How much does a life insurance agent make per policy?

It depends on the product. First-year commissions on term life typically run roughly 30% to 80% of the policy's first-year premium, while permanent policies such as whole life often pay around 100% or more of the first-year target premium. Renewal commissions in later years drop to roughly 1% to 10%, often 2% to 5%. Insurers can also require agents to pay back commissions if a policy lapses in the first few years.