Insurance Sales Agents Salary
Insurance Sales Agents in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV make a median of $65,260 a year, or about $31.37 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $140K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 108.88), so that salary is closer to $59,938 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,246/month, about 52.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $65K actually covers in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria’s Regional Price Parity (108.88). 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria
Insurance sales agents pay in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $62K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,246/month, which is 52.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 108.88), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for insurance sales agents in metros near Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $58K | $56K |
| Richmond | $62K | $64K |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $56K | $58K |
| Roanoke | $58K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Entry-level insurance sales agents (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $140K or more, a $97K 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 52.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,246/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new insurance sales agents typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,892/month. At HUD’s $2,246/month FMR, rent would take 78% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $62K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Washington-Arlington-Alexandria compare to the national average for insurance sales agents?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $62K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 108.88), the purchasing-power equivalent is $60K — below the national median.
How much do insurance sales agents make in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV?
The median is $65,260 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $42,480, and experienced insurance sales agents can clear $139,540. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,284/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,246/month, which eats 52.4% 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 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria?
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria has a Regional Price Parity of 108.88 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median insurance sales agents salary is worth about $59,938 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.