Insurance Sales Agents pay in the United States

Goes furthest in Wisconsin
·Sales·
479k jobs
Figures from US Bureau of Labor StatisticsOccupational Employment and Wage Statistics
$29.94/hr median
479,100 employed
+3% to 2035
60% AI exposure
High school diploma or equivalent
54 states reported
and more...

What this work is

Sell life, property, casualty, health, automotive, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as an independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.

Where the money actually goes furthest

District of Columbia pays the highest headline figure at $84,530. Adjusted for what things cost there it is worth $76,915 — less than Wisconsin, where $79,450 is worth $84,431.

Pay by state

54 states and territories publish a median for this occupation. Switch the ranking to see how much the order changes.

Adjusted for what things cost in that state.

Median pay for Insurance Sales Agents by state, ranked by what it is worth locally
StateHourlyAnnualWorth locallyAfter state taxJobs
Wisconsin$38.20/hr$79,450$84,431$76,3367,860
South Dakota$34.61/hr$71,990$81,261$71,9901,870
North Dakota$34.24/hr$71,220$80,058$71,0611,460
Minnesota$37.81/hr$78,640$79,740$74,75510,010
Rhode Island$38.43/hr$79,930$78,148$77,3281,700
Wyoming$34.53/hr$71,830$77,494$71,830850
District of Columbia$40.64/hr$84,530$76,915$80,185Not published
Pennsylvania$35.28/hr$73,370$75,197$71,11719,390
New Jersey$39.25/hr$81,640$75,029$78,56511,370
Massachusetts$38.12/hr$79,300$74,981$75,3359,940
Alabama$31.50/hr$65,510$73,755$62,4247,430
New York$37.55/hr$78,110$72,377$74,41822,420
Connecticut$35.98/hr$74,840$72,232$71,4735,230
Vermont$34.00/hr$70,720$72,192$67,989730
New Hampshire$35.75/hr$74,370$71,392$74,3702,320
California$36.60/hr$76,120$68,750$73,01341,160
Iowa$28.92/hr$60,140$68,527$58,4096,840
Nebraska$29.61/hr$61,590$68,357$59,2966,160
Kentucky$29.27/hr$60,880$67,524$58,5716,210
Kansas$29.03/hr$60,370$67,025$57,2896,360
Colorado$33.04/hr$68,730$66,695$66,4299,530
Ohio$29.45/hr$61,260$66,034$60,29116,250
Indiana$29.50/hr$61,360$65,745$59,54910,440
Montana$29.83/hr$62,040$65,546$59,4942,090
South Carolina$29.50/hr$61,350$65,440$59,1288,220
Arkansas$27.27/hr$56,720$65,240$54,6844,580
Missouri$28.36/hr$58,990$64,952$57,07410,030
Maine$30.25/hr$62,920$64,832$59,9132,240
Michigan$29.76/hr$61,900$64,331$59,50712,160
Illinois$30.90/hr$64,280$64,305$61,23516,360
Georgia$29.74/hr$61,850$64,233$59,26218,030
Louisiana$26.65/hr$55,440$62,850$54,1517,100
North Carolina$28.23/hr$58,710$62,238$56,75620,540
Tennessee$27.46/hr$57,120$62,174$57,1207,610
Utah$29.44/hr$61,230$61,936$58,4444,620
Idaho$28.13/hr$58,510$61,273$56,1823,200
Arizona$29.59/hr$61,560$61,144$60,38611,870
Virginia$29.10/hr$60,520$59,861$57,7869,480
Oregon$29.66/hr$61,680$59,674$56,8245,370
Hawaii$30.85/hr$64,170$58,362$60,7361,070
Florida$28.75/hr$59,790$57,818$59,79047,560
Washington$29.34/hr$61,040$57,041$61,04010,500
Maryland$28.03/hr$58,300$55,544$55,7115,700
Mississippi$23.04/hr$47,930$55,123$45,9223,210
Oklahoma$23.04/hr$47,920$54,553$46,1335,310
Texas$24.61/hr$51,180$52,730$51,18047,060
West Virginia$21.86/hr$45,480$50,815$44,0711,430
Alaska$24.28/hr$50,500$49,335$50,500540
Nevada$23.60/hr$49,100$49,109$49,1004,200
New Mexico$21.72/hr$45,180$48,996$44,0722,200
Delaware$22.46/hr$46,710$46,798$44,6841,220
Virgin Islands$30.07/hr$62,550Not publishedNot published60
Guam$17.79/hr$37,010Not publishedNot published70
Puerto Rico$17.43/hr$36,250Not publishedNot published2,650

National median for comparison: $62,280. “Worth locally” divides pay by the area’s price level, so a figure above the headline means money goes further there than the US average.

$62,280/year

$29.94/hr an hour, national median

Across the states

$29,870$126,750

25th to 75th percentile, lowest and highest state

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How much of this job could software do?

60%Moderate exposure
Hands, places, peopleLanguage and information

Both methods agree closely.

Method 1 — ability mix57%

Cognitive share of O*NET ability importance (element families 1.A.1–1.A.4), O*NET 31.0

Method 2 — task content62%

Importance-weighted share of O*NET tasks classed as language or information work, O*NET 31.0

What this does and does not mean

Exposure means a model could plausibly do a meaningful share of the tasks in this job. It is not a forecast that the job disappears, and it says nothing about whether any employer will actually automate it.

For what the labour market expects, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in this occupation to change by +3% between 2025 and 2035, with about 43,100 openings a year.

Which parts are exposed

  • Customize insurance programs to suit individual customers, often covering a variety of risks.
  • Sell various types of insurance policies to businesses and individuals on behalf of insurance companies, including automobile, fire, life, property, medical and dental insurance, or specialized policies, such as marine, farm/crop, and medical malpractice.
  • Explain features, advantages, and disadvantages of various policies to promote sale of insurance plans.
  • Perform administrative tasks, such as maintaining records and handling policy renewals.
  • Seek out new clients and develop clientele by networking to find new customers and generate lists of prospective clients.
  • Call on policyholders to deliver and explain policy, to analyze insurance program and suggest additions or changes, or to change beneficiaries.

Amber marks language and information work. Green marks tasks that need a person in a place.

Where insurance sales agents move next

Occupations that share most of this one’s skills, with the pay difference and the change in AI exposure.

Location

San Diego, CA, United States of America (SAN-San Diego Intl.)

Photograph by Ron Lach.