Insurance Sales Agents Salary
Insurance Sales Agents in Altoona, PA make a median of $55,380 a year, or about $26.62 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $119K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.51), which stretches that salary to about $61,870 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,138/month, about 30.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $55K actually covers in Altoona, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Altoona’s Regional Price Parity (89.51). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About insurance sales agents
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What this looks like in Altoona
Pay for insurance sales agents in Altoona runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $62K. Rent runs $1,138/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.5% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.51 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance sales agents in metros near Altoona, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $82K | $80K |
| Pittsburgh | $60K | $63K |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle | $65K | $66K |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $75K | $75K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Altoona, PA
Entry-level insurance sales agents (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $119K or more, a $81K spread from bottom to top.
Insurance Sales Agents pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Insurance Sales Agents salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $85K | +36% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $82K | +31% | 11,370 |
| Rhode Island | $80K | +28% | 1,700 |
| Wisconsin | $79K | +28% | 7,860 |
| Massachusetts | $79K | +27% | 9,940 |
| Minnesota | $79K | +26% | 10,010 |
| New York | $78K | +25% | 22,420 |
| California | $76K | +22% | 41,160 |
| Connecticut | $75K | +20% | 5,230 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | +19% | 2,320 |
| Pennsylvania | $73K | +18% | 19,390 |
| South Dakota | $72K | +16% | 1,870 |
| Wyoming | $72K | +15% | 850 |
| North Dakota | $71K | +14% | 1,460 |
| Vermont | $71K | +14% | 730 |
| Colorado | $69K | +10% | 9,530 |
| Alabama | $66K | +5% | 7,430 |
| Illinois | $64K | +3% | 16,360 |
| Hawaii | $64K | +3% | 1,070 |
| Maine | $63K | +1% | 2,240 |
| Montana | $62K | -0% | 2,090 |
| Michigan | $62K | -1% | 12,160 |
| Georgia | $62K | -1% | 18,030 |
| Oregon | $62K | -1% | 5,370 |
| Nebraska | $62K | -1% | 6,160 |
| Arizona | $62K | -1% | 11,870 |
| Indiana | $61K | -1% | 10,440 |
| South Carolina | $61K | -1% | 8,220 |
| Ohio | $61K | -2% | 16,250 |
| Utah | $61K | -2% | 4,620 |
| Washington | $61K | -2% | 10,500 |
| Kentucky | $61K | -2% | 6,210 |
| Virginia | $61K | -3% | 9,480 |
| Kansas | $60K | -3% | 6,360 |
| Iowa | $60K | -3% | 6,840 |
| Florida | $60K | -4% | 47,560 |
| Missouri | $59K | -5% | 10,030 |
| North Carolina | $59K | -6% | 20,540 |
| Idaho | $59K | -6% | 3,200 |
| Maryland | $58K | -6% | 5,700 |
| Tennessee | $57K | -8% | 7,610 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -9% | 4,580 |
| Louisiana | $55K | -11% | 7,100 |
| Texas | $51K | -18% | 47,060 |
| Alaska | $51K | -19% | 540 |
| Nevada | $49K | -21% | 4,200 |
| Mississippi | $48K | -23% | 3,210 |
| Oklahoma | $48K | -23% | 5,310 |
| Delaware | $47K | -25% | 1,220 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -27% | 1,430 |
| New Mexico | $45K | -27% | 2,200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track insurance sales agents salary changes
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a insurance sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Altoona?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 30.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,138/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance sales agents in Altoona?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance sales agents typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,647/month. At HUD’s $1,138/month FMR, rent would take 43% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is insurance sales agent a high-paying job in Altoona?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Altoona compare to the national average for insurance sales agents?
Altoona pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.51), the purchasing-power equivalent is $62K — below the national median.
How much do insurance sales agents make in Altoona, PA?
The median is $55,380 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,470, and experienced insurance sales agents can clear $119,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Altoona?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,736/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,138/month, which eats 30.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a insurance sales agents salary go in Altoona?
Altoona has a Regional Price Parity of 89.51 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance sales agents salary is worth about $61,870 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do insurance sales agents get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.