Insurance Broker Job Description Templates for Small Brokerages
6 free templates for the agencies that hire without an HR department: commercial lines, employee benefits, personal lines, wholesale and surplus lines, a first broker hire, and account support. Copy or download as DOCX.
The first insurance brokerage owner I worked with had a job posting that ran four lines: producer wanted, commission split negotiable, license required, email us. He had been running it for seven months. The resumes he got were from people who wanted a captive agency job, and he could not work out why.
The reason was in what the posting did not say. It never said he was a broker rather than an agent, never named the classes he wrote, never mentioned that he had twelve carrier appointments and two wholesale relationships, and never said whether a new hire would inherit accounts or start from nothing. Those four facts are the whole pitch, and they cost nothing to state.
Insurance sales is a large and steadily replacing field: the Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 568,800 insurance sales agents in 2024 and projects about 47,000 openings a year through 2034. Most of that hiring happens at agencies with no HR department. At FirstHR we write templates for exactly that reader, and the six below cover commercial lines, employee benefits, personal lines, wholesale and surplus lines, a small brokerage first hire, and non-exempt account support.
TL;DR
An insurance broker job description has to state four things a generic producer posting leaves out: retail or wholesale or benefits, the lines and carrier access you actually have, the license and any surplus lines authority, and the classification with the commission split. Brokers sit inside SOC 41-3021, national median $62,280 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Six templates below.
Broker or Agent? It Changes the Whole Posting
A broker represents the client and shops the market; an agent represents the carrier that appointed them. That difference drives what a candidate is buying when they join you, which is market access rather than a brand, and it belongs in the first two lines of the posting.
The licensing gap between the two is narrower than the working difference. Most states issue a single producer license by line of authority and both roles operate under it. What separates a brokerage job from a captive agency job is carrier count, wholesale relationships, freedom to place where the coverage fits, and the absence of a quota pointed at one company product shelf.
Retail commercial brokerage
Business clients, multiple carriers
You represent the insured and shop the market. The posting has to describe target classes, carrier access, and whether the broker inherits accounts or builds from nothing, because both change who applies.
Employee benefits brokerage
Group health and ancillary
A different license, a different calendar, and a compliance layer the property and casualty side never touches. Renewal and open enrollment season sets the whole year, so say when the crunch falls.
Personal lines brokerage
Home, auto, umbrella
Higher volume, smaller premiums, and mostly office based, which usually makes the role non-exempt. Accuracy under volume matters more than a hunting instinct, and the posting should say so.
Wholesale or surplus lines
Markets for hard-to-place risk
Your clients are retail agents, not insureds. A separate surplus lines license, a documented diligent search, and premium tax filings come with the job, and none of that belongs in a generic posting.
Say Your Carrier Count Out Loud
Experienced brokers evaluate a brokerage the way an underwriter evaluates a risk: by what is actually in the file. Carrier appointments, wholesale relationships, the classes you write, current premium volume, and retention rate tell them whether they can make a living with you. A posting that hides those numbers reads as a shop that does not have them. Put the count in the job description, along with whether the new broker inherits a service book during ramp, and you will trade a pile of unqualified resumes for a short list that already understands your business.
What Belongs in a Broker Posting
A broker job description does four jobs at once: it describes the market access on offer, it filters for the right license and experience, it fixes the legal terms before an offer conversation, and it closes on money. Most agency postings do only the last one, badly.
The parts brokers read first
Retail, wholesale, or benefits, stated in the first line
Lines and classes you actually write
Carrier and wholesale market access
Whether accounts are inherited or built from zero
The parts that filter applicants
License and lines required, with a timeline if you sponsor
Surplus lines or broker authority where it applies
Production target in premium or commission
Agency management system and rating tools used
The parts that protect you
W-2 or contractor, decided before posting
FLSA classification and the exemption you rely on
Errors and omissions eligibility requirement
Equal opportunity statement
The parts that win the hire
Base, commission split, and when the split changes
Book ownership and validation terms
Renewal commission treatment after departure
A named person and a real timeline to decide
The single most common omission is what happens to the book. Experienced brokers ask about ownership, validation, and renewal commissions in the first conversation, so a posting that stays quiet reads as a shop with something to hide. Our guide to writing a job description covers the general structure, and the wider hiring template library has the adjacent roles.
