Is getting a life and health insurance license worth it?

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals, but federal data shows a solid occupational picture. Insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 in May 2025, above the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 43,100 openings per year from 2025 to 2035. Getting licensed requires completing any required prelicensing education and passing the state exam, and most candidates study roughly 35 to 40 hours for the life and health exam.

That depends on your goals, but the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $62,280 for insurance sales agents as of May 2025. Arizona keeps entry costs low: the state requires no pre-licensing education, the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (Series 13-33) costs $59, and the license fee is $120. Producers who sell long-term care or annuity products must also complete 8 hours and 4 hours of training, respectively, before selling.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals, but the entry costs are measurable. Arkansas requires a prelicensing course in each line, a $20 application fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and a $50 exam fee for each of the two exams, plus the criminal background check. The license combines the Life line and the Accident & Health or Sickness line, and the two exams can be taken together.

That depends on your goals, but the facts are these: the license requires a $188 filing fee for a two-year term, a $55 exam fee (plus a $43 PSI convenience fee), and $74 for fingerprints. The only required course is the one-time 12-hour course on ethics and the California Insurance Code. Preparation course costs vary by provider, and many applicants finish the whole process within a few weeks when they study consistently.

That depends on the market you serve and how you weigh cost against earning potential. State fees are modest: a $41 exam fee, which covers up to two exams in one session, plus $44 per line of authority for a resident license, and 50 hours of pre-licensing education per line. For income context, the median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025.

Whether it is worth it depends on career goals, but the federal wage data gives a benchmark: the median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025, with the lowest 10% earning under $37,330 and the highest 10% earning over $138,140. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 3% employment growth from 2025 to 2035, with about 43,100 openings each year. Delaware requires no prelicensing education, and the licensing exam costs $90.

Whether it is worth getting depends on the products you plan to sell and your market. The 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) license covers life insurance, health insurance, and variable annuities. State costs include a $50 application fee, a $5 license ID fee, a $44 exam fee, and $52.50 for fingerprinting, plus the 60-hour prelicensing course, which is priced by the provider. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 in May 2025, with employment projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035.

The costs are fixed: a combined Life and Accident & Sickness course runs 16 hours (8 per line), the Pearson VUE exam costs $67, and the license application is $120. On earnings, insurance sales agents in direct health and medical carriers earned a median of $73,440 in May 2025, versus $61,550 in agencies and brokerages, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A license is required to sell life and health insurance in Georgia.

That depends on your goals, but the entry cost is low. The Life and Disability/Health exams cost $65 each, fingerprinting is $65 or less depending on method, and the application is $80, all non-refundable. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 in May 2025.

That depends on your goals and costs. Each line's General and State exams cost $92 when the pair is ordered together, plus the $215 resident license fee and NIPR's $5.60 transaction fee, plus 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line at a cost that varies by provider. Life commissions are front-loaded in the first policy year, so early income can be uneven. The license renews every two years with 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics.

The Life & Health path requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education, a $69 exam fee, and a $40 application fee. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 per year in May 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and direct health and medical insurance carriers paid a median of $73,440.

The required fees are a $44 Pearson VUE exam charge for each line, Life and Accident & Health, plus the Iowa license fee paid with the application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Prep spending is optional, since neither the Iowa Insurance Division nor Pearson VUE endorses or provides particular study materials. Beyond those costs, the value depends on the sales income you build after licensure.

The required Kansas fees are a $30 application fee, a $60 fingerprint background check fee, and the $64 combined Life and Accident and Health exam. No pre-licensing course is required, and exam scores stay valid for two years. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median wage of $62,280 in May 2025, and agents at direct health and medical carriers earned $73,440.

