See how insurance commissions actually work. Adjust the sliders to match your goals — part-time around family life or full-time after service.
Estimate first-year commissions and the renewal income that stacks behind them.
Estimates only. Actual commissions vary by carrier, product, and contract level. Does not account for chargebacks, taxes, or business expenses.
First-Year Commission: When you sell a policy, you earn a percentage of the annual premium. Sell a life policy with a $1,200 annual premium at an 80% commission rate, and you earn $960 on that single sale. Rates vary by product — final expense often pays 80–110%, while health and Medicare plans have different structures.
Renewal Commissions (Residual Income): This is what makes insurance special for military families. Every year a client keeps their policy, you earn a renewal commission — typically 5–15% of the annual premium. Sell 100 policies in Year 1, and those renewals pay you again in Years 2, 3, 4, and beyond without additional work.
Why It Compounds: In Year 2, you earn first-year commissions on new sales PLUS renewals from Year 1. In Year 3, add Year 2's renewals on top. Your income stacks — and it's 100% portable. Your book of business goes wherever the military sends you.
Medicare Advantage is one of the fastest-growing product lines in insurance — every day, thousands of Americans turn 65. For 2026, CMS set the national maximum initial commission at $694 per enrollment ($347 renewal). Estimate your Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) and year-round earnings.
CMS maximums are set annually and vary by region; carriers may pay less than the maximum. Actual earnings depend on carrier, plan type, and compliance requirements. Agents must be AHIP certified and carrier-contracted to sell MA.
CMS-Regulated Rates: Unlike life insurance where carriers set their own rates, Medicare Advantage commission maximums are set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) each year. For 2026, the national maximum is $694 per initial enrollment and $347 per renewal (higher in some regions like California and New Jersey). Carriers may pay up to — but not more than — these fair-market-value caps.
AEP Is Your Gold Rush: The Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7) is when most Medicare beneficiaries shop for plans. This 8-week window is where top agents make a significant share of their annual income.
Year-Round Opportunities: Outside AEP, you can still enroll clients through Special Enrollment Periods (SEP), the Open Enrollment Period (OEP: Jan 1 – Mar 31), and qualifying life events.
Renewals Stack: Clients who keep their plan pay you a renewal commission every year they stay enrolled. Build a book of 200 MA clients and the renewals alone become serious annual income — before you sell a single new plan. That's PCS-proof money.
The next step is a license — most people get there in about a month.