What is an insurance sales agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

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

An insurance sales agent sells various types of insurance policies to individuals and businesses. They help clients understand the benefits and limitations of different insurance plans, and tailor policies to their needs. Insurance sales agents also assess risks and make recommendations to mitigate potential losses. They work to generate new leads, build relationships with clients, and meet sales targets. A successful insurance sales agent needs communication and interpersonal skills and an understanding of the insurance industry.

What general advice would you give to an insurance sales agent?

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

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 Sales AgentUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,587

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 4.91%

Black or African American 9.41%

Hispanic or Latino 16.13%

Unknown 3.56%

White 65.85%

Gender

female 48.51%

male 51.49%

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 sales agent?

Pros

Opportunity for career advancement
Flexible working hours
Training and support provided by the company
Potential for residual income from renewals
Ability to work in a stable industry with consistent demand

Cons

Pressure to meet sales quotas and targets
Challenging to build a client base initially
May require long hours and weekend work to accommodate clients' schedules
Potential for rejection and difficult conversations with clients
Can be stressful due to the high stakes involved in protecting clients' assets and wellbeing

Key steps to become an insurance sales agent

Explore insurance sales agent education requirements

Most common insurance sales agent degrees

Bachelor's

50.8 %

Associate

20.8 %

High School Diploma

14.7 %

Start to develop specific insurance sales agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	16.10%
Casualty Insurance	13.70%
Work Ethic	10.82%
Insurance Coverage	7.73%
AAA	7.70%

Complete relevant insurance sales agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New insurance sales agents 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 sales agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real insurance sales agent resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed insurance sales agent usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed insurance sales agent in most of states. 38 states require insurance sales agents to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Insurance Producer
Arkansas	Degree required	State exam required	Insurance Sales Producer (Agent)
Colorado	Specific course required	State exam required	Insurance Agent
Connecticut	Specific course required	State exam required	Producer License, Individual
Delaware	-	State exam required	Insurance Agent

Gain additional insurance sales agent certifications

Insurance sales agent 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 sales agent certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for insurance sales agents include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research insurance sales agent duties and responsibilities

Train and manage employees and achieve significant improvements in their productivity & maintain sales go9als consistently.
Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
Calculate rates and premiums for fire, casualty insurance, automobile, homeowners, and other specialize insurance policies.
License property and casualty insurance agent and office manager.

Prepare your insurance sales agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your insurance sales agent 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 sales agent 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 sales agent resume templates

Build a professional insurance sales agent 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 sales agent resume.

Apply for insurance sales agent jobs

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

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

How do insurance sales agents rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Insurance sales agent reviews

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.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019