Insurance Agent.
Portland.
$58,000
median salary, 4% above the national average
$43,000 to $78,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Portland is 5% more expensive than the national average. For Insurance Agents, that shakes out to a median of $58,000, with the full range spanning $43,000 to $78,000. Line of business and whether the agent is captive or independent create the biggest pay differences. Know the range before you walk in. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for Insurance Agent in Portland, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $65,950 for Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021) in the Portland-South Portland, ME metropolitan area, based on 1,080 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$50,270
25th percentile
$61,210
Median
$65,950
75th percentile
$84,990
90th percentile
$107,940
Workers surveyed
1,080
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021) rather than Insurance Agent specifically. The Portland range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 41-3021Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $52,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$38,000
to $46,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$49,000
to $61,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$64,000
to $75,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$73,000
to $90,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $11,000 to the total package.
Base
$58,000
Equity
$6,000
Bonus
$4,000
Signing
$1,000
Estimated total: $69,000
How Portland compares.
Portland, ME
$58,000
Cost of living: 5% above average
National Average
$56,000
Portland is $2,000 above
Insurance Agent salary by city.
Salary by role in Portland.
What you should know.
Here is what the Insurance Agent market actually looks like in Portland. Portland, Maine is a small but growing tech and creative economy hub. The city attracts remote workers and small companies seeking quality of life on the New England coast. Healthcare, marine industries, and a craft food and beverage sector round out the local economy. Line of business and whether the agent is captive or independent create the biggest pay differences. Commercial lines agents earn 15 to 25% more than personal lines agents. Independent agents with diversified carrier access often outearn captive agents long-term, though captive agents benefit from higher initial base salaries.
Junior insurance agents start at $38,000 to $48,000, often with salary subsidies during the ramp period. Experienced agents earn $55,000 to $80,000. Senior agents with large books of business reach $80,000 to $120,000. Agency owners and top producers can exceed $150,000 to $250,000. In Portland, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Commission income varies dramatically. New business commissions range from 10 to 20% of first-year premium, with renewal commissions of 3 to 8%. Captive agents receive base salary plus reduced commissions, while independent agents earn higher commissions but cover their own overhead. And on the tax side: maine's top income tax rate is 7.15%. Portland has no city income tax. The state rate is above average but offset by quality of life and access to rural New England. When someone quotes you $58,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Negotiate remote work flexibility. Portland employers know they compete with Boston and New York for talent and may offer location flexibility to attract top candidates. The range for Insurance Agents in Portland runs from $43,000 to $78,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
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Common questions.
Insurance Agent salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Portland.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Insurance Agent Salary in Portland, ME." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/insurance-agent/portland-me
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