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What is an insurance representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Experts
Tom Faulconer JD, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL,CFP(r),
Ashley Strausser
introduction image

An insurance representative works for an insurance company to sell policies to clients. They interact with customers to assess their needs and recommend policies. Insurance representatives also explain policy details, answer questions, and help clients understand their coverage. They may also process claims or help clients modify their policies. Insurance representatives possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a thorough understanding of the insurance industry and the products they sell.

What general advice would you give to an Insurance Representative?

Tom Faulconer JD, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL,CFP(r)Tom Faulconer JD, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL,CFP(r) LinkedIn Profile

Clinical Professor, Butler University

That depends on the type of agent the person is. Most of us deal with agents who sell personal lines, such as auto and home and life insurance. Their day is filled with prospecting for new clients, appointments to review current insurance with current clients, service work such as adding autos and changing addresses, and, helping take and resolve claims. Some agents specialize in commercial lines. They spend their days prospecting as well, but also work very closely with their clients on a regular basis to assure their insurance program is appropriate. This is because commercial clients usually have very large insurance policies, make frequent changes, and have lots of service work. Plus, the relationship is the key in commercial lines.
ScoreInsurance RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
2.8

Avg. Salary $35,958

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.8

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.6
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 4.90%

Black or African American 9.39%

Hispanic or Latino 16.10%

Unknown 3.56%

White 65.90%

Gender

female 70.22%

male 29.78%

Age - 46
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46
Stress Level
6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being an Insurance Representative?

Pros

  • Opportunity to earn high income through commissions and bonuses

  • Flexible work hours and potential to work remotely

  • Job security, as insurance is a necessary product in society

  • Potential to work with different types of insurance products (e.g. life, health, auto, business)

  • Ability to work independently and manage your own schedule

Cons

  • Commission-based pay structure can be unpredictable and cause financial stress

  • Difficult conversations with clients who may be experiencing stressful situations (e.g. accidents, illnesses)

  • Time-consuming administrative tasks such as paperwork and data entry

  • High level of competition within the industry

  • Long hours may be required to meet sales goals or handle client needs

Insurance Representative career paths

Key steps to become an insurance representative

  1. Explore insurance representative education requirements

    Most common insurance representative degrees

    Bachelor's

    44.7 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

    High School Diploma

    17.4 %
  2. Start to develop specific insurance representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Customer Service17.74%
    Patients16.11%
    Health Insurance6.25%
    Medicaid4.16%
    Insurance Coverage4.00%
  3. Complete relevant insurance representative training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New insurance representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an insurance representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real insurance representative resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming an licensed insurance representative usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed insurance representative in most of states. 38 states require insurance representatives to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense Url
    Alabama--Licensed Insurance Producer
    ArkansasDegree requiredState exam requiredInsurance Sales Producer (Agent)
    ColoradoSpecific course requiredState exam requiredInsurance Agent
    ConnecticutSpecific course requiredState exam requiredProducer License, Individual
    Delaware-State exam requiredInsurance Agent
  5. Gain additional insurance representative certifications

    Insurance representative certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific insurance representative certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for insurance representatives include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

    More About Certifications
  6. Research insurance representative duties and responsibilities

    • Cold-Cal to generate leads for individual life and disability insurance and annuities.
    • Confer with AAA members to discuss options and plans for the insurance needs of family and services provide.
    • Promote AAA insurance to current, former, and potentially new customers by providing quality and accurate product knowledge.
    • Assist field agents with Medicare applications, review Medicaid state system regarding eligibility.
  7. Prepare your insurance representative resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your insurance representative resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an insurance representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Insurance Representative Resume templates

    Build a professional Insurance Representative resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Insurance Representative resume.
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    Insurance Representative Resume
  8. Apply for insurance representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an insurance representative job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Insurance Representative Job

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Average insurance representative salary

The average Insurance Representative salary in the United States is $35,958 per year or $17 per hour. Insurance representative salaries range between $29,000 and $44,000 per year.

Average Insurance Representative Salary
$35,958 Yearly
$17.29 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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How do insurance representatives rate their job?

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5 Stars

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Insurance Representative reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2024
Pros

There is no need to work in shift, especially evening or midnight shifts, disclaimer: i transitioned from the hospitality industry to insurance industry. Now i work 8-5 mostly and day off on weekends. And it has been great so far! I can finally sleep at nights now definitely!

Cons

Pay is too low especially in my country. And as we are a small firm, so career progression is super narrow. And regardless of how long i work there, pay will still be low.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

MEETING NEW PEOPLE, AND HELPING TO SOLVE THERE PROBLEMS


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A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

The diversity of the work flow and the diverse network of people I work with on the daily. From customers,lenders, realtors, inspectors to underwriters and Sales representatives. I enjoy assisting others, problem solving and analyzing the different needs and products available to the client.

Cons

Scripts, depending on who you work for.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.