Is selling life insurance a legitimate career?

Yes. Selling life insurance is a state-licensed occupation regulated by state insurance departments, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks it as an established career: insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, held about 572,600 jobs, and are projected to see about 43,100 openings per year through 2035. Agents are paid mainly by commission, with life policies paying front-loaded first-year commissions and small renewals.