Health insurance agents are sales experts that offer health insurance as the main product. You are employed by an insurance organization to assist in accomplishing sales goals. As a health insurance agent, you should be competent in selling insurance to people and must be familiar with the goods of the organization. You are to evaluate your customer's demands and determine the best insurance goods that suit their demands. Furthermore, you should be able to discuss the characteristics of each scheme and reply to any customer's questions. Also, you have to organize and give comprehensive reports on the improvements of actions to the management. Sometimes, you may have to develop and execute marketing techniques to contend with other insurance organizations.

To qualify for this job, you need a bachelor's degree in business, insurance, or economics. A master's degree can also be used depending on the employer. Additionally, you must demonstrate self-confidence as well as good communication and evaluating skills. You will earn an average salary of $63,141 annually or $30.36 an hour.

What Does a Health Insurance Agent Do

There are certain skills that many health insurance agents have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed communication skills, self-confidence and analytical skills.

Learn more about what a Health Insurance Agent does

How To Become a Health Insurance Agent

If you're interested in becoming a health insurance agent, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 50.4% of health insurance agents have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 6.7% of health insurance agents have master's degrees. Even though most health insurance agents have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

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Health Insurance Agent Job Description

Health insurance agents are professionals licensed to sell health insurance, including critical illness benefits, hospitalization benefits, health rewards, and pre-need health benefits. They craft effective sales pitches, manage relationships with their clients, ensure that sales targets are met, and uphold the company's values.

Learn more about Health Insurance Agent Job Description

Health Insurance Agent Career Paths

Average Salary for a Health Insurance Agent

Health Insurance Agents in America make an average salary of $49,934 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $72,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $34,000 per year.
Average Health Insurance Agent Salary
$49,934 Yearly
$24.01 hourly

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Roles and Types of Health Insurance Agent

The role of a health insurance agent includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general health insurance agent responsibilities:

  • Approaches potential clients by utilizing mailings
  • Taking incoming calls from interested parties to discuss our applicable insurance plans educating callers by confirming public, private
  • Anwer up to 50 inbound calls have a professional

There are several types of health insurance agent, including:

Agent

Role:

So long to the days of claiming you don't know where you want to go for lunch because, as an agent, you have a lot of decision-making power in your hands. Be prepared to use it.

Agents help clients by acting as their liasion. They negotiate terms of contracts, particularly on a financial level. The more money you make your client, the more money you'll be able to collect. So you'll want to work on your negotiation and persuasion skills.

Agents work in a variety of industries, so you can have your pick of opportunities. Some work in the entertainment industry, while others are in the financial scene. Wherever you end up, you'll most likely be working a full-time job. Although, some client meetings can be done outside of normal work hours. This means you might want to prepare yourself for some late nights.

  • Average Salary: $37,864
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Insurance Agent

Role:

Well, insurance agents are salespeople, they have a very specific industry that they work in. Sometimes they may only sell one type of insurance, but many sell lots of different insurances. This includes car, rental and health.

While, you can get a job as an insurance agent with just a high school degree, many agents have a bachelor's degree. In addition, you need to be licensed in the state where you'll be working. But the learning doesn't stop there. Insurance agent learn a lot through their on-the-job training. Here's to learning something new every day!

  • Average Salary: $51,936
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Licensed Insurance Agent

Role:

A licensed insurance agent works for an insurance company and sells insurance policies to customers new and old. Licensed insurance agents usually have a caseload of current customers that they assist. They answer any questions that customers may have about their policies and use their customer service skills to resolve problems, such as issues with coverage. Licensed insurance agents also need to generate revenue for their company by finding new clients and selling additional policies to existing ones. They need to have excellent communications skills and an extensive knowledge of their company's policies in order to succeed in this position.

Licensed insurance agents need a license from their state in order to work. To get licensed, they need to take a short course on insurance then pass an exam.

There are many different paths to getting an insurance license. Some agents have a bachelor's degree, while others only have a high school diploma and experience working in customer service. Once they are licensed, insurance agents can earn an average salary of $70,610 a year.

  • Average Salary: $54,118
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

States With The Most Health Insurance Agent Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active health insurance agent jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where health insurance agents earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Health Insurance Agent Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California5,513$52,847
2Texas3,688$45,697
3Florida3,679$44,353
4Ohio2,652$45,985
5Michigan2,034$51,477
6Georgia1,995$44,490
7North Carolina1,703$49,631
8Pennsylvania1,594$46,680
9Arizona1,540$48,079
10Washington1,527$64,307
11Missouri1,518$45,970
12Indiana1,512$48,664
13Virginia1,456$43,592
14Tennessee1,446$44,946
15Minnesota1,356$53,375
16New York1,262$55,982
17Colorado1,146$56,797
18Wisconsin1,141$61,532
19Illinois1,112$46,805
20Maryland1,047$45,401
21Massachusetts1,019$60,940
22Alabama924$60,297
23Louisiana773$47,790
24Iowa751$47,840
25Oklahoma690$43,618
26Utah670$43,103
27New Jersey666$49,722
28Arkansas622$48,155
29Oregon596$58,541
30Kansas547$46,301
31Nebraska534$54,050
32Kentucky505$47,072
33South Carolina486$47,385
34Mississippi478$49,480
35Nevada424$44,073
36Idaho364$48,054
37Connecticut300$51,789
38New Hampshire297$64,464
39Delaware255$48,670
40Rhode Island233$58,622
41Vermont226$54,983
42South Dakota209$61,903
43New Mexico198$42,426
44Montana176$56,839
45North Dakota174$60,349
46Hawaii155$54,873
47Wyoming139$56,165
48West Virginia125$39,937
49Maine120$57,582
50Alaska69$69,582

Health Insurance Agent Education

Health Insurance Agent Majors

32.9 %

Health Insurance Agent Degrees

Bachelors

50.4 %

Associate

20.5 %

High School Diploma

12.7 %

Top Colleges for Health Insurance Agents

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-State Tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

Top Skills For a Health Insurance Agent

The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 57.5% of health insurance agents listed hipaa on their resume, but soft skills such as communication skills and self-confidence are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Health Insurance Agent Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Health Insurance Agent templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Health Insurance Agent resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

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Health Insurance Agent diversity

Health Insurance Agent Gender Distribution

Female
Female
57%
Male
Male
44%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among health insurance agents, 56.5% of them are women, while 43.5% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among health insurance agents is White, which makes up 66.5% of all health insurance agents.

