Life Insurance Agents and Brokers

The job of the life insurance agent is marked by extensive contact with others. Most agents actively participate in groups such as churches, synagogues, community groups, and service clubs, through which they can meet prospective clients. Life insurance agents also have to stay in touch with other individuals to keep their prospective sales list growing.

Because they are essentially self-employed, agents must be self-motivated and capable of operating on their own. In return, the life insurance field offers people the chance to go into business for themselves without the need for capital investment, long-term debt, and personal liability.

When asked to comment on what they liked least about the life insurance field, a group of experienced agents listed the amount of detail work required of an agent, the lack of education by the public concerning life insurance, the uncertainty of earnings while becoming established in the field, and the amount of night and weekend work. The last point is particularly important. Some agents work four nights a week and both days of the weekend when starting out. After becoming established, this may be reduced to three or two evenings and only one weekend day. Agents are often torn between the desire to spend more time with their families and the reality that curtailing evening and weekend work may hurt their income. Most agents work a 40-hour week, although those beginning in the field and those with thriving businesses may work longer, some up to 60 hours.

Nearly 55 percent of insurance sales agents were women in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. This percentage was higher than their representation (about 47 percent) in the U.S. workforce.