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The differences between licensed 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 $54,118 average annual salary of a licensed insurance agent.
The top three skills for a licensed insurance agent include excellent time management, work ethic and strong customer service. The most important skills for a direct sales agent are customer service, medicare, and health insurance.
| Licensed Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Yearly salary | $54,118 | $57,712 |
| Hourly rate | $26.02 | $27.75 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 78,016 | 225,552 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Years of experience | - | 6 |
A licensed insurance agent is primarily responsible for finding and utilizing opportunities to secure insurance sales. Moreover, a licensed insurance agent must reach out to potential clients, discuss and negotiate terms, respond to inquiries, and perform various assessments to determine their ability to uphold financial obligations. Besides building a client base, they also need to handle current policies, process renewals, monitor claims, maintain an accurate record of transactions, prepare progress reports and strategies, and distribute policy proceeds according to the company rules and regulations.
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.
Licensed insurance agents and direct sales agents have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Licensed Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Average salary | $54,118 | $57,712 |
| Salary range | Between $32,000 And $88,000 | Between $30,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | New York, NY |
| Highest paying state | Hawaii | New York |
| Best paying company | Torchmark | TechnipFMC |
| Best paying industry | Finance | - |
There are a few differences between a licensed insurance agent and a direct sales agent in terms of educational background:
| Licensed Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 50% | Bachelor's Degree, 53% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between licensed insurance agents' and direct sales agents' demographics:
| Licensed Insurance Agent | Direct Sales Agent | |
| Average age | 46 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.0% Female, 61.0% | Male, 58.0% Female, 42.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 4.9% White, 66.5% 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% |