6 Insurance Broker Job Description Templates to Download
Download all six as one file or copy them individually. Each follows the same structure: brokerage overview, position summary, key responsibilities, required qualifications, a licensing and classification note, an equal opportunity statement, and how to apply. The bracketed fields are the only parts you change.
Download All 6 Insurance Broker Job Description Templates
Commercial lines, employee benefits, personal lines, wholesale and surplus lines, first broker hire, and account support. All in one download.
Commercial Lines Broker
Business accounts, full cycle
The core retail brokerage role: exposure analysis, marketing submissions, presenting options, binding, and owning the renewal.
Employee Benefits Broker
Group health and consulting
For a benefits practice: funding models, renewal strategy, open enrollment, and the ACA, COBRA, and ERISA touchpoints.
Personal Lines Broker
Home, auto, umbrella
For an office-based personal lines desk, written as a non-exempt hourly role with the overtime math spelled out.
Wholesale / Surplus Lines
Retail agents are the client
For an excess and surplus shop, with the separate license, the diligent search record, and the premium tax filings named.
First Broker Hire
Owner-operator, no HR
For an owner hiring their first producer. Wide scope, W-2 default, ramp schedule, and book ownership stated in plain language.
Broker Assistant
Non-exempt account support
For the support hire that frees your brokers: submissions, certificates, endorsements, renewal calendar, and license tracking.
Template 1: Commercial Lines Insurance Broker
The core retail brokerage role: exposure analysis, marketing submissions to carriers and wholesalers, presenting options on coverage terms rather than price alone, binding, and owning the renewal.
Commercial Lines Insurance Broker Job Description
COMMERCIAL LINES INSURANCE BROKER JOB DESCRIPTION
Brokerage: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Agency Principal / Sales Manager / Practice Leader]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2
FLSA status: [Exempt under outside sales, or non-exempt: see classification note]
Compensation: [Base salary $_ plus ____% new business and ____% renewal commission]
ABOUT [BROKERAGE NAME]
[Brokerage Name] is an independent retail insurance brokerage in [City, State]
placing commercial coverage for [target industries: contractors, restaurants,
manufacturers, professional services]. We represent the client, not a single
carrier, and we appoint with [number] carriers plus [wholesale partners].
POSITION SUMMARY
The Commercial Lines Broker develops new commercial accounts, analyzes client
exposures, markets submissions to carriers and wholesalers, presents coverage
options, binds the placement, and owns the renewal relationship.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prospect and develop new commercial accounts in [target industries or territory]
•Conduct exposure and risk analysis, and build the submission
•Market submissions to appointed carriers and, where needed, wholesale brokers
•Compare quotes on coverage terms, not price alone, and document the comparison
•Present options to the client, explain exclusions, and bind the chosen program
•Deliver certificates, endorsements, and policy documents accurately and on time
•Manage the renewal calendar and remarket accounts [days] ahead of expiration
•Support the client at claim time and coordinate with the carrier adjuster
•Keep the agency management system current on every account touch
•Meet [new business target] in written premium or commission per year
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Active [state] property and casualty producer license (broker authority where
your state issues one separately)
•[Number] years placing commercial lines, or a documented plan to get there
•Working command of general liability, property, auto, umbrella, and workers
compensation coverage forms
•Comfort with an agency management system and a rating platform
•Clean license history and eligibility for carrier appointments and E&O coverage
LICENSING AND CLASSIFICATION NOTE (read before posting)
Every state requires a producer license for the lines this role places, and some
states issue broker authority separately from agent authority, sometimes with a
surety bond attached. Confirm the license, the appointments, and errors and
omissions coverage before the first client conversation, not after. On overtime:
a broker who customarily and regularly works away from your office making sales
may qualify for the outside sales exemption, which carries no salary test. A
broker who sells from a desk in your office generally does not qualify on that
basis. Decide from the actual work week. This is general information, not legal
advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Brokerage Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: [base plus commission structure], [benefits], [book ownership and
validation schedule]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 2: Employee Benefits Broker
For a benefits practice: funding model analysis, renewal strategy, open enrollment, and the ACA, COBRA, and ERISA touchpoints that come with advising employers on group health.