  • The most common foreign language among health insurance agents is Spanish at 63.8%.

Online Courses For Health Insurance Agent That You May Like

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1. The Economics of Health Care Delivery

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In this course, you’ll learn about the key components of health care, and the economics behind their principles and pricing strategies. Professors Ezekiel Emanuel of Penn Medicine and Guy David of the Wharton School have designed this course to help you understand the complex structure of the health care system and health insurance. Through study and analysis of providers and insurance through an economic lens, you’ll learn how basic economic principles apply to both principles and payment...

2. Value-Based Care: Introduction to Value-Based Care and the U.S. Healthcare System

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COURSE 1 of 7. This course is designed to introduce you to the concept of value-based care (VBC). While the information you will explore is general, it will help you establish a solid foundation for continued learning and future thinking about the concept of VBC. Through a historical lens, you will explore the creation of Medicare and Medicaid and the evolution of commercial insurance, TRICARE, and the Veterans Health Administration. While history is an important filter for understanding...

3. Fundamentals of Insurance - 2

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Best States For a Health Insurance Agent

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as a health insurance agent. The best states for people in this position are Alaska, New Hampshire, Washington, and South Dakota. Health insurance agents make the most in Alaska with an average salary of $69,582. Whereas in New Hampshire and Washington, they would average $64,464 and $64,307, respectively. While health insurance agents would only make an average of $61,903 in South Dakota, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.

1. Washington

Total Health Insurance Agent Jobs: 1,527
Highest 10% Earn:
$94,000
Location Quotient:
1.15

2. Wisconsin

Total Health Insurance Agent Jobs: 1,141
Highest 10% Earn:
$89,000
Location Quotient:
1.14

3. Alabama

Total Health Insurance Agent Jobs: 924
Highest 10% Earn:
$90,000
Location Quotient:
1.15
Full List Of Best States For Health Insurance Agents

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Top Health Insurance Agent Employers

We've made finding a great employer to work for easy by doing the hard work for you. We looked into employers that employ health insurance agents and discovered their number of health insurance agent opportunities and average salary. Through our research, we concluded that Aflac was the best, especially with an average salary of $50,173. Optum360 follows up with an average salary of $48,508, and then comes American Income Life Insurance with an average of $53,708. In addition, we know most people would rather work from home. So instead of having to change careers, we identified the best employers for remote work as a health insurance agent. The employers include Sutherland, Lifematters, and SFG & NCC

Most Common Employers For Health Insurance Agent

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1Combined Insurance$55,849$26.8562
2New York Life Insurance$54,339$26.1282
3American Income Life Insurance$53,708$25.82126
4Assurance$52,900$25.4399
5SelectQuote Insurance Services$52,586$25.2831
6Humana$51,748$24.8895
7GoHealth$50,777$24.4130
8The Health Plan$50,482$24.2730
9Aflac$50,173$24.12163
10World Financial Group$49,853$23.9725

Health Insurance Agent Videos

Becoming a Health Insurance Agent FAQs

Do Insurance Agents Make Good Money?

Yes, insurance agents make good money. The national average pay for an insurance agent is $79,730 a year. However, it can vary widely, starting as little as $20,000 a year to as much as $174,000 a year.

How Long Does It Take To Get A Health Insurance License?

It takes between two to eight weeks to get a health insurance license. To obtain a state-issued license requires a series of steps, including fingerprinting and a background check, as well as some course work and an exam.

How Much Do Health Insurance Agents Make?

A health insurance agent makes around $55,653 a year ($27 an hour). There's a good deal of variability in earning potential, however. The range can begin as low as $15,499 a year ($7.94 an hour) to as high as $120,000 a year ($57.93 an hour).

How Much Does It Cost To Become A Licensed Insurance Agent?

To become a licensed insurance agent costs between $30 to $200, plus a background check that could run around $30.

Depending on the state you apply in, you may be required to complete an insurance education course, and these courses can vary in price and content. Even if your state doesn't require an education course, many employers require it.

How Much Money Do Health Insurance Agents Make?

Health insurance agents make around $55,653 a year ($27 an hour). However, this can range from as low as $15,500 to as high as $120,000 a year. Factors such as location and type of health insurance agent impact how much money you can make.

What Does A Health Insurance Agent Do?

A health insurance agent does insurance plans. In particular, they are trained insurance professionals who can help you enroll in a health insurance plan.

Their duties include attracting new clients and answering their questions, helping clients choose the best policy, and making sure all legal requirements are met.

What Is A Health Insurance Agent Called?

A health insurance agent is sometimes called a health insurance broker, sales agent, captivity insurance agent, or independent insurance agent.

A health insurance broker is a licensed benefits professional who can help individuals and businesses manage the health insurance selection process from start to finish.

What Is The Commission Rate For Health Insurance Agents?

The commission rate for health insurance agents is between 40% to 100% of the first-year premium and 1% to 2% for renewals. Including base pay and commission, a health insurance agent averages a total of $50,600 but can reach as high as $120,000, thanks to the earning potential of your commission.

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