Insurance sales agent vs direct sales agent

The differences between insurance sales 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 $49,587 average annual salary of an insurance sales agent.

The top three skills for an insurance sales agent include customer service, casualty insurance and work ethic. The most important skills for a direct sales agent are customer service, medicare, and health insurance.

Insurance sales agent vs direct sales agent overview

	Insurance Sales Agent	Direct Sales Agent
Yearly salary	$49,587	$57,712
Hourly rate	$23.84	$27.75
Growth rate	6%	10%
Number of jobs	73,485	225,552
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Average age	46	43
Years of experience	-	6

What does an insurance sales agent do?

An insurance sales agent is an individual who helps an insurance company generate new business by contacting customers and selling one or more types of insurance. Insurance sales agents conduct interviews of prospective clients to get data about their financial resources and explain the features of the various insurance policies. They analyze the clients' existing insurance policies and customize insurance programs to suit their needs. Insurance sales agents also do other administrative tasks, such as keeping records and handling policy renewals.

What does a direct sales agent do?

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 sales agent vs direct sales agent salary

Insurance sales agents and direct sales agents have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Insurance Sales Agent	Direct Sales Agent
Average salary	$49,587	$57,712
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $80,000	Between $30,000 And $107,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Hawaii	New York
Best paying company	Torchmark	TechnipFMC
Best paying industry	Finance	-

Differences between insurance sales agent and direct sales agent education

There are a few differences between an insurance sales agent and a direct sales agent in terms of educational background:

	Insurance Sales Agent	Direct Sales Agent
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Insurance sales agent vs direct sales agent demographics

Here are the differences between insurance sales agents' and direct sales agents' demographics:

	Insurance Sales Agent	Direct Sales Agent
Average age	46	43
Gender ratio	Male, 51.5% Female, 48.5%	Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 4.9% White, 65.8% 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%

Differences between insurance sales agent and direct sales agent duties and responsibilities

Insurance sales agent example 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.

Direct sales agent example responsibilities.

Increase customer understanding of Comcast products and pricing models as well as competitive advantage over other service providers.
Produce call reports and CRM dashboards.
Demonstrate strong understanding of Comcast products, promoting and selling offerings to individual customers by knocking every door within assign territories.
Contact new and existing customers to discuss how TWC products can meet their needs.
Maintain a professional, respectful, and helpful demeanor as a representative of TWC.
Communicate ongoing contact activity utilizing Salesforce.com.

Insurance sales agent vs direct sales agent skills

Common insurance sales agent skills

Customer Service, 16%
Casualty Insurance, 14%
Work Ethic, 11%
Insurance Coverage, 8%
AAA, 8%
Develop Leads, 5%

Common direct sales agent skills

Customer Service, 25%
Medicare, 15%
Health Insurance, 12%
Direct Sales, 11%
Underwriting Process, 6%
Product Knowledge, 5%

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Insurance Sales Agent
Insurance Sales Agent vs Direct Sales Agent

Updated January 8, 2025

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