For an office-based personal lines desk, written as a non-exempt hourly role with the overtime math stated. If your model is closer to a captive agency office, the insurance sales representative templates fit better.
Personal Lines Insurance Broker Job Description
PERSONAL LINES INSURANCE BROKER JOB DESCRIPTION
Brokerage: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Agency Principal / Personal Lines Manager]
Employment type: Full-time [or part-time], W-2
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly, overtime-eligible) unless a stated exemption
clearly applies
Compensation: $_ per hour plus [commission or bonus on new business]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Brokerage Name] places home, auto, umbrella, and specialty personal coverage
for households in [City, State]. This role works from our office and by phone,
quoting across our appointed carriers and keeping existing clients covered as
their lives change.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Personal Lines Broker quotes and places personal insurance across multiple
carriers, rounds out existing accounts, handles service requests and midterm
changes, and manages the personal lines renewal book.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Quote home, auto, umbrella, and [flood, boat, valuable articles] coverage
•Compare carrier options on coverage and eligibility, not premium alone
•Bind coverage, issue documents, and collect signed applications and disclosures
•Run the renewal review and remarket accounts that no longer fit the carrier
•Round out accounts by identifying gaps such as umbrella or flood exposure
•Answer inbound service calls and respond within [service standard]
•Maintain accurate records in the agency management system
•Follow up on referrals from [lender, realtor, existing client] partners
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Active [state] property and casualty producer license
•[Number] years in a personal lines agency role preferred
•Accuracy under volume: this role touches many accounts in a day
•Comfort explaining coverage and exclusions to a first-time buyer
•Eligibility for carrier appointments and errors and omissions coverage
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
Treat an office-based personal lines role as non-exempt unless you can document
a specific exemption. The outside sales exemption applies to employees who
customarily and regularly work away from the employer place of business making
sales, so phone and desk selling generally does not qualify. Non-exempt means
hourly, with overtime past forty hours in a workweek, and the overtime rate must
be calculated on the regular rate including commissions and nondiscretionary
bonuses earned in that period. Track hours from day one. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Brokerage Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour plus [commission plan], [benefits], [schedule]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 4: Wholesale / Surplus Lines Broker
For an excess and surplus operation where retail agents are the client, with the separate surplus lines license, the diligent search record, and the premium tax filings named as duties rather than assumed.
Wholesale / Surplus Lines Broker Job Description
WHOLESALE / SURPLUS LINES BROKER JOB DESCRIPTION
Brokerage: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Managing Broker / Practice Leader]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2
FLSA status: [Confirm case by case: see classification note]
Compensation: [Base salary $_ plus ____% of brokerage commission]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Brokerage Name] is a wholesale brokerage serving retail agents who need markets
their own appointments cannot reach. We place [classes: excess liability,
habitational property, environmental, professional liability] with non-admitted
and specialty carriers.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Wholesale Broker takes submissions from retail agents, finds and negotiates
markets for hard-to-place risks, documents the diligent search where the
placement is non-admitted, and manages surplus lines filings and taxes.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Receive, triage, and improve incoming submissions from retail agents
•Negotiate terms with underwriters at admitted and non-admitted carriers
•Quote back to the retail agent with a clear comparison of terms and exclusions
•Document the diligent search required before a non-admitted placement
•Issue surplus lines disclosures and confirm they are signed where required
•Complete surplus lines tax filings and stamping office submissions on schedule
•Maintain relationships with [number] retail agency partners
•Keep binders, policies, and endorsement records complete and auditable
•Meet [production target] in brokerage commission
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Active [state] property and casualty producer license plus a surplus lines
broker license in the home state
•[Number] years in wholesale, excess and surplus, or specialty underwriting
•Command of the classes we write and the carriers that write them
•Discipline with filings and deadlines: this role carries tax and reporting duties
•Eligibility for errors and omissions coverage
LICENSING AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Surplus lines is a separate license in every state, held on top of the producer
license, and it carries duties the retail side does not have: a documented
diligent search of the admitted market before placing with a non-admitted
carrier, a signed disclosure to the insured, and premium tax filings. Under the
federal Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act, only the home state of the
insured may require premium tax payment and broker licensing for a nonadmitted
placement, which simplified multistate risks but did not remove the filing duty.
