How much does a life insurance agent make per policy?

Asked by: Billie Mitchell  |  Last update: June 3, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (23 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."

How much do you make for selling a life insurance policy?

Whether you are selling them to employers or individuals, these policies tend to be large, with significant annual premiums. In the first year, a life insurance agent can earn anywhere from 30% to 90% of this premium, along with 5% to 10% of premiums paid in later years.

How much do insurance agents get paid per policy?

The average commission rate for insurance agents ranges from 10% to 20%, with some agents earn as much as 30% or more. For example, if an agent sells a policy with a $1,200 annual premium, and the commission rate is 15%, the agent would earn $180 per policy.

How much do agents make off life insurance policies?

The most common way life insurance agents make money is through commissions. Generally, agents receive front-loaded commissions of 40% to up to 115% of the policy's first-year premiums, although the figure for renewals falls steeply to about 1% or 2%.

How much can you sell a $100,000 life insurance policy for?

Just like any other insurance policy, a life settlement payout for a $100,000 whole life policy would depend on your age, health condition, and policy premiums. A typical life settlement is worth around 20% of your policy value, but can range from 10-25%.

How Much Will I Make in Year 1 Starting a New Insurance Agency?

20 related questions found

Is it hard selling life insurance?

Why Is Life Insurance So Hard To Sell? It's hard to sell because it deals with the topic of death. That's something many people find difficult to consider or discuss. Furthermore, it's hard to keep trying to sell because agents find that they can't make enough money to support themselves.

What is the cash value of a $150,000 life insurance policy?

If you sell a $150,000 life insurance policy through the life settlement process, you can expect to receive anywhere between $60,000 and $105,000, depending on the specifics of your offer amount.

Is being a life insurance agent worth it?

The Bottom Line. Those who have a knack for selling life insurance, and the perseverance to grind through the tough early years, can make a lot of money and retire with a high degree of financial worth. However, life insurance agents, to be successful, must accept short-term pain in exchange for long-term gain.

What is the average cost of life insurance per month?

The average cost of life insurance per month is $26.

What kind of insurance agent gets paid the most?

While there are many kinds of insurance (ranging from auto insurance to health insurance), the most lucrative career in the insurance field is for those selling life insurance.

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.

How many hours do insurance agents work?

Insurance Agents generally work between 40 to 50 hours per week, but this can fluctuate depending on client needs, policy renewals, and sales goals. Many agents have the flexibility to set their own schedules, which can lead to working evenings or weekends to accommodate clients.

Is it hard to make money as an insurance agent?

Strong earning potential

A career selling insurance can be a good way to make money. It provides many opportunities to earn a high income with strong potential for growth. Because your income will mostly come from commissions, there can be no limit to how much you earn.

Can I make a living selling life insurance?

As a life insurance agent or broker, the most common way for you to earn an income is through commissions. Generally, you can receive front-loaded commissions of 40% to up to 115% of the policy's first-year premiums. The rates for renewals, however, fall steeply to about 1% or 2%.

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.

Why do insurance agents earn so much?

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.

How do life insurance agents get paid?

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.

What does Dave Ramsey recommend for life insurance?

Core Ramsey Teaching: You only need life insurance while you have people depending on your income. Buy a 10–20-year term policy worth 10–12 times your annual income. Since life insurance is only for the short-term, you should only buy term life insurance. (Hence the name.)

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).

Can you become a millionaire being a life insurance agent?

Some agents, advisors, and multi-line agents made a million dollars in the first year they worked with us selling life insurance! While most of the others it took 2, 3, or more years to make a million dollars per year selling life insurance.

What are the cons of selling life insurance?

Downsides of Selling Your Life Insurance Policy
  • No future payout: If you have beneficiaries who were going to benefit from your life insurance policy, you may come to regret selling your life insurance policy. ...
  • More taxes to pay: If you end up making more money than you paid in premiums, you'll pay taxes on your profits.

What disqualifies life insurance payout?

Life insurance proceeds can be denied. Some denials are legitimate, like in case of policy lapses, material misrepresentations, or exclusions in the form of illegal activities or war. In other cases, bad-faith insurers use elaborate methods to reject claims so they do not have to pay the proceeds.

Why is an IUL better than a 401k?

IUL's Tax-free income keeps 401k withdrawals from pushing you into higher brackets. IUL's participating loan lets your cash value keep compounding even while using it elsewhere. IUL's chronic illness rider provides tax-free withdrawals of the death benefit even if you're not dead, but too sick or hurt to keep working.

Is cashing out life insurance taxable?

Answer: Generally, life insurance proceeds you receive as a beneficiary due to the death of the insured person, aren't includable in gross income and you don't have to report them. However, any interest you receive is taxable and you should report it as interest received.