Insurance Sales Agents Salary
Insurance Sales Agents in Chattanooga, TN-GA make a median of $54,940 a year, or about $26.41 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $121K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.46), which stretches that salary to about $60,070 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,390/month, about 36.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Chattanooga?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chattanooga’s Regional Price Parity (91.46). 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 Chattanooga
Pay for insurance sales agents in Chattanooga runs about 12% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,390/month, which is 36.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.46 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for insurance sales agentss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance sales agents in metros near Chattanooga, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $57K | $59K |
| Memphis | $52K | $56K |
| Knoxville | $65K | $70K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $47K | $54K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chattanooga, TN-GA
Entry-level insurance sales agents (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $121K or more, a $84K 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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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chattanooga?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 36.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,390/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Chattanooga?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance sales agents typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,251/month. At HUD’s $1,390/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Chattanooga?
Local pay runs 12% below the national median — $55K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 9% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Chattanooga compare to the national average for insurance sales agents?
Chattanooga pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.46), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do insurance sales agents make in Chattanooga, TN-GA?
The median is $54,940 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,510, and experienced insurance sales agents can clear $121,190. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Chattanooga?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,849/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,390/month, which eats 36.1% 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 Chattanooga?
Chattanooga has a Regional Price Parity of 91.46 (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 $60,070 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.