Several states also route filings through a stamping office. Confirm current
rules with your state insurance department. This is general information, not
legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Brokerage Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: [base plus commission share], [benefits], [production expectations]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 5: First Broker Hire at a Small Brokerage
For an owner-operator hiring their first producer. Wide scope, W-2 default, a ramp schedule from service work toward new production, and book ownership stated in plain language.
First Broker Hire Job Description (Small Brokerage, No HR)
FIRST BROKER HIRE JOB DESCRIPTION (SMALL BROKERAGE)
Brokerage: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Owner / Principal] (directly)
Employment type: Full-time, W-2
FLSA status: [Set it deliberately: see classification note]
Compensation: [Base salary $_ during ramp, moving to base plus commission]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
[Brokerage Name] is an owner-operated brokerage in [City, State] with [number]
clients and [premium volume] in force. This is our first broker hire. You will
work next to the owner, take over part of the existing book, and grow your own.
There is no HR department and no layer between you and the decisions.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Broker handles the full cycle on assigned accounts: prospecting, exposure
review, marketing to carriers, presenting options, binding, servicing, and
renewing. The role starts on service and existing accounts, then shifts toward
new production on an agreed schedule.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Take over service and renewals for [number] existing accounts in month [X]
•Quote and place new business across our appointed carriers and wholesalers
•Handle certificates, endorsements, billing questions, and claim reporting
•Keep the agency management system accurate: this is our only record
•Build a prospecting routine and report pipeline weekly to the owner
•Help clean up and document our renewal calendar and workflow
•Represent the brokerage at [local association, chamber, referral partner] events
•Grow to [production target] in new commission by month [X]
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Active [state] producer license for [lines], or ability to obtain within
[timeframe] at our expense
•Comfort in a small business where the job description changes with the day
•Judgment to know when to ask the owner and when to decide alone
•Eligibility for carrier appointments and errors and omissions coverage
•[Book of business welcome but not required]
CLASSIFICATION AND COMPLIANCE NOTE
Decide the classification before you post, and write it down. A W-2 employee is
the default for a first hire who works your accounts, your hours, and your
system. Calling that person a 1099 contractor while you set the schedule, assign
the book, supply the leads, and direct the method is the misclassification that
costs small brokerages the most. If the role is exempt, identify the exemption
you are relying on. If it is non-exempt, track hours and pay overtime on the
regular rate including commission. Confirm the license and appointments before
the first client conversation. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Brokerage Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: [ramp salary, then base plus commission], [benefits], [book
ownership and non-solicitation terms stated plainly]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 6: Broker Assistant / Account Support
For the support hire that frees your producers: submissions, certificates, endorsements, the renewal calendar, and license tracking. Pair it with the account manager templates if the role grows into full account ownership.
Broker Assistant / Account Support Job Description (Non-Exempt)
BROKER ASSISTANT / ACCOUNT SUPPORT JOB DESCRIPTION
Brokerage: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Producing Broker / Operations Manager]
[Brokerage Name] is hiring account support so our brokers can spend their time
with clients and carriers instead of paperwork. This role is the operational
backbone of the book: documents, data, deadlines, and follow-up.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Broker Assistant prepares submissions and proposals, processes endorsements
and certificates, maintains the agency management system, and keeps renewal and
filing deadlines from slipping.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Prepare submissions, applications, and proposal documents for the broker
•Issue certificates of insurance and evidence of property within [service standard]
•Process endorsements, cancellations, and midterm changes
•Maintain complete and accurate account records in the management system
•Run the renewal calendar and flag accounts at [days] before expiration
•Order loss runs, motor vehicle reports, and supporting documentation
•Handle inbound client service calls and route what needs a licensed answer
•Reconcile carrier billing questions and follow up on premium receivables
•Track license, appointment, and continuing education dates for the team
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•[State producer license required within ____ days, or not required: choose one
based on what this role will discuss with clients]
•Strong organization and follow-through under deadline pressure
•Accuracy with numbers, forms, and coverage documents
•Comfort with an agency management system and standard office software
•Clear written communication with clients and carrier staff
CLASSIFICATION NOTE
This role is non-exempt: hourly, entitled to overtime past forty hours in a
workweek, with hours tracked. Support staff rarely meet the administrative
exemption tests, which require both a salary at or above the federal threshold
and a primary duty involving discretion and independent judgment on matters of
significance. Processing, issuing, and record keeping are not that. Note also
that in most states, discussing coverage, quoting, or binding requires a license,
so decide up front whether this role is licensed and write the boundary into the
posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Brokerage Name] is an equal opportunity employer and provides reasonable
accommodations for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $_ per hour, [overtime policy], [benefits], [license
sponsorship if offered]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Licensing, Bonds, and E&O
Every state requires a producer license for the lines a broker places, issued by line of authority rather than by job title. Surplus lines placement requires a second, separate license, and a small number of states still treat broker authority as distinct from agent authority.
