Insurance Sales Agents Salary
Insurance Sales Agents in Dubuque, IA make a median of $71,840 a year, or about $34.54 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $161K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 87.33), which stretches that salary to about $82,263 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,077/month, or 22.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $72K get you in Dubuque?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dubuque’s Regional Price Parity (87.33). 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 Dubuque
Dubuque sits well above the national pay line for insurance sales agents, local pay runs about 15% higher than the U.S. median of $62K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,077/month, 23.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 87.33 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Dubuque offers a genuinely strong financial position for insurance sales agentss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance sales agents in metros near Dubuque, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $61K | $67K |
| Cedar Rapids | $62K | $70K |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island | $58K | $65K |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls | $62K | $71K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dubuque, IA
Entry-level insurance sales agents (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $72K. Top earners bring in $161K or more, a $123K 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 Dubuque?
Yes — at the median salary of $72K, rent takes 23.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,077/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for insurance sales agents in Dubuque?
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 $1,077/month FMR, rent would take 48% 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 Dubuque?
Local pay is 15% above the national median — $72K here vs. $62K nationally.
How does Dubuque compare to the national average for insurance sales agents?
Dubuque pays $72K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +15%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 87.33), the purchasing-power equivalent is $82K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do insurance sales agents make in Dubuque, IA?
The median is $71,840 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,510, and experienced insurance sales agents can clear $160,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $72K enough to live in Dubuque?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,605/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,077/month, which eats 23.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a insurance sales agents salary go in Dubuque?
Dubuque has a Regional Price Parity of 87.33 (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 $82,263 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.