Sales agent vs insurance sales representative

The differences between sales agents and insurance sales representatives can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an insurance sales representative has an average salary of $61,386, which is higher than the $45,217 average annual salary of a sales agent.

The top three skills for a sales agent include customer service, customer satisfaction and life insurance. The most important skills for an insurance sales representative are customer service, excellent time management, and work ethic.

Sales agent vs insurance sales representative overview

	Sales Agent	Insurance Sales Representative
Yearly salary	$45,217	$61,386
Hourly rate	$21.74	$29.51
Growth rate	10%	6%
Number of jobs	391,987	201,879
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	43	46
Years of experience	6	-

What does a sales agent do?

A sales representative is responsible for offering goods and services to potential and existing clients. Sales representatives must display a strong knowledge of the company's products to assist customers with their inquiries and concerns. A sales representative should have exceptional communication skills and extensive knowledge of the sales industry to deliver sales pitches and negotiate pricing offers with the clients. Sales representatives must also keep themselves updated with the current market trends to provide service recommendations, improving their sales to increase revenues.

What does an insurance sales representative do?

An insurance sales representative is primarily responsible for securing insurance sales by reaching out to clients through calls, correspondence, and even appointments. They are also responsible for gathering client information, discussing and recommending suitable terms, and even providing advice to meet their needs, all while building rapport to ensure customer satisfaction. There are also instances where they have to adjust existing terms, assist in filling out applications, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, it is essential to devise strategies to find new sales opportunities, as most insurance sales representatives must reach a particular sales target.

Sales agent vs insurance sales representative salary

Sales agents and insurance sales representatives have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Sales Agent	Insurance Sales Representative
Average salary	$45,217	$61,386
Salary range	Between $21,000 And $95,000	Between $38,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Goldman Sachs	FFL Partners
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between sales agent and insurance sales representative education

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

	Sales Agent	Insurance Sales Representative
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Sales agent vs insurance sales representative demographics

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

	Sales Agent	Insurance Sales Representative
Average age	43	46
Gender ratio	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.0% Asian, 9.3% White, 68.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 3.6% Hispanic or Latino, 16.2% Asian, 4.9% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	6%	7%

Differences between sales agent and insurance sales representative duties and responsibilities

Sales agent example responsibilities.

Manage a CRM pipeline of hundreds of leads with different needs and qualifications.
Generate fresh leads through outbound telemarketing.
Achieve sales standards set for department by effectively communicating Humana campaigns to customers.
Increase customer understanding of Comcast products and pricing models as well as competitive advantage over other service providers.
Schedule and meet individuals\groups for assign or self-generate leads, assist and enroll eligible individuals in suitable Medicare product.
Adhere to all CMS, company, and carrier relate policies and procedures while growing sales.

Insurance sales representative example responsibilities.

Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
Translate and assign diagnosis and medical procedures into CPT, ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes.
Lead rep for major payer.
Monitor the performance of each account rep.
Educate physicians and clinic staff on current ICD 9 and CPT coding regulations.
Comply with company policy, procedures, and pertinent laws and regulation such a HIPAA.

Sales agent vs insurance sales representative skills

Common sales agent skills

Customer Service, 10%
Customer Satisfaction, 10%
Life Insurance, 10%
Insurance Products, 7%
Work Ethic, 6%
Cold Calls, 4%

Common insurance sales representative skills

Customer Service, 17%
Excellent Time Management, 16%
Work Ethic, 12%
Strong Customer Service, 11%
Strong Work Ethic, 11%
Lead Generation, 4%

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Sales Agent vs Insurance Sales Representative

Updated January 8, 2025

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