California is the clearest example of that last point. Its casualty broker-agent license authorizes acting as agent, broker, or solicitor, but the broker part only activates once the licensee files a $10,000 Bond of Insurance Broker with the department. A candidate can hold the license and still not be authorized to broker, which is exactly the kind of gap a hiring checklist catches and a handshake does not.
Requirement
How to handle it in the posting
Producer license
Name the lines of authority you need: property, casualty, life, health, or personal lines
Broker authority or bond
Check whether your state separates it; state the filing requirement if it does
Surplus lines license
Required for non-admitted placements; name it only if the role actually places E&S
Carrier appointments
State that appointments must be completed before the first placement
Errors and omissions
Require eligibility for coverage; ask about prior claims during screening
Continuing education
State that the license must stay current; track renewal dates in onboarding
Multistate licensing
Name every state where the role will solicit, not just where your office sits
Verify license status with the state insurance department directly rather than accepting a resume line, and confirm it before the start date rather than during the first renewal season. Requirements vary by state and change, so treat this as a checklist to verify rather than a rule to apply. This is general information, not legal advice.
Classification and Overtime at a Brokerage
Classification at a brokerage turns on two questions: whether the person is a W-2 employee or a genuine contractor, and if an employee, whether any overtime exemption actually fits. Commission-heavy pay does not answer either one.
The exemption most brokerages reach for is outside sales. Under the Department of Labor fact sheet on outside sales employees, the employee must have making sales as their primary duty and must customarily and regularly work away from the employer place of business, and the compensation tests do not apply at all. Selling by phone from your office is inside sales and does not qualify on that basis.
The license is a producer license, with local exceptions
Most states license brokers and agents together under one producer license, issued per line of authority: property, casualty, life, health, personal lines. The practical checklist is the same everywhere. Confirm the license is active in every state where the person will solicit, confirm the lines match what you sell, complete carrier appointments where the placement requires them, and track continuing education deadlines so the license does not lapse mid-renewal season. The exceptions matter though. Some states still separate broker authority from agent authority and attach conditions to it. In California, for example, a broker-agent must file a $10,000 Bond of Insurance Broker before the license authorizes brokering, which is a filing your new hire may not have made. Verify with your state insurance department before the start date. This is general information, not legal advice.
Outside sales is the exemption most brokerages rely on
The outside sales exemption fits a producing broker who is customarily and regularly out making sales at client and prospect locations, and it is unusual in carrying no salary test at all. That makes it attractive for commission-heavy pay plans. It is also the exemption most often claimed wrongly. Selling from a desk in your office by phone, video, and email is inside sales, and inside sales does not qualify on that basis. The test is where the work happens and what the primary duty is, not the title on the offer letter or the fact that pay is mostly commission. If a producer spends the week at your conference table, classify the role non-exempt, track hours, and pay overtime on the regular rate including commissions. This is general information, not legal advice.
