What is the average commission for life insurance?

Asked by: Emery Jakubowski  |  Last update: October 9, 2025
Score: 5/5 (9 votes)

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.

How much commission do life insurance agents get?

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 does a life insurance agent make per deal?

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?

A typical life settlement is worth around 20% of your policy value, but can range from 10-25%. So for a 100,000 dollar policy, you would be looking at anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 dollars.

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.

Commission Rates for Independent Life Insurance Agents - What Contract Levels Should You Get?

21 related questions found

What is the trail commission on life insurance?

Trailing commissions are essentially ongoing payments made to financial intermediaries. They're fees for the distribution and servicing of certain investment products. These commissions are paid periodically, typically as a percentage of the assets under management.

How do I calculate my commission?

Lesson Summary. Commission is earnings from a sale. Typically, companies pay out a percentage based on total sales revenue. Commission can be calculated with this formula: commission = total sales revenue * commission rate.

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.

Is life insurance 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.

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?

What is the average cost of life insurance per month?

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

How much do insurance agents make per deal?

For auto and home policies, captive insurance agents earn about 5% to 10% of the entire premiums paid for the first year, while independent agents receive about 15%. Commission rates for renewals range between 2% and 15%, averaging around 2% to 5%, regardless of the type of agent.

Why did I quit being an insurance agent?

There's two big reasons why insurance agents quit: they don't feel valued, and they aren't given the technology they need to do their jobs well. In addition, managing commissions while hitting performance goals is a stressful part of the job for many insurance agents.

What insurance has the highest commission?

Life insurance: These policies generally offer higher commission rates, especially for the first year. Agents might earn a significant percentage of the initial premium. Health insurance: Commission rates for health insurance policies can be lower than life insurance, especially with group policies.

What is a good commission rate?

The industry average for sales commission typically falls between 20% and 30% of gross margins. At the low end, sales professionals may earn 5% of a sale, while straight commission structures allow a 100% commission.

What is a 70% commission split?

Calculate a Standard Commission Split

A common agent/broker commission split is 70/30. In this case, 70% of the commission on a sale goes to the brokerage and 30% to the agent.

What is the commission on a $10 million dollar home?

Commission on a $10 Million Dollar Home:

Selling a $10 million dollar home entails a unique commission structure, often negotiated between sellers and agents. Commissions typically range from 5-6% of the sale price, translating to $500,000 to $600,000.

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.

Are life insurance riders worth it?

Adding riders to your insurance policy can be a powerful way to customize your coverage, addressing specific needs and enhancing financial protection.

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.

Which life insurance agents make the most money?

Top paying companies in Insurance for Life Insurance Agent are National Agents Alliance, New York Life, and National Income Life.

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.

Which insurance company has the highest payout?

India's biggest general insurer, the state-controlled New India Assurance, with a claims settlement ratio of 98.74% of the total amount claimed in 2023, led the health insurance sector, according to data released by the Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI).