Demand for talented sales professionals in the insurance industry is increasing every day. The Insurance sector offers ample opportunities for capable sales persons with expertise in a wide range of insurance and financial services. Professionals with knowledge and experience are earning handsome compensation in this field.

Most companies prefer college graduates for insurance sales jobs. High school graduates with proven sales ability may also be hired. Generally, technical experience in a particular field helps in selling commercial insurance.

The main job of insurance sales agents is to sell one or more types of insurance policies, such as life, health, property and casualty, disability, and long-term care. Life insurance agents specialize in polices that provide beneficiaries with income after the death of a policyholder. Health insurance agents specialize in policies that provide coverage for medical care in case of illness, injury, or accidents. Property and casualty insurance agents sell policies that protect a person or a company from financial loss due to accidents, storms, fire, theft, and other events. Many insurance professionals are expanding their services to include estate planning, retirement planning, and assistance in setting up pension plans.

Each agent who intends to sell insurance in a state needs to acquire a license from that state. Agents who wish to sell different types of policies need separate licenses to do so. Most states ask applicants to pass specified examinations before issuing a license.

Selling insurance policies to clients is a very challenging job. It demands the sales professional to be flexible, enthusiastic, hard working, confident, disciplined, and willing to solve problems. To be successful in this industry, the sales professional should have excellent communication skills and the ability to inspire customer confidence. He/she should be able to plan his/her time and have the initiative to locate new clients. Usually insurance needs of the clients are affected by changes in tax laws, government benefits programs, and other State and Federal regulations. Therefore, insurance professionals should be up to date on these issues. A sales professional with ability and leadership qualities could very soon find themselves as a sales manager within their respective company as opportunities for growth or advancement are good.

The annual earnings of insurance sales agents range between $35,000 to $70,000. Sales agents who are employees of an agency or an insurance carrier are generally paid in one of three ways: salary only, salary plus commission, or salary plus bonus. The commission depends on the amount and type of insurance sold. Bonuses are given when the company meets its profit goals. Companies also offer benefits like group insurance plans, clerical support services, training to qualify for licensing, etc. Some companies also pay for marketing and transportation expenses. Independent agents working for insurance agencies are paid by commission only. They receive fewer benefits but their commissions are usually higher to help them pay for marketing and other expenses.

With insurance policies becoming more and more complex, most people feel the need for advice of a professional agent to buy insurance. Moreover, a majority of individuals and businesses consider insurance a necessity. This means the demand for insurance sales professionals and insurance sales job opportunities will remain high in the future.