Skip to content
degreelessjobs

Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent

Insurance sales agent

Insurance sales agents sell life, health, property, and auto policies and help clients choose coverage. Many are employed by carriers or agencies with a base salary plus commission; others are independent.

By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET

What an insurance sales agent makes

Median pay, May 2025, United States

$62,280

$29.94 an hour, median

25th percentile
$46,870
75th percentile
$96,950
90th percentile
$138,140

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.

Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
BLS
Workers without a bachelor's
53%
O*NET
Growth, 2025 to 2035
+3.3%
BLS projections
Openings a year
43,100
BLS projections

How people get in without a degree

Selling insurance requires a state license, not a degree. The path is a short pre-licensing course for each line (life and health, or property and casualty), a state exam, and a background check. Carriers and agencies hire licensed entry-level agents and train them on products; some sponsor the licensing.

The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.

The next step

State insurance pre-licensing course and exam

Typical cost
$150 to $400 for the course plus exam fees
Time to complete
2 to 6 weeks of study

Each line of authority is a separate license.

Where to start Insurance pre-licensing course

Go to AceableAgent

Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.

Pay by state

Median pay for insurance sales agents by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.

Insurance sales agents: median pay by state, May 2025
StateHourly medianAnnual median25th to 75thEmployed
District of Columbia$40.64$84,530$60,460 to $126,750—
New Jersey$39.25$81,640$60,060 to $124,46011,370
Rhode Island$38.43$79,930$61,210 to $123,0801,700
Wisconsin$38.20$79,450$57,080 to $107,9907,860
Massachusetts$38.12$79,300$72,850 to $109,3909,940
Minnesota$37.81$78,640$59,940 to $104,17010,010
New York$37.55$78,110$55,810 to $125,35022,420
California$36.60$76,120$49,370 to $104,86041,160
Connecticut$35.98$74,840$53,600 to $103,3205,230
New Hampshire$35.75$74,370$54,330 to $102,3102,320
Pennsylvania$35.28$73,370$48,870 to $100,35019,390
South Dakota$34.61$71,990$57,870 to $99,6001,870
Wyoming$34.53$71,830$54,780 to $99,550850
North Dakota$34.24$71,220$57,400 to $96,5401,460
Vermont$34.00$70,720$60,900 to $82,980730
Colorado$33.04$68,730$49,360 to $100,6009,530
Alabama$31.50$65,510$47,740 to $103,1007,430
Illinois$30.90$64,280$46,780 to $98,37016,360
Hawaii$30.85$64,170$57,930 to $79,4401,070
Maine$30.25$62,920$49,920 to $78,8602,240
Montana$29.83$62,040$50,110 to $83,2002,090
Michigan$29.76$61,900$47,890 to $88,39012,160
Georgia$29.74$61,850$45,980 to $99,43018,030
Oregon$29.66$61,680$48,230 to $85,4405,370
Nebraska$29.61$61,590$48,300 to $93,7406,160
Arizona$29.59$61,560$48,040 to $79,74011,870
Indiana$29.50$61,360$48,850 to $94,71010,440
South Carolina$29.50$61,350$44,990 to $94,8508,220
Ohio$29.45$61,260$47,290 to $81,04016,250
Utah$29.44$61,230$45,960 to $95,0704,620
Washington$29.34$61,040$48,570 to $85,90010,500
Kentucky$29.27$60,880$46,260 to $81,0006,210
Virginia$29.10$60,520$46,380 to $80,5909,480
Kansas$29.03$60,370$46,800 to $103,9806,360
Iowa$28.92$60,140$45,770 to $82,0806,840
Florida$28.75$59,790$46,010 to $79,42047,560
Missouri$28.36$58,990$41,960 to $81,96010,030
North Carolina$28.23$58,710$43,980 to $78,43020,540
Idaho$28.13$58,510$47,740 to $94,8603,200
Maryland$28.03$58,300$45,170 to $79,7005,700
Tennessee$27.46$57,120$44,710 to $77,3607,610
Arkansas$27.27$56,720$40,950 to $79,8304,580
Louisiana$26.65$55,440$43,480 to $79,5407,100
Texas$24.61$51,180$39,740 to $83,46047,060
Alaska$24.28$50,500$49,800 to $72,140540
Nevada$23.60$49,100$42,060 to $65,3804,200
Mississippi$23.04$47,930$37,420 to $78,0803,210
Oklahoma$23.04$47,920$38,360 to $77,5805,310
Delaware$22.46$46,710$45,160 to $76,9901,220
West Virginia$21.86$45,480$34,280 to $75,2601,430
New Mexico$21.72$45,180$36,500 to $71,0002,200

Questions

Do you need a degree to be an insurance sales agent?

No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 53% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is state insurance pre-licensing course and exam.

How much does an insurance sales agent make?

The median pay was $62,280 a year ($29.94 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $46,870 and $96,950, and the top 10 percent earned more than $138,140.

How long does it take to become an insurance sales agent?

2 to 6 weeks of study. The typical cost is $150 to $400 for the course plus exam fees.

Is insurance sales agent work growing?

BLS projects employment to grow 3.3% from 2025 to 2035 with about 43,100 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.

Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 41-3021.
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
  • O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
  • BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile