What is a life insurance agent and how to become one

Q: Do insurance agents make good money?

Yes, insurance agents make good money. The national average pay for an insurance agent is $79,730 a year. However, it can vary widely, starting as little as $20,000 a year to as much as $174,000 a year.

Q: Do life insurance agents make good money?

Yes, life insurance agents make good money. The national average pay for a life insurance agent is $79,730 a year. However, it can range from as high as $174,000 a year to as low as $20,000 a year.

Q: How do you get certified to sell life insurance?

To get certified to sell life insurance requires getting an insurance license. Each state has different processes and requirements when it comes to insurance licensing, but these general guidelines are followed in most states.

Q: How much does a life insurance agent make a year?

A life insurance agent makes $79,730 a year. However, it can range from as high as $174,000 a year to as low as $20,000 a year. One major factor in differences in pay rate for a life insurance agent has to do with where the life insurance agent is working.

Q: Is selling life insurance a good career opportunity?

Yes, selling life insurance is a good career opportunity. Here are some of the major benefits of becoming an insurance agent: Potentially unlimited salary - Depending on your level within an agency or position in an insurance company, your compensation may include commissions on your sales. This means that the more you sell, the more you make. No ceiling. Low barrier of entry - A license and a hunger to learn and work hard are the only things you need to enter as an insurance agent. Flexibility - Insurance agents that work at whichever time of the day makes the most sense for them. This means that you have the ability to work outside the standard nine-to-five shift. Helping people - When an insurance agent delivers a claim check to someone, they are delivering peace of mind. It's more than just dollars; it's an assurance that they will be able to make it through life after a loss.

Q: What are careers in life insurance?

Insurance sales agents, insurance investigators, and insurance appraisers are careers in the life insurance agency. Here are some details about these careers and others in the life insurance industry:

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

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

A life insurance agent sells life insurance policies to individuals and businesses. They help clients choose the policy that meets their needs. Life insurance agents also help clients understand the benefits and limitations of different policies and assist with the application process. They may work directly for an insurance company or as independent brokers. Life insurance agents use communication and interpersonal skills to build relationships with clients.

What general advice would you give to a life insurance 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.

ScoreLife Insurance AgentUS Average

Salary

4.9

Avg. Salary $62,552

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 9.37%

Hispanic or Latino 16.05%

Unknown 3.56%

White 65.98%

Gender

female 46.34%

male 53.66%

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 a life insurance agent?

Pros

Flexibility in schedule and work location
Access to training and professional development opportunities
Ability to work independently or as part of a team
Potential for career advancement within the industry
Ability to offer a variety of insurance products to meet client needs
Potential for residual income from renewals and policy upgrades

Cons

High pressure and competitive sales environment
Require extensive networking and prospecting efforts to find clients
Must maintain state licensing requirements and ongoing education requirements
Must adhere to strict ethical guidelines and regulations
May require cold calling or door-to-door sales tactics

Key steps to become a life insurance agent

Explore life insurance agent education requirements

Most common life insurance agent degrees

Bachelor's

52.5 %

Associate

19.8 %

High School Diploma

12.7 %

Start to develop specific life insurance agent skills

Skills	Percentages
Health Insurance	24.06%
Life Insurance License	15.60%
Life Insurance Sales	13.77%
Work Ethic	9.75%
Lead Generation	7.57%

Complete relevant life insurance agent training and internships

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

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed life insurance agent usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed life insurance agent in most of states. 38 states require life insurance 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 life insurance agent certifications

Life insurance 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 life insurance agent certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

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

More About Certifications

Research life insurance agent duties and responsibilities

Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
License in state of VA to sell life insurance, annuities, disability income, Medicare supplements, and LTC.
Use of a variety of tools to help employers compile the best possible life insurance or annuity packages to retain employees.
Market life insurance and annuity products

Prepare your life insurance agent resume

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

Build a professional life insurance 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 life insurance agent resume.

Apply for life insurance agent jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a life insurance 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 life insurance agents rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Life insurance agent reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

It give me unforgettable memories and experience In additional generating life time skills and excellence of the knowledge of is involved

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.

What is a life insurance agent and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a life insurance agent?

What are the pros and cons of being a life insurance agent?

Life insurance agent career paths

Key steps to become a life insurance agent

Explore life insurance agent education requirements

Most common life insurance agent degrees

Start to develop specific life insurance agent skills

Complete relevant life insurance agent training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional life insurance agent certifications

Research life insurance agent duties and responsibilities

Prepare your life insurance agent resume

Choose from 10+ customizable life insurance agent resume templates

Apply for life insurance agent jobs

How did you land your first life insurance agent job

Average life insurance agent salary

How do life insurance agents rate their job?

Life insurance agent reviews

Life insurance agent FAQs

Do insurance agents make good money?

Do life insurance agents make good money?

How do you get certified to sell life insurance?

How much does a life insurance agent make a year?

Is selling life insurance a good career opportunity?

What are careers in life insurance?

Search for life insurance agent jobs

Life insurance agent jobs by state