How To Become A Licensed Agent: What It Is and Career Path

What is a licensed agent and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

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

The title â€˜licensed agent' can refer to many job positions, such as real estate agents, insurance agents, and financial agents. But in general, a licensed agent is someone who has the authorization to act on behalf of a private individual or organization in selling a property, product, or service.

The duties of a licensed agent vary depending on the industry they work in. For example, a licensed real estate agent is responsible for helping sellers sell their properties and buyers find their dream homes. Insurance agents, on the other hand, provide various insurance products to their clients and help them select the right one depending on their needs and objectives.

Most jobs that require one to be a licensed agent also require at least an associate's or bachelor's degree. In terms of work experience, however, employer requirements vary widely between industries. For instance, real estate agents may need to have prior work experience to qualify for a job position, while insurance agents may start fresh from graduation. The salary of a licensed agent is also different for each industry. But generally, a licensed agent earns a base salary and makes additional income from commissions.

What general advice would you give to a Licensed 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.

ScoreLicensed AgentUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,315

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 4.86%

Black or African American 9.25%

Hispanic or Latino 15.78%

Unknown 3.55%

White 66.41%

Gender

female 58.73%

male 41.27%

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

Key steps to become a licensed agent

Explore licensed agent education requirements

Most common licensed agent degrees

Bachelor's

52.2 %

Associate

20.6 %

High School Diploma

12.4 %

Start to develop specific licensed agent skills

Skills	Percentages
HIPAA	30.79%
Customer Service	11.42%
Inbound Calls	8.98%
Casualty Insurance	5.88%
Life Insurance Products	5.79%

Complete relevant licensed agent training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New licensed 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 licensed agent based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real licensed agent resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed licensed agent usually doesn't require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed licensed agent in most of states. 38 states require licensed 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 licensed agent certifications

Licensed 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 licensed agent certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for licensed agents include Certified Professional, Life and Health Insurance Program (CPLHI) and Medical Assistant.

More About Certifications

Research licensed agent duties and responsibilities

Train and manage employees and achieve significant improvements in their productivity & maintain sales go9als consistently.
Educate and advise in different investment products, such as life insurance and fix annuities.
Work with clients to satisfy financial needs offering products such as life insurance, annuities, and Medicare supplements.
Provide education on Medicare/ Medicaid coverage, rights and responsibilities.

Prepare your licensed agent resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your licensed 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 licensed 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 Licensed Agent Resume templates

Build a professional Licensed 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 Licensed Agent resume.

Apply for licensed agent jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a licensed 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 licensed agents rate their job?

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Licensed 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