Average Insurance Sales Agents Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Insurance Sales Agents is $60,370 per year. The middle 50% earn between $45,520 and $91,150, with 469,480 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2024 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 387 metro areas.
Wage range
Pay distribution
Here is how Insurance Sales Agents pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $36,390
- 25th
- $45,520
- Median
- $60,370
- 75th
- $91,150
- 90th
- $135,660
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Insurance Sales Agents earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what insurance sales agents earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
BLS projections
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for insurance sales agents from 2024 to 2034. Growth is roughly in line with the US average of about 4% across all occupations.
- Projected growth
- +3.7%
- 21,100 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 47,000
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Insurance Sales Agents earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where insurance sales agents work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Minnesota at $78,650, about 30.3% above the national median. At the metro level, Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA leads with a median of $89,030.
By state
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $78,650 | 9,470 |
| New Jersey | $78,080 | 11,080 |
| Massachusetts | $77,660 | 10,360 |
| Connecticut | $77,090 | 5,520 |
| New York | $75,860 | 20,990 |
| District of Columbia | $75,180 | 510 |
| Rhode Island | $74,360 | 1,860 |
| Wisconsin | $70,650 | 7,920 |
By metro
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $89,030 | 350 |
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $86,170 | 360 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $81,890 | 6,610 |
| Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $81,730 | 640 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $80,550 | 430 |
| Rochester, MN | $80,260 | 150 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $79,860 | 2,680 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | $79,090 | 590 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see insurance sales agents pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2024, the national median salary for Insurance Sales Agents rose from $50,940 to $60,370, a gain of +18.5% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +22.7%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $50,940 would need to be worth $62,503 in 2024 dollars.
The actual 2024 median of $60,370 is −$2,133 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -3.4% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 18.5% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +18.5%
- 2019–2024
- Cumulative inflation
- +22.7%
- US CPI, 2019–2024
- Real change
- -3.4%
- After adjusting for inflation
Annual history
Median salary over time
Insurance Sales Agents median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2019
- $50,940
- 2020
- $52,180
- 2021
- $49,840
- 2022
- $57,860
- 2023
- $59,080
- 2024
- $60,370
Similar jobs
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Advertising Sales Agents
- $61,460
- Sales Representatives Of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, And Travel
- $66,260
- Travel Agents
- $48,450
- Real Estate Sales Agents
- $56,320
- Sales Representatives, Wholesale And Manufacturing, Except Technical And Scientific Products
- $66,780
- Real Estate Brokers
- $72,280
Common salary questions for Insurance Sales Agents
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Insurance Sales Agents workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.