What is a health insurance agent and how to become one

Q: Do insurance agents make good money?

Yes, insurance agents make good money. The national average pay for an insurance agent is $79,730 a year. However, it can vary widely, starting as little as $20,000 a year to as much as $174,000 a year.

Q: How long does it take to get a health insurance license?

It takes between two to eight weeks to get a health insurance license. To obtain a state-issued license requires a series of steps, including fingerprinting and a background check, as well as some course work and an exam.

Q: How much do health insurance agents make?

A health insurance agent makes around $55,653 a year ($27 an hour). There's a good deal of variability in earning potential, however. The range can begin as low as $15,499 a year ($7.94 an hour) to as high as $120,000 a year ($57.93 an hour).

Q: How much does it cost to become a licensed insurance agent?

To become a licensed insurance agent costs between $30 to $200, plus a background check that could run around $30. Depending on the state you apply in, you may be required to complete an insurance education course, and these courses can vary in price and content. Even if your state doesn't require an education course, many employers require it.

Q: How much money do health insurance agents make?

Health insurance agents make around $55,653 a year ($27 an hour). However, this can range from as low as $15,500 to as high as $120,000 a year. Factors such as location and type of health insurance agent impact how much money you can make.

Q: What does a health insurance agent do?

A health insurance agent does insurance plans. In particular, they are trained insurance professionals who can help you enroll in a health insurance plan. Their duties include attracting new clients and answering their questions, helping clients choose the best policy, and making sure all legal requirements are met.

Q: What is a health insurance agent called?

A health insurance agent is sometimes called a health insurance broker, sales agent, captivity insurance agent, or independent insurance agent. A health insurance broker is a licensed benefits professional who can help individuals and businesses manage the health insurance selection process from start to finish.

Q: What is the commission rate for health insurance agents?

The commission rate for health insurance agents is between 40% to 100% of the first-year premium and 1% to 2% for renewals. Including base pay and commission, a health insurance agent averages a total of $50,600 but can reach as high as $120,000, thanks to the earning potential of your commission.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Tom Faulconer JD, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL,CFP(r)

A health insurance agent is a licensed professional who helps individuals and businesses select and enroll in appropriate health insurance plans. They are knowledgeable about the various types of health insurance policies available, as well as the costs and benefits associated with each plan. Health insurance agents work with clients to determine their specific needs, budget, and coverage requirements before recommending suitable plans. They may also assist with claims processing and resolving issues related to coverage.

What general advice would you give to a Health Insurance Agent?

Tom Faulconer JD, CPCU, CLU, ChFC, CASL,CFP(r)

Clinical Professor, Butler University

That depends on the type of agent the person is. Most of us deal with agents who sell personal lines, such as auto and home and life insurance. Their day is filled with prospecting for new clients, appointments to review current insurance with current clients, service work such as adding autos and changing addresses, and, helping take and resolve claims. Some agents specialize in commercial lines. They spend their days prospecting as well, but also work very closely with their clients on a regular basis to assure their insurance program is appropriate. This is because commercial clients usually have very large insurance policies, make frequent changes, and have lots of service work. Plus, the relationship is the key in commercial lines.

ScoreHealth Insurance AgentUS Average

Salary

3.9

Avg. Salary $49,934

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

6.8

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.15%

Asian 4.85%

Black or African American 9.23%

Hispanic or Latino 15.75%

Unknown 3.55%

White 66.46%

Gender

female 56.55%

male 43.45%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress Level

6.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.9

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Health Insurance Agent?

Pros

High earning potential
Potential for career growth and advancement
Opportunity to specialize in certain types of insurance
Access to training and educational resources
Job stability in a growing industry

Cons

High stress environment
May require long hours, including nights and weekends
Commission-based pay may be inconsistent or unreliable
Constant changes in healthcare laws and policies can make job challenging
May require extensive travel to meet with clients

Key steps to become a health insurance agent

Explore health insurance agent education requirements

Most common health insurance agent degrees

Bachelor's

50.4 %

Associate

20.5 %

High School Diploma

12.7 %

Start to develop specific health insurance agent skills

Skills	Percentages
HIPAA	57.45%
Health Insurance	11.20%
Customer Service	8.06%
Health Insurance Products	3.28%
Health Insurance Sales	2.26%

Complete relevant health insurance agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New health insurance agents learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a health insurance agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real health insurance agent resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed health insurance agent usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed health insurance agent in most of states. 38 states require health insurance agents to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Insurance Producer
Arkansas	Degree required	State exam required	Insurance Sales Producer (Agent)
Colorado	Specific course required	State exam required	Insurance Agent
Connecticut	Specific course required	State exam required	Producer License, Individual
Delaware	-	State exam required	Insurance Agent

Gain additional health insurance agent certifications

Health insurance agent certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific health insurance agent certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for health insurance agents include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Health Insurance Associate (HIA).

More About Certifications

Research health insurance agent duties and responsibilities

Manage communication points between corporate advisers, providers and patients for medical service advisory requests.
Sold/Enrol individuals in ACA health plans over the phone by making cold calls on a daily basses.
Explain healthcare benefits cover by major insurance carriers under the ACA.
Post CPT codes and ICD-9 codes for every patient at check-out.

Prepare your health insurance agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your health insurance agent resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a health insurance agent resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Health Insurance Agent Resume templates

Build a professional Health Insurance Agent resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Health Insurance Agent resume.

Apply for health insurance agent jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a health insurance agent job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do health insurance agents rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Health Insurance Agent reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019

Pros

It give me unforgettable memories and experience In additional generating life time skills and excellence of the knowledge of is involved

Cons

It very stressful and so much calculation with the work plus graphical representation of the work experience

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

The diversity of the work flow and the diverse network of people I work with on the daily. From customers,lenders, realtors, inspectors to underwriters and Sales representatives. I enjoy assisting others, problem solving and analyzing the different needs and products available to the client.

What is a health insurance agent and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Health Insurance Agent?

What are the pros and cons of being a Health Insurance Agent?

Health Insurance Agent career paths

Key steps to become a health insurance agent

Explore health insurance agent education requirements

Most common health insurance agent degrees

Start to develop specific health insurance agent skills

Complete relevant health insurance agent training and internships

Obtain the necessary licensing

Gain additional health insurance agent certifications

Research health insurance agent duties and responsibilities

Prepare your health insurance agent resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Health Insurance Agent Resume templates

Apply for health insurance agent jobs

How Did You Land Your First Health Insurance Agent Job

Average health insurance agent salary

How do health insurance agents rate their job?

Health Insurance Agent reviews

Health Insurance Agent FAQs

Do insurance agents make good money?

How long does it take to get a health insurance license?

How much do health insurance agents make?

How much does it cost to become a licensed insurance agent?

How much money do health insurance agents make?

What does a health insurance agent do?

What is a health insurance agent called?

What is the commission rate for health insurance agents?

Search for health insurance agent jobs