Career Trends: Insurance Sales Agents

Insurance sales agents contact potential customers and sell one or more types of insurance. Insurance sales agents explain various insurance policies and help clients choose plans that suit them.

Although most insurance sales agents work for insurance agencies and brokerages, both of which sell the policies of several companies, some work directly for a single insurance company. Most insurance sales agents work in offices, although some may spend time traveling to meet with clients.

Although most employers require agents to have a high school diploma, many agents have a bachelor’s degree. Agents must be licensed in the states where they work.

Employment of insurance sales agents is projected to grow 9 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. An aging population and changes in federal regulation may increase demand for agents who sell health and long-term care insurance.

This occupation supported 443,400 jobs in 2012 and 466,100 jobs in 2014, reflecting an increase of 5.1%. In 2012, this occupation was projected to increase by 10.4% in 2022 to 489,300 jobs. As of 2014, to keep pace with prediction, the expected number of jobs was 452,500, compared with an observed value of 466,100, 3.0% higher than expected. This indicates current employment trends are better than the 2012 trend within this occupation. In 2014, this occupation was projected to increase by 9.8% in 2024 to 509,500 jobs. Linear extrapolation of the 2012 projection for 2022 results in an expected number of 498,400 jobs for 2024, 2.2% lower than the 2014 projection for 2024. This indicates expectations for future employment trends are better than the 2012 trend within this occupation.