How to hire an insurance sales agent

How to hire an insurance sales agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step insurance sales 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 insurance sales agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new insurance sales agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an insurance sales agent do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an insurance sales agent, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   An insurance sales agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, insurance sales 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of insurance sales agents and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Insurance Sales Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Insurance Sales 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.	$14-38
   Agent	Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors... Show more	$9-34
   Marketing Agent	A marketing agency is responsible for selling the company's goods and services, identifying promotional techniques to boost brand awareness in the market, and strategizing in increasing sales targets. Marketing agents identify business opportunities by analyzing market trends and public demands that would generate more revenue resources and increase the company's profitability... Show more	$11-32

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Casualty Insurance
   • Work Ethic
   • Insurance Coverage
   • AAA
   • Develop Leads
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Insurance Sales
   • Annuities
   • Insurance License
   • Cross-Selling
   • Auto Insurance
   • Outbound Calls
   • Lead Generation

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Market property and casualty insurance to potential clients while assisting policyholders with coverage and claims.
   • Follow strict HIPPA regulations while dealing with delicate information.

   More insurance sales agent duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your insurance sales agent job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An insurance sales agent salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, insurance sales agents' average salary in west virginia is 49% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level insurance sales agents earn 63% less than senior-level insurance sales agents.
   • Certifications. An insurance sales agent with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an insurance sales agent's salary.

   Average insurance sales agent salary

   $49,587yearly

   $23.84 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level insurance sales agent salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average insurance sales agent salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$65,234	$31
   2	Alabama	$61,938	$30
   3	California	$61,364	$30
   4	Oregon	$55,959	$27
   5	Colorado	$55,710	$27
   6	Texas	$55,221	$27
   7	Washington	$54,390	$26
   8	Florida	$53,809	$26
   9	Arizona	$53,709	$26
   10	Wisconsin	$53,099	$26
   11	Louisiana	$52,517	$25
   12	Nebraska	$51,523	$25
   13	Mississippi	$50,176	$24
   14	Missouri	$50,026	$24
   15	Kansas	$49,791	$24
   16	Maine	$49,691	$24
   17	South Carolina	$48,898	$24
   18	Arkansas	$48,648	$23
   19	Ohio	$48,166	$23
   20	Nevada	$48,137	$23

   Average insurance sales agent salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Globe Life	$65,335	$31.41	25
   2	Family First Life	$63,290	$30.43
   3	Elevance Health	$61,278	$29.46
   4	TCG Digital	$60,325	$29.00
   5	PEAK6	$58,134	$27.95	1
   6	AssuredPartners	$55,930	$26.89
   7	New York Life Insurance	$55,740	$26.80	97
   8	Goosehead Insurance	$55,511	$26.69	6
   9	Chambers Group	$55,260	$26.57
   10	American Baptist Churches USA	$55,078	$26.48
   11	MGC	$54,944	$26.42
   12	Symmetry Financial Group	$54,691	$26.29	20
   13	Ideal Concepts	$54,557	$26.23	1
   14	Strata	$54,282	$26.10	5
   15	Willis of New York Inc	$54,198	$26.06
   16	CoVerica Insurance	$54,048	$25.98
   17	Rubicon	$54,015	$25.97
   18	Farm Bureau Financial Services	$54,004	$25.96	54
   19	HealthMarkets	$53,751	$25.84	2
   20	First Title Agency, Inc.	$53,554	$25.75

4. Writing an insurance sales agent job description

   An insurance sales 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. Below, you can find an example of an insurance sales agent job description:

   Insurance sales agent job description example

   Our insurance office is looking for a confident, sales-driven, and highly motivated individual that's interested in a great Insurance Sales Agent opportunity. As an Insurance Sales Agent you will seek out new clients, generate lists of prospective clients, generate appointments, and develop clientele by networking, marketing, outbound calls and marketing insurance products or services within the community and across the state. This position holds a base salary + commission opportunity with future long term career advancement available. Apply today to start your path to a new sales or service career today!
   Benefits
   
   Base Compensation with uncapped commissions Paid Training Career Development & Growth Performance Bonuses Office Snacks & Coffee
   
   Responsibilities
   
   Meet new business production goals and objectives as established Generate insurance quotes and close sales Continuously seek out and prospect for new business by following sales leads generated from referrals, networking, marketing, cold-calling, social media, and lead databases Provide exceptional customer service Foster strong relationships with our customers to maintain a high level of client retention and product loyalty Provide on-going support to insurance clients as needed. Other duties as assigned
   
   Requirements
   
   Must have or be able to obtain a Personal Lines Property & Casualty License Excellent Communication/interpersonal skills. Great Customer Service Skills Driven and goal-oriented individual Previous work experience in sales, marketing, promotions or telemarketing is preferred Works well with other employees and is a team player with a positive attitude Be equipped with great listening and closing skills. Negotiation skills/overcoming objections

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find insurance sales agents for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any insurance sales agents they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level insurance sales agents with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find insurance sales 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 insurance sales 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 insurance sales agent

   Once you've selected the best insurance sales 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 insurance sales agent?