What does a Life Insurance Agent do?

Updated January 8, 2025
7 min read
What does a Life Insurance Agent do

A life insurance agent is responsible for offering life insurance services for clients according to their needs and qualifications. Life insurance agents handle insurance claims of the beneficiaries, ensuring the accuracy of documents and account statements for verification. They also discuss possible options and alternatives, as well as considering the clients' long-term financial goals and objectives. A life insurance agent must be well-knowledgeable of the insurance services offered by the company, discussing policies and coverage to suit the clients' best interests.

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Life insurance agent responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real life insurance agent resumes:

  • Used consultative upselling techniques to provide leads
  • License in state of VA to sell life insurance, annuities, disability income, Medicare supplements, and LTC.
  • Use of a variety of tools to help employers compile the best possible life insurance or annuity packages to retain employees.
  • Market life insurance and annuity products
  • Maintain knowledge of states insurance laws and HIPPA compliance.
  • Examine doors, windows and gates to ensure that they are secure.
  • Bootstrap hundreds of field agents which are on windows and linux environments.
  • Follow HIPPA laws, privacy regulations, and enrollment procedures to remain in compliance.
  • Serve subpoenas, copy records, pick up records, blueprints, x-rays, and deliver records.
  • Create forms and a filing system to keep track of all customer information while maintaining HIPAA standards and regulations.
  • Provide the sale and service of insurance products in addition to mutual funds and variable annuities in connection with prudent estate planning
  • Handle and protect confidential information by following HIPAA guidelines.
  • Analyze market conditions to determine optimum times to execute securities transactions.
  • Assist customers with federal marketplace applications, tax credits assistance and problem specific directory.
  • Review all securities transactions to ensure accuracy of information and conformance to governing agency regulations.

Life insurance agent skills and personality traits

We calculated that 24% of Life Insurance Agents are proficient in Health Insurance, Life Insurance License, and Life Insurance Sales. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Initiative.

We break down the percentage of Life Insurance Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Health Insurance, 24%

    Conducted in-person meetings with policy-holders to determine and establish strategies regarding life and health insurance coverage's.

  • Life Insurance License, 16%

    Field underwriter-Pennsylvania Life insurance licensed agent

  • Life Insurance Sales, 14%

    Licensed North Carolina Life Insurance Sales Representative!

  • Work Ethic, 10%

    Broaden my work ethic and people skills.

  • Lead Generation, 8%

    Develop community networking to increase new business and lead generation.

  • Develop Leads, 5%

    Develop leads, schedule appointments, identify customer needs, market appropriate products and services.

Most life insurance agents use their skills in "health insurance," "life insurance license," and "life insurance sales" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential life insurance agent responsibilities here:

Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a life insurance agent to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "insurance sales agents must evaluate the needs of each client to determine the appropriate insurance policy." Additionally, a life insurance agent resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "conduct needs analysis sales presentations penetrate new client territories financial planning and personal account management"

Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling life insurance agent duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "insurance sales agents must listen to clients and be able to clearly explain suitable policies." According to a life insurance agent resume, here's how life insurance agents can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "set up meeting with clients and insure proper communication educate clients about the importance of life insurance. "

Initiative. This is an important skill for life insurance agents to perform their duties. For an example of how life insurance agent responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "insurance sales agents need to actively seek out new clients in order to increase business." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a life insurance agent: "provide strategic leadership and expertise to sales initiatives involving term life insurance. ".

Self-confidence. A big part of what life insurance agents do relies on "self-confidence." You can see how essential it is to life insurance agent responsibilities because "insurance sales agents should be confident when contacting prospective clients." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical life insurance agent tasks: "used suitability, networking and confidentiality skills to sell property & casualty insurance products. "

See the full list of life insurance agent skills

The three companies that hire the most life insurance agents are:

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Compare different life insurance agents

Life insurance agent vs. Agent assistant

A sales producer is responsible for performing sales calls and administering all leads. You will be responsible for preparing the policies aimed at sales procedures and developing the necessary sales documents. Other responsibilities include making sure that all sales personnel adhere to all policies and procedures, coordinating with customers about policy expiration dates, and maintaining strong and long-lasting relationships with customers. As a sales producer, you will be responsible for managing prospective sale campaigns and managing all correspondence with both prospective and existing clients.

The annual salary of agent assistants is $25,148 lower than the average salary of life insurance agents.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both life insurance agent and agent assistant positions are skilled in health insurance, develop leads, and customer service.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a life insurance agent are more likely to require skills like "life insurance license," "life insurance sales," "work ethic," and "strong work ethic." On the other hand, a job as an agent assistant requires skills like "insurance policies," "inbound calls," "auto insurance," and "scheduling appointments." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

Agent assistants tend to make the most money working in the real estate industry, where they earn an average salary of $42,564. In contrast, life insurance agents make the biggest average salary, $65,179, in the insurance industry.The education levels that agent assistants earn slightly differ from life insurance agents. In particular, agent assistants are 2.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a life insurance agent. Additionally, they're 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Life insurance agent vs. Sales producer

Agents are individuals who are employed by their clients to represent them in various dealings. Agents are usually employed by people in the show business industry, such as actors, writers, or directors. They meet people who are interested in dealing with their clients. They listen to the plans and vision for the project and assess if the project fits their clients' interests or public image. In the case of agents whose clients are actors, they send their clients to auditions upon review of the project details. Agents are also responsible for negotiating terms on behalf of their clients, such as salary, royalties, and set benefits, among others. They also inform the project leaders of their clients' demands on set. Agents are expected to be business-savvy and good negotiators.

Sales producer positions earn lower pay than life insurance agent roles. They earn a $11,265 lower salary than life insurance agents per year.While the salary may differ for these jobs, they share a few skills needed to perform their duties. Based on resume data, both life insurance agents and sales producers have skills such as "health insurance," "strong work ethic," and "lead generation. "

Each career also uses different skills, according to real life insurance agent resumes. While life insurance agent responsibilities can utilize skills like "life insurance license," "life insurance sales," "work ethic," and "life insurance products," sales producers use skills like "insurance products," "business relationships," "insurance sales," and "cross-selling."

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Sales producers tend to reach similar levels of education than life insurance agents. In fact, they're 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Life insurance agent vs. Licensed sales producer

On average, licensed sales producers earn lower salaries than life insurance agents, with a $24,199 difference per year.life insurance agents and licensed sales producers both have job responsibilities that require similar skill sets. These similarities include skills such as "health insurance," "develop leads," and "customer service," but they differ when it comes to other required skills.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from life insurance agent resumes include skills like "life insurance license," "life insurance sales," "work ethic," and "strong work ethic," whereas a licensed sales producer is more likely to list skills in "policy changes," "customer relationships," "insurance quotes," and "processing payments. "

Licensed sales producers earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $39,583. Life insurance agents earn the highest pay from the insurance industry, with an average salary of $65,179.licensed sales producers typically earn similar educational levels compared to life insurance agents. Specifically, they're 2.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Life insurance agent vs. Agent

Agents typically earn lower pay than life insurance agents. On average, agents earn a $24,688 lower salary per year.While both life insurance agents and agents complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like health insurance, financial services, and annuities, the two careers vary in some skills.

Even though a few skill sets overlap between life insurance agents and agents, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a life insurance agent might have more use for skills like "life insurance license," "life insurance sales," "work ethic," and "strong work ethic." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of agents require skills like "insurance products," "hr," "inbound calls," and "real estate. "

In general, agents hold similar degree levels compared to life insurance agents. Agents are 1.3% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of life insurance agent

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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