That depends on your career goals, but the available figures can inform the decision. The median pay for insurance sales agents was $62,280 per year in 2025, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and employment is projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as average. Kentucky's regulatory costs are modest: a $40 license fee, $40 per line of authority, and $50 per exam, plus a nonrefundable background check fee and course costs.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals; the state's requirements set the cost of entry. The combined Life, Accident & Health exam costs $80, runs 3 hours 30 minutes, and has 136 scoreable questions, and you must pass with a scaled score of 70 before submitting a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals and costs. In Massachusetts, the Life exam and the Accident and Health or Sickness exam each cost $37, and each requires a scaled score of 70 to pass, so the upfront exam cost is modest. Preparation is up to you, since you may use study materials of your choice and the Division of Insurance does not approve or endorse specific providers.

A Minnesota life and health license costs relatively little to obtain: the combined Life and Accident & Health exam is $45, the license fee is $50 plus $50 per line of authority plus a technology fee, and fingerprinting is $66.75, with 20 hours of prelicensing education required per line. For comparison, insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. An appointment by an insurance company is required before you can transact business.

The credential is inexpensive: the combined Life, Accident and Health exam costs $47 and the resident license application fee is $50, with no pre-licensing education required. For earnings context, insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and employment is projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035.

That depends on your goals, but the license supports several career paths. A Life and Health producer can sell term and permanent life, annuities, individual and group health, disability, Medicare supplement, and long-term care products. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 4% employment growth for insurance sales agents from 2024 to 2034. The combined Life/Health exam costs $47, and the state application fee is $185.

Whether the license is worth pursuing is your decision, but the entry cost in New Hampshire is limited to the exam fee and the $210 license fee, because the state requires no prelicensing course. The Life exam (series 12-61) costs $59 and the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (12-63) costs $72. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, with employment projected to grow 3 percent from 2025 to 2035 and about 43,100 openings per year.

Life and health are separate lines in New Jersey, so earning both requires 40 hours of prelicensing education, two $38 exams, $66.05 in fingerprinting, and a $170 application fee, plus course costs that vary by provider. Nationally, the median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025, and direct health and medical carriers paid a median of $73,440.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals, but the data offers context. The median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025, and employment is projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The required outlay is modest: $75 per exam, a $67 background check, and a $30 application fee, and New Mexico requires no prelicensing education.

That depends on your goals, but the entry costs are low in North Dakota. No prelicensing education is required, and you pay a $64 exam fee for each of the Life and Annuity and Accident and Health exams, plus the $100 application fee and fingerprint costs. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals, but the figures are concrete. A Life and Accident & Health license in Ohio requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line, a $49 exam fee, a fingerprint-based background check of up to $72.25, and a $10 application fee per line. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median pay of $62,280 per year for insurance sales agents as of May 2025 and projects about 43,100 openings each year through 2035.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports median pay of $62,280 per year for insurance sales agents as of May 2025, and projects about 43,100 openings each year through 2035. In Pennsylvania, the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (16-03) costs $55 and the resident application is $55, plus fingerprinting. A life and health producer must complete 24 hours of continuing education each two-year cycle, and selling long-term care insurance requires an initial 8-hour training course plus 4 hours every subsequent 24-month cycle.

That depends on your goals and local market. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, and employment is projected to grow 3% through 2035. Note that Tennessee requires a separate examination for each line of authority, so a life and health license means one exam for Life and another for Accident and Health.

Whether it is worth it is your call, but the facts are documented. Vermont requires no pre-licensing education hours; the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (Prometric Series 14-29) costs $67.60, has 150 scored questions with a 2.5-hour time limit, and the application carries $60 in state fees. Agents at direct health and medical insurance carriers earned a median of $73,440 per year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The cost is low relative to typical earnings in the field. As of the December 2024 Prometric bulletin the exam fee is $35, and the application is $15 per line of authority, though life and health count as two separate lines. Fingerprinting adds $37.95. Insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 per year in May 2025, with employment projected to grow 3% through 2035.

Whether it is worth it depends on your goals, but the documented costs and earnings can inform the decision. Wisconsin requires 20 hours of prelicensing education per line, so a combined life and health candidate completes 8 shared hours plus 12 line-specific hours for each line (32 total), a separate $75 exam for each line, $34.75 for fingerprinting, and a $75 initial license fee per line plus a $10 application fee. Nationally, insurance sales agents earned a median of $62,280 in May 2025.