Support roles are non-exempt more often than owners expect
Account managers, assistants, and service staff are frequently paid a salary and treated as exempt because the work feels professional. The administrative exemption requires both a salary at or above the federal threshold of $684 per week ($35,568 a year) and a primary duty of office work directly related to management or general business operations that includes the exercise of discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. Issuing certificates, processing endorsements, ordering loss runs, and updating the management system do not clear that second test, however skilled the person is. Getting this wrong is expensive because it compounds: unpaid overtime accrues quietly across every busy renewal season. Audit the actual duties, not the job title. This is general information, not legal advice.
Errors and omissions coverage gates the hire
A brokerage carries errors and omissions coverage because the core service is advice, and advice is what gets sued. Two consequences for hiring. First, your carrier may require that anyone giving coverage advice be licensed and disclosed, and may ask about prior claims history, so a candidate with a claims record can affect your premium or your eligibility. Second, unlicensed staff giving coverage answers is a real exposure, which is why the boundary between licensed and unlicensed work belongs in the job description rather than in an unwritten office habit. Ask about license history and prior E&O claims during screening, confirm the license status directly with the state, and keep the certificate, appointment confirmations, and continuing education records on file with renewal dates attached. This is general information, not legal advice.
Support and service roles are the other half of the problem. The administrative exemption requires a salary of at least $684 per week plus a primary duty involving discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance, and routine processing work does not clear the second test. Our breakdown of exempt versus non-exempt classification works through the tests role by role.
On the contractor question, the tests look at control rather than at the label in the agreement. If you assign accounts, set hours, supply leads, and require your management system, that is an employee. Our guide to 1099 versus W-2 classification covers the factors, and the safe default for a first hire is W-2.
What to Pay an Insurance Broker
There is no separate federal wage occupation for insurance brokers. Brokers sit inside Insurance Sales Agents, SOC 41-3021, whose official definition explicitly covers people who work as an independent broker, so that is the correct benchmark with the caveat that it blends captive agents and brokers together.
National Wage Ladder, Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021)
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), the national median wage was $62,280 a year ($29.94 an hour). The 10th percentile earned $37,330, the 25th $46,870, the 75th $96,950, and the 90th $138,140 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS).
The spread matters more than the midpoint. A gap of roughly $100,000 between the 10th and 90th percentile is what a commission-driven field looks like, and it means a single median number is close to useless for setting a range. Position your offer against the lines you write and the book the hire will service.
Role
National median (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
Note for a small brokerage
Insurance sales agents and brokers (41-3021)
$62,280 per year
The only federal occupation that covers brokers; blends captive and independent
Same occupation, 25th percentile
$46,870 per year
Realistic for a personal lines desk or a producer still in ramp
Same occupation, 75th percentile
$96,950 per year
Where a developed commercial or benefits book typically lands
Same occupation, 90th percentile
$138,140 per year
Senior producers with owned books and renewal commission
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks (43-9041)
$49,230 per year
The nearest match for a non-exempt broker assistant
Insurance underwriters (13-2053)
$81,370 per year
Useful cross-check if you hire from the carrier side
Sales managers (11-2022)
$148,270 per year
The benchmark once a producer moves into managing a team
Publish a good-faith range where pay transparency laws require it, and remember that at a brokerage the base is only part of the offer. The split, the validation schedule, and book ownership usually decide the hire, and our guide to commission pay structures covers how to build the plan.
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Book ownership is the term small brokerages most often leave undefined and most often fight about later. Decide before you post whether the brokerage owns the accounts, whether the producer owns what they bring and build, and where the line between those sits.
Then write the commission plan with the same precision. State the new business split and the renewal split as separate numbers, state the validation threshold at which the split improves, and state how commission is treated on accounts the producer services but did not write. Put it in a written commission agreement signed alongside the offer letter.
The Exit Terms Belong in the Offer, Not the Exit
A producer leaving a small brokerage without written terms is a business risk, not a personnel matter: the accounts, the renewal commissions, and the client relationships are the company asset. Settle four points in writing at hire. Who owns the accounts. What renewal commission, if any, follows a departing producer and for how long. What non-solicitation obligations apply to clients and to staff. And how the book is valued if you ever buy it. Check your state law before drafting, because enforceability of restrictive covenants varies sharply and several states restrict them heavily.
