Insurance Sales Agents
Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021) earn a median $62,280 a year ($29.94 an hour) in the United States, with 479,100 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What insurance sales agents do
Insurance sales agents sell life, property, casualty, health, auto, and other kinds of insurance. They may refer clients to independent brokers, work as independent brokers, or be employed by an insurance company. They interview prospective clients about their financial resources and needs, the condition of the person or property to be covered, and any current coverage, then tailor insurance programs to individuals, often spanning a range of risks. They walk clients through the features, strengths, and weaknesses of policies and sell to businesses and individuals, including auto, fire, life, property, medical, and dental coverage and specialized policies such as marine, farm or crop, and medical malpractice. They visit policyholders to deliver and explain policies and propose changes, confer with clients when claims arise, handle renewals and records, and look for new clients by networking.
Typical entry: O*NET respondents most often report a bachelor's degree as the usual education level (about 39 percent).
Also called: Account Representative, Account Specialist, Bond Writer, Burial Agent, Compensation Agent.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.95 | $22.53 | $29.94 | $46.61 | $66.41 | $39.18 | 479,100 |
| Annual | $37,330 | $46,870 | $62,280 | $96,950 | $138,140 | $81,480 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where insurance sales agents earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $23.35 | $29.07 | $40.64 | $60.94 | $106.95 | $57.39 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $48,570 | $60,460 | $84,530 | $126,750 | $222,460 | $119,380 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $23.72 | $28.87 | $39.25 | $59.84 | $81.62 | $49.26 | 11,370 | 2.65 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $49,330 | $60,060 | $81,640 | $124,460 | $169,770 | $102,460 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $23.13 | $29.43 | $38.43 | $59.17 | $81.30 | $45.80 | 1,700 | 3.38 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $48,100 | $61,210 | $79,930 | $123,080 | $169,090 | $95,270 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $22.81 | $27.44 | $38.20 | $51.92 | $78.55 | $45.49 | 7,860 | 2.67 | 0.87 |
| Annual | $47,430 | $57,080 | $79,450 | $107,990 | $163,380 | $94,630 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $27.70 | $35.02 | $38.12 | $52.59 | $78.55 | $49.55 | 9,940 | 2.73 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $57,620 | $72,850 | $79,300 | $109,390 | $163,380 | $103,070 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $17.88 | $22.12 | $28.75 | $38.18 | $60.02 | $35.27 | 47,560 | 4.79 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $37,180 | $46,010 | $59,790 | $79,420 | $124,830 | $73,370 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.49 | $19.10 | $24.61 | $40.13 | $61.82 | $33.84 | 47,060 | 3.34 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $30,140 | $39,740 | $51,180 | $83,460 | $128,590 | $70,390 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.54 | $23.74 | $36.60 | $50.41 | $79.53 | $45.03 | 41,160 | 2.26 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $38,560 | $49,370 | $76,120 | $104,860 | $165,430 | $93,660 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $18.17 | $26.83 | $37.55 | $60.26 | $83.54 | $48.92 | 22,420 | 2.32 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $37,790 | $55,810 | $78,110 | $125,350 | $173,750 | $101,750 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $17.31 | $21.14 | $28.23 | $37.71 | $60.05 | $34.77 | 20,540 | 4.16 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $36,000 | $43,980 | $58,710 | $78,430 | $124,900 | $72,330 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $21.42 | $29.63 | $45.98 | $76.31 | $98.48 | $54.86 | 4,860 | 2.05 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $44,550 | $61,620 | $95,640 | $158,730 | $204,830 | $114,110 | ||||
