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The differences between insurance agents and direct sales agents can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a direct sales agent has an average salary of $57,712, which is higher than the $51,936 average annual salary of an insurance agent.
The top three skills for an insurance agent include customer service, insurance sales and health insurance. The most important skills for a direct sales agent are customer service, medicare, and health insurance.
| Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $51,936 | $57,712 |
| Hourly rate | $24.97 | $27.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 67,977 | 225,552 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
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.
A direct sales agent is primarily responsible for introducing and selling products or services to clients in a particular area. Aiming to reach sales quotas, they typically conduct market research and analysis, generate leads, and develop sales strategies to build positive client relationships. They reach out directly to clients through calls or face-to-face interactions, discuss product specifications or promos, negotiate contracts, and demonstrate products when necessary. They are also responsible for processing client orders and payments, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction.
Insurance agents and direct sales agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Average salary | $51,936 | $57,712 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $88,000 | Between $30,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Z Capital Group | TechnipFMC |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between an insurance agent and a direct sales agent in terms of educational background:
| Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 53% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between insurance agents' and direct sales agents' demographics:
| Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 51.6% Female, 48.4% | Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 5.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.4% Asian, 9.3% White, 68.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 6% |