Insurance sales agents
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.
Insurance sales agents 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 role reports a median annual salary of $60,370 in the US and is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.67 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include insurance law, sales promotion techniques, principles of insurance, actuarial science, claims procedures.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £31,480 a year for Sales related occupations n.e.c. (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 7129). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Insurance sales agents, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Certification Online pre-licensing training, then the IRDAI IC-38 exam through the Insurance Institute of India[1]
- 2 · First role Insurance agent or POSP (point of sales person)[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- Insurance Institute of India — IRDAI examinations for POSP/Insurance Agents (read on 2026-09-27)
2 open listings on our jobs board → Recent listings whose job title matches this career. Some jobs in this career are advertised under other titles.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Sales and Marketing
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Law and Government
- Transportation
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
A day in the life
You begin the morning going through your renewals list and calling policyholders whose cover is due to expire, reminding them of deadlines and updating their records. By mid-morning you meet a young family at their home to understand their finances and the risks they worry about. You explain the features, benefits and limits of several life and health policies in plain language, then suggest a combination that fits their budget. After lunch you attend a local business networking event, collecting contacts from shop owners who may need property or liability cover. Back at your desk you prepare a tailored proposal for a small manufacturer and send it for approval. Later a client calls after a car accident, so you guide them through filing a claim and liaise with the insurer on their behalf. Rejection is part of the job and the paperwork never ends, but knowing a family is protected when something goes wrong is deeply satisfying.
In India: In India many agents work on commission for a single insurer, often part-time alongside other work, and much of their business comes through family, neighbourhood and community contacts.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Insurance sales agents do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Insurance sales agents?
You begin the morning going through your renewals list and calling policyholders whose cover is due to expire, reminding them of deadlines and updating their records. By mid-morning you meet a young family at their home to understand their finances and the risks they worry about. You explain the features, benefits and limits of several life and health policies in plain language, then suggest a combination that fits their budget.
How much does Insurance sales agents earn?
The median annual salary for Insurance sales agents in the US is $60,370.
What is the job outlook for Insurance sales agents?
The role is projected to grow 4% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 568,800 workers.
How do I become insurance sales agents?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Insurance sales agents need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include insurance law, sales promotion techniques, principles of insurance, actuarial science, claims procedures, insurance market. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Insurance sales agents?
Our AI-durability model gives Insurance sales agents a score of 0.67 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Insurance sales agents has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.