Insurance Agencies & Brokerages NAICS 524210

        Insurance Agencies & Brokerages

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Industry Summary

The 120,430 insurance agencies and brokerages in the US act as the “sales arm” of the insurance industry. Insurance agencies represent insurance carriers and sell policies to customers looking to minimize risks. “Captive” agents are affiliated with a single carrier. Independent agents may represent a variety of carriers. Brokers represent customers, and work with multiple carriers to determine the policy that best fits customer needs.

Cyclical Sales

The insurance industry is cyclical and premiums vary considerably depending on market conditions.

Government Regulation

Government regulation can affect insurance premiums, coverage, and commissions.


Recent Developments

Oct 27, 2025 - Select States Exploring Insurance Premium Price Controls
  • Several US states are considering implementing insurance price controls as a means to combat consistently rising premiums for property and casualty insurance. Illinois lawmakers are evaluating a bill that would grant regulators the authority to prevent insurers from calculating appropriate rates, effectively imposing government price controls on auto insurance. Similarly, Louisiana has empowered its insurance regulator to reject "excessive" premiums, while Michigan proposed a 10% reduction in auto insurance rates. In Georgia, a legislator introduced a bill to cap insurance rate increases at the inflation rate. These proposals aim to address affordability concerns but may lead to unintended consequences, such as reduced insurer participation and increased reliance on state-sponsored insurance mechanisms. Historically, price controls have resulted in market distortions, including shortages and decreased competition, as seen in California's insurance market, where stringent regulations led to insurers exiting the state.
  • Soaring insurance costs in the US have intensified regulatory scrutiny as premiums for home and auto coverage climb at record rates. According to S&P Global, homeowners’ premiums rose 12.7% in 2023 and another 10.4% in 2024, with the average policy reaching about $1,900 in 2023, up nearly 50% from pre-pandemic levels. Over 5.3 million US households now pay more than $4,000 annually for property insurance. Auto insurance followed a similar trend, increasing 8.4% in 2023 and an additional 17.8% in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rising claims from natural disasters, high repair costs, and tighter reinsurance markets have pushed insurers to seek steep rate hikes. But as affordability worsens, regulators in states like California, Florida, and Louisiana are pushing back, rejecting or capping increases and signaling a shift toward more active oversight of the insurance industry’s pricing practices.
  • The insurance industry is entering a pivotal moment as AI and automation reshapes operations, all while a massive workforce shift looms. Nearly 400,000 insurance pros are set to retire by 2026, and younger generations show little interest in traditional insurance roles. At the same time, banks and fintechs are competing aggressively for AI talent. Insurers reframe this challenge as an opportunity by investing in career-aligned education that builds AI fluency across roles, from claims representatives to underwriters and data specialists. Insurance’s well-defined career paths allow companies to design structured learning pipelines, helping employees progress into analytics, compliance, and model governance roles while preserving institutional knowledge. By pairing new tech skills with clear advancement opportunities, insurers can build trust in AI, strengthen compliance, and attract digitally skilled talent.
  • Employment at insurance agencies and brokerages stayed relatively flat so far this year, growing only 2% year over year in June 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. A new study from The Jacobson Group and Aon shows that 81% of insurance companies expect to grow revenue this year, but only 53% plan to hire more staff during the same period. In addition, 33% of companies said they would maintain the same staff levels this year, while 14% plan to actually decrease staff. Technology and AI integration is displacing some employees by taking over the heavy lifting of tasks such as claims processing and risk analysis. The industry has also relied heavily on raising premium rates for growth, rather than adding new policy holders, particularly in the property and casualty segment. Those factors also contribute to stagnant employment growth when policy numbers remain flat.

Industry Revenue

Insurance Agencies & Brokerages


Industry Structure

Industry size & Structure

A typical insurance agency or brokerage operates out of a single location, employs about 7 workers, and generates $1.7 million annually.

    • The insurance agency and brokerage industry includes 120,430 companies that employ about 807,000 workers and generate about $207.1 billion annually.
    • Direct writers account for about 37% of personal P/C insurance sales, while agency writers account for 62% of commercial P/C insurance sales.
    • Independent agents account for 53% of new life insurance sales, captive agents account for 38%, while direct marketers and others (such as stockbrokers) make up the rest.
    • The industry is highly fragmented with the top 50 firms accounting for 28% of industry sales.
    • Large companies include Marsh & McLennan Companies, Aon Corporation, and Arthur J. Gallagher.

                              Industry Forecast

                              Industry Forecast
                              Insurance Agencies & Brokerages Industry Growth
                              Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum

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