| Fond du Lac, WI | Hourly | $23.59 | $34.37 | $45.72 | $73.31 | $106.43 | $57.02 | 120 | 2.78 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $49,060 | $71,490 | $95,110 | $152,490 | $221,370 | $118,600 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $24.53 | $30.34 | $40.71 | $62.34 | $85.44 | $53.52 | 6,750 | 3.46 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $51,030 | $63,120 | $84,670 | $129,670 | $177,710 | $111,320 | ||||
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | Hourly | $21.80 | $29.46 | $40.38 | $45.74 | $82.47 | $42.93 | 350 | 1.76 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $45,330 | $61,280 | $83,990 | $95,140 | $171,530 | $89,290 | ||||
| Bloomington, IL | Hourly | $20.58 | $27.03 | $39.44 | $49.16 | $85.92 | $45.88 | 780 | 8.84 | 2.87 |
| Annual | $42,810 | $56,230 | $82,040 | $102,250 | $178,720 | $95,420 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $20.75 | $28.83 | $38.76 | $62.06 | $84.62 | $51.54 | 21,280 | 2.24 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $43,150 | $59,970 | $80,620 | $129,090 | $176,010 | $107,190 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $15.07 | $21.83 | $28.61 | $47.60 | $72.21 | $36.90 | 15,800 | 3.90 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $31,350 | $45,410 | $59,510 | $99,000 | $150,200 | $76,750 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.00 | $23.22 | $36.96 | $50.20 | $77.65 | $45.91 | 14,680 | 2.34 | 0.76 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $48,300 | $76,870 | $104,410 | $161,520 | $95,480 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $17.26 | $22.43 | $28.97 | $38.02 | $57.67 | $35.87 | 14,160 | 5.02 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $35,910 | $46,640 | $60,260 | $79,090 | $119,960 | $74,620 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $17.86 | $23.03 | $33.29 | $48.31 | $78.75 | $42.24 | 11,870 | 2.63 | 0.85 |
| Annual | $37,150 | $47,900 | $69,240 | $100,490 | $163,800 | $87,860 | ||||
Top industries employing insurance sales agents
Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities employ 79.1% of insurance sales agents nationally (378,790 jobs) at a median $61,620 a year ($29.63 an hour), followed by Insurance Carriers (16.8%) and Management of Companies and Enterprises (0.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities NAICS 524200 | 378,790 | 79.1% | $61,620 | $29.63 |
| Insurance Carriers NAICS 524100 | 80,630 | 16.8% | $72,350 | $34.79 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 3,240 | 0.7% | $81,090 | $38.99 |
| Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services NAICS 561500 | 2,990 | 0.6% | $48,310 | $23.23 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities NAICS 523000 | 2,040 | 0.4% | $49,980 | $24.03 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (479,100). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $49,840 for insurance sales agents in May 2021 and $62,280 in May 2025, with employment of 422,600 and 479,100.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $49,840 | $23.96 | 422,600 |
| May 2022 | $57,860 | $27.82 | 445,540 |
| May 2023 | $59,080 | $28.40 | 457,510 |
| May 2024 | $60,370 | $29.02 | 469,480 |
| May 2025 | $62,280 | $29.94 | 479,100 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
51 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $40.64 | $84,530 | $48,570 | $222,460 | ** | ** | ** |
| 2 | New Jersey profile | $39.25 | $81,640 | $49,330 | $169,770 | 11,370 | 2.65 | 0.86 |
| 3 | Rhode Island profile | $38.43 | $79,930 | $48,100 | $169,090 | 1,700 | 3.38 | 1.10 |
| 4 | Wisconsin profile | $38.20 | $79,450 | $47,430 | $163,380 | 7,860 | 2.67 | 0.87 |
| 5 | Massachusetts profile | $38.12 | $79,300 | $57,620 | $163,380 | 9,940 | 2.73 | 0.89 |
| 6 | Minnesota profile | $37.81 | $78,640 | $49,350 | $161,030 | 10,010 | 3.39 | 1.10 |
| 7 | New York profile | $37.55 | $78,110 | $37,790 | $173,750 | 22,420 | 2.32 | 0.75 |
| 8 | California profile | $36.60 | $76,120 | $38,560 | $165,430 | 41,160 | 2.26 | 0.73 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | $35.98 | $74,840 | $42,670 | $161,690 | 5,230 | 3.08 | 1.00 |
