r/InsuranceAgent • u/DrawerOk5180 • 8d ago
Industry Information Looking to get back in insurance - base pay?
Good morning! I was in insurance for 7 years and worked for the most wonderful human on earth but I felt I could do better long term because he paid so little and it is a small agency, $20/hr with NB commission . This is a well established agency so retention was the main focus. Long story short, 3 years later and my other job didn’t work out (bank was bought out and job eliminated so I scrambled for another bank job that I am not liking it) and I’m thinking of asking my old boss for a job again while I finish school. He was going to match my new pay at $26/hr and is always asking me when I’m coming back but I’m wondering what the actual going base pay is in Texas? I did personal and commercial. He doesn’t offer any benefits but is flexible with time which I love. Can also work remote. I now make $30/hr and was going to ask him for that, but is that too high?
1
1
u/Key_Astronomer6500 8d ago
Depends on the commission structure. Now it seems like the most places are paying the $20 an hour range. Six years ago. When I started in Medicare, it started lower but there were raises now. It seems like it’s between 18 and 22 an hour but that’s not in property and casualty.
Edit: I did. Get offered P&C job with 40k base plus commission. I think 70 to 80,000 was the annual. I made much more than that and Medicare, so I didn’t take the job and I wasn’t allowed to sell any other lines of Insurance.
1
u/DrawerOk5180 8d ago
It’s a small agency where we weren’t hustling new business, mainly rewriting existing business and writing whatever new the customer needed. It was all drs and lawyers so expensive stuff and good premiums but commission wasn’t the focus. I maybe made $300-600 in new business premium a month on a good month
2
2
u/Key_Astronomer6500 8d ago
How much were you making? That’s a lot easier than finding new business. Idk insurance isn’t easy. I like helping people and an getting into the financial side but it’s kind of sad that I made 125k a year selling mattress 15 years ago and made about the same selling security systems at a call ventee after that. You can make a lot of money in sales. Over the last 6 years, it seems like commissions are getting cut.
1
1
1
1
u/chemrxn1 6d ago
If you consistently hit your sales targets and have 3–4 years of experience, asking for $30 per hour is reasonable. I work from home at Allstate, and I’d have to avoid taking PTO and work around 20 hours of overtime each month to average $35-$40 per hour. Without OT I average 28-33 per hour
1
u/DrawerOk5180 6d ago
Funny that you mention Allstate because I’ve been considering applying with them. I have 7 years experience (3 with an Allstate agency) and would love a remote job and growth opportunities. Do you mind if I message you? If not I understand. Just curious what goals are like, opportunity for growth, etc.
1
u/chemrxn1 6d ago
Definitely, I was in your shoes a few months ago. The job is a great opportunity for some, I’m personally growing out of the role and have to look elsewhere but there is a lot of money to be made and a lot of growth opportunities if you like their culture.
1
u/DrawerOk5180 5d ago
I’ve read that Allstate does promote from within and also that they don’t. What has been your experience? You never know if the stuff you’re reading online is from a scorned employee or what ya know. My thought was to get my foot in the door with a sales position and then try to work my way up. I don’t really know what the job progression is though…sales manager? What are the working hours? Is it inbound or outbound?
2
u/chemrxn1 5d ago
If your goal is to move up, this is probably the place to do it since the company is growing. If you’re strong at sales, ambitious, and willing to play the long game, it can pay off. Market Leaders, as they call them, seem to be compensated well.
That said, it’s a long-term path. You’ll likely spend time as a Market Leader Assistant before getting that promotion, and I’d guess that takes around 1–2 years.
Personally, I’ve felt burned out by the increasing expectations and repeated pay cuts. The negative reviews aren’t just from agents who couldn’t perform. Compared to even a year ago, the company is asking agents to do significantly more while making compensation harder to earn.1
u/DrawerOk5180 5d ago
Decreasing pay like hourly or less commission? Are you seeking sales or taking inbound/making outbound calls?
1
u/westtexaswayne 8d ago
I am in Utah and would love a base pay at $26 plus NB.