How much commission can you make selling life insurance?

Asked by: Bettye Pollich  |  Last update: April 14, 2025
Score: 4.1/5 (31 votes)

Typically, a life insurance agent receives anywhere from 30% to 90% of the amount paid for a policy (also known as the premium) by the client in the first year. In later years, the agent may receive anywhere from 3% to 10% of each year's premium, also known as "renewals" or "trailing commissions."

What is a good commission rate for life insurance?

Commission structures vary by policy and company. But typically, life insurance agents receive as commission 60% to 80% of the premiums you pay in the first year. They collect smaller commissions in subsequent years. Added up, 5% to 10% of all the premiums you pay over the life of the policy could go to commissions.

Can you make good money selling life insurance?

Insurance sales typically don't pay very well at first, but, unlike with other occupations, the longer you stick around in insurance, the more income you can make. The best agents are the ones with respected industry designations, such as chartered life underwriter.

Are insurance agents paid well?

As of early 2023, the average annual pay for a Life insurance agent in the United States was $83,442 a year. The top four paying states for Life insurance agents are New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Life agents in these states earn higher salaries than the national average.

Which insurance company pays the highest commissions?

Some of the companies that offer high commission rates to their agents are HDFC Life, Max Life, ICICI Prudential, and Kotak Mahindra. These companies also have attractive incentive schemes and bonus programs for their top-performing agents.

If I Wanted to Become a Millionaire In 2025, I'd Do This

17 related questions found

Why do most life insurance agents quit?

Research shows (opens in a new window) that 80% of finance and insurance agents feel they aren't valued at work; they feel they are “only evaluated on what went wrong or could have been done better.” This is a major issue for finding and retaining top talent, which is more important than ever (opens in a new window).

Why is selling life insurance so hard?

However, even when you locate a good prospect, the product itself is hard to sell. People are loathe to discuss or even acknowledge their own mortality. Moreover, unlike a new car or cellphone, life insurance provides none of the instant gratifications that lead people to make impulse purchases.

How many policies does an insurance agent sell per month?

How many policies does an insurance agent sell? According to the financial reports, the Official Number is 2.5 policies per month. However, many people just do it part-time.

Who is the highest paid life insurance agent?

Meet the world's highest earning insurance agent
  • Meet the world's highest earning insurance agent.
  • Gideon du Plessis failed in the 10th standard and never went to college. ...
  • A record he has maintained over the last 12-14 years, selling 700 policies yearly. ...
  • What is Plessis' secret of success?

Do insurance agents get monthly commission?

For example, if your monthly insurance premium is $100 per month, chances are your agency is receiving about $10 per month as their commission for your policy. Keep in mind, that is their gross pay, which means they still have to pay their agents' commissions, utilities, rent, and so on.

How to calculate life insurance commission?

Take your base commission and multiply that by the premium that's paid on the insurance policy you sold. If you have an override, multiply that amount by the premium as well. Take the amounts of both of those calculations and add them together to get the final amount you will earn in commission.

How do life insurance salesmen get paid?

Most professionals who sell insurance are paid largely on a commission basis. In fact, most agents aren't even employees of the carrier. More often than not, they're independent contractors who are compensated based on how much they sell, with higher commissions for certain types of products.

Why are insurance commissions so high?

Insurance Company, Policy Type, and Coverage Level

For example, a life insurance agent might earn higher commissions on whole-life policies compared to term-life policies. Similarly, policies with higher coverage often yield higher commissions, as they typically have higher insurance premiums.

What is a good monthly commission amount?

Commission structures are also a motivating factor that give salespeople some independence, help them reach on-target earning (OTE), and help managers meet goals month over month. The average commission rate for sales sits somewhere between 20% and 30% of gross margins, but this depends on the sales structure.

Is selling life insurance a good hustle?

In our opinion, it doesn't hurt that insurance is a lucrative business. You can gain commissions on the plans that you sell, so it's entirely up to you how much you want to hustle. You can also make more money with consistent renewals, so it pays in the long run to have loyal clients.

What is the most profitable insurance to sell?

Life insurance is the most profitable—and the hardest—type of insurance to sell. With the highest premiums and the longest-running contract, it brings in cash over a long period of time. In the first year, agents make the largest annual sum on a policy, bringing in anywhere from 40–120% of the policy premium.

Do life insurance agents get paid hourly?

Since the agent has no allegiance to the carrier(s) they represent, they are not paid an hourly wage to market and sell the insurance products they carry contracts for. However, when the agent does make a sale, the commissions can be much more lucrative than salary alone.

Why are insurance agents so rich?

One of the primary reasons insurance agents can accumulate wealth is their commission-based income structure. Unlike salaried employees, agents earn a percentage of the premiums they sell to clients. As they build a client base and generate more sales, their income potential increases.

What are the cons of being an insurance agent?

Cons of a career selling insurance
  • Unpredictable income. Working in a commission-based role has its drawbacks. ...
  • High-pressure work environment. Selling insurance can be stressful. ...
  • Finding new leads can be challenging. ...
  • Limited paid time off. ...
  • Experiencing a lot of rejection.

How many people fail at selling life insurance?

A more accurate statement is that 93% of agents choose to leave within three years.

What type of life insurance pays highest commission?

Commission rates for whole and universal life insurance plans are often significantly higher than those for term life policies. Agents, however, must ensure that their clients are able to meet premium payments.

Is insurance sales 100% commission?

For every policy sold, the insurance agent earns a large upfront commission. This rate can range from 40% to 100% of the first-year premium, the amount the policyholder pays for the policy. The rate is set by the insurance company, and each state has its own commission limits.

What is the highest commission paying job?

These are a few of the top sales jobs with high commission:
  • Pharmaceutical sales. ...
  • Sales consultant. ...
  • Medical devices sales representative. ...
  • Real estate agent. ...
  • Software sales. ...
  • Mortgage sales representative. ...
  • Sales executive. ...
  • Sales engineers.