Hiring Brokers Without an HR Department
Brokerage hiring fails in three predictable places: the posting is generic, the money and classification get decided after the offer, and the compliance paperwork ends up scattered across an inbox and a filing cabinet. Each has a fix that takes an hour.
The posting says producer and nothing else, so the wrong people apply
A brokerage posting that lists only the word producer, a commission split, and a license requirement is indistinguishable from every other agency posting in the market, and it attracts two groups you do not want: career jumpers with no book and no interest in service work, and experienced brokers who assume you have carrier access you do not have. The fix is specificity that costs you nothing to state. Name the lines and classes you write, name the carrier count and the wholesale relationships, say whether the hire inherits accounts or starts empty, and give the production target as a number. Every one of those facts filters, and filtering is the entire job of a posting at a shop where the owner reads every resume personally.
Classification and the commission plan get settled after the offer, not before
Small brokerages tend to decide the pay structure in the offer conversation and the classification never really gets decided at all. That order is backwards and it is where the expensive mistakes live: a 1099 label on a role you fully direct, an exempt label on an inside sales desk, a commission split that changes at renewal in a way nobody wrote down. Settle four things before the posting goes up. Whether the role is W-2 or a genuine contractor. Which FLSA exemption you are relying on, if any. The exact split on new business and renewals, including when it changes. And what happens to the book if the person leaves. Then put all four in the posting and the offer letter, in the same words.
Licenses, appointments, and E&O paperwork live in three different places
Onboarding a broker is a document problem before it is anything else: the signed offer, the producer license copy, carrier appointment confirmations, the errors and omissions certificate, continuing education records, the commission schedule, the non-solicitation agreement, agency management system credentials, and a renewal date attached to most of them. At a brokerage without an HR person, those land in an inbox, a folder, and someone’s memory. FirstHR was built for that gap. The onboarding wizard runs the same sequence for every producer, e-signature handles the offer, the commission schedule, and the restrictive covenant, document management stores licenses, appointments, and E&O certificates against each employee profile with renewal dates attached, and training modules cover carrier and compliance orientation before the first client call. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR. Note that FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a payroll provider.
Once the offer is signed, the work becomes a repeatable onboarding checklist, and for producers specifically our insurance agent onboarding checklist covers the sequence from license verification through the first client handoff.
Key Takeaways
State whether you are retail, wholesale, or benefits in the first two lines, because a broker posting and a captive agency posting attract completely different candidates.
Carrier count, wholesale relationships, the classes you write, and whether the hire inherits accounts are the four facts that filter applicants, and all four cost nothing to publish.
Brokers hold a producer license by line of authority, surplus lines placement requires a second license, and some states attach a bond to broker authority, such as the $10,000 filing California requires.
The outside sales exemption carries no salary test but requires selling away from your office; inside sales desks and account support roles are non-exempt and need hours tracked.
There is no federal wage occupation for insurance brokers; SOC 41-3021 is the benchmark, with a national median of $62,280 and a 10th to 90th percentile spread from $37,330 to $138,140 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Book ownership, validation, renewal commission after departure, and non-solicitation terms belong in the posting and the offer letter, not in the exit conversation.
Onboarding a broker is a document problem: license copies, carrier appointments, E&O certificates, continuing education records, and a commission schedule, each with its own renewal date. FirstHR runs the same sequence for every producer, with e-signature for the offer and the commission agreement, document storage tied to each employee profile, and renewal dates tracked so nothing lapses quietly. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an insurance broker and an insurance agent?
A broker represents the client and shops multiple carriers; an agent represents the carrier that appointed them. That single difference drives everything else in the job description. A broker needs market access rather than one brand, gets judged on the quality of the comparison rather than on carrier quota, and often works without the marketing support a captive office provides. On the licensing side the distinction is thinner than it sounds: most states issue one producer license by line of authority and both roles work under it. A few states keep broker authority separate and attach conditions to it, such as the $10,000 broker bond California requires before a broker-agent license authorizes brokering. Write the posting for the relationship you actually have with carriers, because experienced candidates read that line first.
What should an insurance broker job description include?
