana	$45,749	$22
   5	Maine	$45,491	$22
   6	Maryland	$44,555	$21
   7	Illinois	$43,218	$21
   8	Nebraska	$42,816	$21
   9	Kentucky	$41,781	$20
   10	Pennsylvania	$41,577	$20
   11	California	$41,207	$20
   12	South Carolina	$41,151	$20
   13	Missouri	$40,707	$20
   14	North Carolina	$40,659	$20
   15	Oregon	$40,131	$19
   16	Texas	$39,462	$19
   17	Virginia	$38,832	$19
   18	Colorado	$37,888	$18
   19	Florida	$37,516	$18
   20	Arizona	$36,957	$18

   Average agent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Latham & Watkins	$203,605	$97.89	4
   2	Barclays	$105,524	$50.73
   3	Southern California Edison	$103,584	$49.80
   4	University of Maryland, Baltimore	$103,406	$49.71	13
   5	NTT Data International L.L.C.	$91,002	$43.75	6
   6	NV Energy	$84,760	$40.75
   7	Tata Group	$84,343	$40.55	4
   8	Wipro Limited	$81,725	$39.29	4
   9	Volkert	$80,103	$38.51	6
   10	AECOM	$76,163	$36.62
   11	HDR	$74,551	$35.84	11
   12	Hospice of the Western Reserve	$72,455	$34.83
   13	Salesforce	$72,107	$34.67	24
   14	Syska Hennessy Group	$70,240	$33.77	8
   15	General Electric	$66,407	$31.93	11
   16	ASML Holding	$65,817	$31.64
   17	TRC Companies	$64,827	$31.17	15
   18	United Talent Agency	$64,478	$31.00
   19	Lcra	$63,236	$30.40	2
   20	Martin Mgmt Group	$62,042	$29.83

4. Writing an agent job description

   An agent job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an agent job description:

   Agent job description example

   Job DescriptionJob Description
   
   

   You're serious about your career, and rest assured you've come to the right place. At BMW of Monrovia , a Sonic Automotive family dealership, you'll find the opportunities, resources, and support you need to grow and develop professionally. Our 100+ dealerships are concerned with more than moving inventory; they're committed to your success and invested in your future. So read on, and consider a rewarding career with Sonic Automotive, Inc.

   Purpose:

   
   Our world class organization currently has an opening for our loaner car department as a Transportation Agent.
   
   

   Duties and Responsibilities:

   · Assist customers during rental car process, preparing vehicles, and during transaction process.

   · Aid staff in handling escalated customer needs.

   · Maintain and adhere to rental policies and procedures

   Join us now for an exciting and fast paced opportunity!!!

   It's time to make the most important move of your career: the move to BMW of Monrovia. From our cooperative, team-based approach, to our more than 1,000 internal advancements each year, it's easy to see the BMW of Monrovia difference. When you join our organization, you'll enjoy comprehensive training, competitive compensation, and unparalleled benefits. Simply put, you'll experience the best that a career in the automotive industry has to offer.

   Qualifications
   
   

   · Experience at a rental car facility

   · Good organization skills and attention to detail

   · Must have excellent communication skills

   · All applicants must be authorized to work in the USA

   · All applicants must perform duties and responsibilities in a safe manner

   · All applicants must be able to demonstrate ability to pass pre-employment testing to include background checks, MVR, drug test, and valid driver license

   
   
   Additional Information
   
   

   All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find agents for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   To find agent candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with agent candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new agent

   Once you've selected the best agent candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new agent first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an agent?