What is the commission on selling insurance?
Asked by: Brennan Schinner | Last update: December 25, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (7 votes)
What percent commission do insurance agents make?
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.
What is the commission ratio in insurance?
Commission expense ratio
This ratio measures the commission paid by the insurance company against the net premiums earned by it. The higher the ratio of the insurance company, the higher is the commission which the company is paying its middlemen.
How much is the insurance commission?
Insurance agents, particularly those who sell auto and home insurance, primarily earn money through commissions based on the written premium of the policies they sell. The commission percentage typically falls from 5% to 20%.
What percentage of insurance premiums go to the agent?
The common range is between 5% and 10% of a policy's total premiums for the first year, with the percentage going down after a plan is renewed.
For New Insurance Agents - How Commissions Work!
How do insurance salesmen make money?
Insurance agents are usually paid a commission on these insurance policy premiums, which means that the more policies they sell, the more money they can make.
Which insurance has the highest commission?
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.
Do insurance agents make a base salary?
Insurance agents don't actually earn salaries, because they're independent business owners in charge of their own income. But the longer you're an agent, the greater your income potential, generally speaking – you'll get better at your work, you'll start getting referrals and your existing clients may grow.
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 commission split in insurance?
Commissions can vary widely, but it's common for independent carriers to pay 12% to 15% on new business and 10% to 12% on renewals. So, being independent and working with more insurance carriers will almost always mean you'll make more money.
How to calculate 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 much do insurance brokers make per policy?
An insurance broker makes money off commissions from selling insurance to individuals or businesses. Most commissions are 2% to 8% of premiums, depending on state regulations. Brokers sell all insurance types, including health insurance, homeowners insurance, accident insurance, life insurance, and annuities.
What is a good commission ratio in insurance?
"An ideal ICR range should be between 75 and 90%, which indicates a healthy settlement of claims by the insurer against the premium collection," says Narula.
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.
How do commissions work in insurance?
Commissions are usually a percentage of the premium that a client/member pays. Farm Bureau offers additional commission opportunities to new agents to help them get a strong start. As your customers renew their policies year after year, you'll also earn residuals, which are smaller, ongoing payments.
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 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.
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.
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.
Who is the biggest insurance agent?
Marsh McLennan
Marsh McLennan stands as the world's largest insurance broker, offering a comprehensive suite of risk management, insurance brokerage, and consulting services. With a history dating back to 1871, the company has built a reputation for innovation and thought leadership in the industry.
What company pays the best commission?
- Wishup ($1000 Per Sale) ...
- SEMrush ($200 Commissions) ...
- Trip Advisor. ...
- Coursera (Up to 45%) ...
- Amazon Associates Program (Up to 10%) ...
- Rakuten Advertising (Most Prominent Brands) ...
- eBay Partner Network (Up to 4%) ...
- CJ Affiliate (7.69% of the Market Share)
How do insurance agents get paid?
Agents typically get paid through commissions, which are a percentage of the insurance premium or on a federally regulated standard. This doesn't mean you should always try and sell the most expensive policy. When agents sell a new policy, they earn a higher commission rate compared to when that policy is renewed.
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.
How do State Farm agents get paid?
With multiple income streams, State Farm gives each agent the flexibility to determine their own income goals. Our independently contracted agents don't receive base compensation* but can earn commission, potential travel and other compensation by helping customers.