| 10 | New Hampshire profile | $35.75 | $74,370 | $46,580 | $144,310 | 2,320 | 3.39 | 1.10 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania profile | $35.28 | $73,370 | $39,770 | $163,970 | 19,390 | 3.20 | 1.04 |
| 12 | South Dakota profile | $34.61 | $71,990 | $49,090 | $131,540 | 1,870 | 4.08 | 1.33 |
| 13 | Wyoming profile | $34.53 | $71,830 | $43,310 | $136,380 | 850 | 3.01 | 0.98 |
| 14 | North Dakota profile | $34.24 | $71,220 | $46,770 | $161,130 | 1,460 | 3.40 | 1.10 |
| 15 | Vermont profile | $34.00 | $70,720 | $51,070 | $118,890 | 730 | 2.39 | 0.78 |
| 16 | Colorado profile | $33.04 | $68,730 | $42,450 | $158,690 | 9,530 | 3.32 | 1.08 |
| 17 | Alabama profile | $31.50 | $65,510 | $36,540 | $184,800 | 7,430 | 3.52 | 1.14 |
| 18 | Illinois profile | $30.90 | $64,280 | $37,020 | $160,130 | 16,360 | 2.68 | 0.87 |
| 19 | Hawaii profile | $30.85 | $64,170 | $38,750 | $107,990 | 1,070 | 1.71 | 0.56 |
| 20 | Maine profile | $30.25 | $62,920 | $47,370 | $106,990 | 2,240 | 3.50 | 1.14 |
| 21 | Montana profile | $29.83 | $62,040 | $42,260 | $120,430 | 2,090 | 4.08 | 1.32 |
| 22 | Michigan profile | $29.76 | $61,900 | $38,350 | $131,180 | 12,160 | 2.76 | 0.90 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | $29.74 | $61,850 | $36,340 | $161,690 | 18,030 | 3.69 | 1.20 |
| 24 | Oregon profile | $29.66 | $61,680 | $44,660 | $123,800 | 5,370 | 2.73 | 0.89 |
| 25 | Nebraska profile | $29.61 | $61,590 | $37,500 | $125,930 | 6,160 | 6.02 | 1.95 |
| 26 | Arizona profile | $29.59 | $61,560 | $40,300 | $104,290 | 11,870 | 3.66 | 1.19 |
| 27 | Indiana profile | $29.50 | $61,360 | $37,890 | $128,380 | 10,440 | 3.26 | 1.06 |
| 28 | South Carolina profile | $29.50 | $61,350 | $35,140 | $154,650 | 8,220 | 3.57 | 1.16 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $29.45 | $61,260 | $37,720 | $123,370 | 16,250 | 2.93 | 0.95 |
| 30 | Utah profile | $29.44 | $61,230 | $35,270 | $132,090 | 4,620 | 2.66 | 0.86 |
| 31 | Washington profile | $29.34 | $61,040 | $44,140 | $128,680 | 10,500 | 2.96 | 0.96 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $29.27 | $60,880 | $32,160 | $144,780 | 6,210 | 3.11 | 1.01 |
| 33 | Virginia profile | $29.10 | $60,520 | $36,310 | $133,100 | 9,480 | 2.31 | 0.75 |
| 34 | Kansas profile | $29.03 | $60,370 | $38,020 | $153,520 | 6,360 | 4.42 | 1.44 |
| 35 | Iowa profile | $28.92 | $60,140 | $37,590 | $126,840 | 6,840 | 4.39 | 1.42 |
| 36 | Florida profile | $28.75 | $59,790 | $37,180 | $124,830 | 47,560 | 4.79 | 1.55 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | $28.36 | $58,990 | $31,200 | $127,150 | 10,030 | 3.42 | 1.11 |
| 38 | North Carolina profile | $28.23 | $58,710 | $36,000 | $124,900 | 20,540 | 4.16 | 1.35 |
| 39 | Idaho profile | $28.13 | $58,510 | $37,400 | $112,600 | 3,200 | 3.73 | 1.21 |
| 40 | Maryland profile | $28.03 | $58,300 | $39,050 | $133,160 | 5,700 | 2.06 | 0.67 |
| 41 | Tennessee profile | $27.46 | $57,120 | $37,130 | $122,040 | 7,610 | 2.32 | 0.75 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $27.27 | $56,720 | $34,300 | $122,530 | 4,580 | 3.51 | 1.14 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $26.65 | $55,440 | $35,140 | $103,560 | 7,100 | 3.67 | 1.19 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $24.61 | $51,180 | $30,140 | $128,590 | 47,060 | 3.34 | 1.09 |
| 45 | Alaska profile | $24.28 | $50,500 | $38,080 | $88,190 | 540 | 1.65 | 0.54 |
| 46 | Nevada profile | $23.60 | $49,100 | $37,970 | $87,690 | 4,200 | 2.71 | 0.88 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $23.04 | $47,930 | $31,910 | $104,480 | 3,210 | 2.76 | 0.90 |
| 48 | Oklahoma profile | $23.04 | $47,920 | $35,630 | $102,130 | 5,310 | 3.11 | 1.01 |
| 49 | Delaware profile | $22.46 | $46,710 | $35,950 | $100,050 | 1,220 | 2.51 | 0.81 |
| 50 | West Virginia profile | $21.86 | $45,480 | $29,420 | $106,490 | 1,430 | 2.04 | 0.66 |
| 51 | New Mexico profile | $21.72 | $45,180 | $29,290 | $99,340 | 2,200 | 2.52 | 0.82 |
Part of Sales and Related Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 41-3021 Insurance Sales Agents.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 41-3021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 41-3021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.