Eight items, and most postings carry three of them. State whether you are retail, wholesale, or benefits. Name the lines and classes you write. State carrier and wholesale market access, since that is what a producing broker is really buying when they join you. Say whether the hire inherits accounts or starts from zero. Give the production target as a number in written premium or commission. State the license and lines required, plus surplus lines authority where it applies. State the classification: W-2 or contractor, exempt or non-exempt, and which exemption you rely on. Finally, state the commission split, when it changes, and what happens to the book if the person leaves. The six templates on this page are built around that structure so only the brokerage-specific parts change.
Do insurance brokers need a license?
Yes, in every state. Brokers hold a producer license issued per line of authority, so a commercial property and casualty broker, a benefits broker, and a personal lines broker may hold different lines. Placing coverage with a non-admitted carrier requires an additional surplus lines broker license, held on top of the producer license, along with a documented diligent search of the admitted market and premium tax filings. Some states still treat broker authority as distinct from agent authority and attach a surety bond to it. Verify the license status directly with the state insurance department rather than trusting a resume, confirm the lines match what you sell, complete carrier appointments before the first placement, and track continuing education deadlines so nothing lapses in the middle of renewal season.
Are insurance brokers exempt from overtime?
Sometimes, and the answer turns on where the work happens rather than on how the person is paid. A producing broker who customarily and regularly works away from your office making sales can qualify for the outside sales exemption, which carries no salary test at all. A broker who sells from a desk in your office by phone and email is doing inside sales, which does not qualify on that basis, and should be treated as non-exempt: hourly, with hours tracked and overtime paid on the regular rate including commissions and nondiscretionary bonuses. Account managers and assistants rarely meet the administrative exemption, which requires both the federal salary threshold of $684 per week and a primary duty involving discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. Classify from the actual work week. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does an insurance broker make?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate occupation for insurance brokers. Brokers fall inside Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021), whose published definition covers people who work as an independent broker. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2025), that occupation had a national median wage of $62,280 a year, with the 25th percentile at $46,870, the 75th at $96,950, and the 90th at $138,140. The spread is the useful part: commercial and benefits brokers with a developed book sit near the top of it, while personal lines and newer producers sit near the bottom. Benchmark to your own lines and market rather than to the median, and publish a good-faith range where pay transparency law requires one.
Should I hire a broker as a W-2 employee or a 1099 contractor?
Default to W-2 for anyone whose work you direct. The contractor label is common in insurance distribution and it is also where small brokerages get into the most trouble, because the tests look at control rather than at what the agreement says. If you set the schedule, assign accounts from the agency book, supply leads, require use of your management system, and direct how the work is done, that is an employee regardless of the paperwork. A genuine contractor arrangement looks different: an independent producer with their own book, their own appointments, their own E&O coverage, and real freedom over method and hours. Decide before you post, because the classification changes the commission math, the overtime exposure, the tax treatment, and the restrictive covenants you can realistically enforce.
Who owns the book of business when a broker leaves?
Whoever the written agreement says owns it, which is why the silence in most small brokerage offer letters is dangerous. If the brokerage owns the accounts, say so, and pair it with a reasonable non-solicitation covenant and a stated policy on renewal commissions after departure. If the producer owns what they bring and build, define the boundary between their book and the agency book, and define validation: the production level at which their split improves or ownership vests. Do this at the posting stage rather than at the exit. Experienced brokers ask about book ownership in the first conversation, and a clear answer is a hiring advantage. Check your state law on restrictive covenants before drafting, since enforceability varies widely and some states restrict them sharply.
How do I hire a broker when the brokerage has no HR department?
Run a fixed sequence and settle the terms before the posting goes up rather than during the offer call. Decide the classification, the split on new business and renewals, the validation schedule, and book ownership first. Post a specific job description naming your lines, carrier and wholesale access, production target, and license requirement. Screen for market knowledge and service discipline, not only for a book, and ask directly about license history and prior errors and omissions claims. Verify the license with the state insurance department rather than trusting the resume. Then run onboarding as a checklist: signed offer and commission agreement, license copy, carrier appointments, E&O certificate, continuing education dates, system credentials. FirstHR handles that sequence with e-signature, document management, and renewal tracking. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
