Insurance Sales Agents Salary
Insurance Sales Agents in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $37,650 a year, or about $18.1 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers.
So what does $38K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.9). 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 Lake Charles
Pay for insurance sales agents in Lake Charles runs about 40% below the U.S. median of $62K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,212/month, which is 46.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.9 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% 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 Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie | $59K | , |
| Baton Rouge | $60K | , |
| Lafayette | $60K | , |
| Shreveport-Bossier City | $49K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level insurance sales agents (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $42K 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 states
Track insurance sales agents salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a insurance sales agent afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 46.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,212/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/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 Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance sales agents typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,108/month. At HUD’s $1,212/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 40% below the national median — $38K here vs. $62K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for insurance sales agents?
Lake Charles pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s -40%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.9), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — below the national median.
How much do insurance sales agents make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $37,650 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $35,140, and experienced insurance sales agents can clear $77,250. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,598/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,212/month, which eats 46.7% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance sales agents salary is worth about $43,830 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.