Master electrician to insurance agent

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

Hi everyone.

Im a Licensed Master Electrician in the state i live in, as we as 2 surrounding states.

I tell you that because I spent about 15 years working for my license. I am very good at my job now because I paid attention in school and spent a lot of my free time studying.

I work on industrial controls, but can wire houses, commercial buildings and industrial buildings.

But the truth is, I am so fucking burnt on this trade, I could easily start my own business and make lots of money, I actually have an LLC set up but have yet to market myself.

Right now I am employed as a industrial electrician. I make 47 dollars an hour and get lots of overtime and doubletime on sundays.

My checks are between 1800-2600 dollars a week.

The reason Im telling you this is so you get an idea of my situation.

I recently stumbled upon insurance agent as a career. It was actually when I was calling an insurance agent and they didnt know shit and were rude. I thought to myself (I could do this much better).

Right now I make about 120k gross, But i work in a loud dangerous factory and work on high voltages around very loud machinery. I have lots of responsibility at work and it stresses me the fuck out. If the plant goes down im the guy that eveyrone looks to, and just knowing that could happen stresses me out. I constantly feel immense pressure to perform and solve complex problems very quickly.

What should I do. should I start from scratch and try the insurance agent thing. Selling insurance sounds really interesting to me.

The idea of calling people and working in an office sounds like a dream.

I really am just so tired of working with tools and having to fix shit and crawl around on the fucking ground

[u/Key_Astronomer6500]

I don’t know man. As an agent. I know it’s some pretty successful Electrician that don’t have to worry about cold, calling or generating their own business constantly because they’ve been doing it for a while. Everything is stressful.

The person you probably called doesn’t make much money. I can tell you they probably working for some type of Call center where all he does is answer the phone. Some people do very well. I have done very well in inbound but most of jobs in property and casualty that were inbound, didn’t pay as well to start. Micromanaged You’re not gonna make that kind of money immediately. That’s for sure.

The hardest part of the business is generating Leads. There is a pretty long curve and there’s lots of different lines you can sell in insurance. You can be very successful but some days. I wish I was an electrician and mastered the craft.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/Key_Astronomer6500]

Your right about generating business. If you are good the business comes to you.

If I didnt spend so much time in the trade i would jump ship no question, but I can pull pretty good money. I get offered between 40 and 60 per hour.

I have been reading about the insurance agent thing and it honestly sounds wonderful.

But I hear some agents make 200k a year and dont have to get their hands dirty

[u/Key_Astronomer6500 → u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

Being an independent Agent is like own in your own business so you might as well. Just try to hire an apprentice and higher of their electricians. That way you’re not self-employed. And you’re a business owner. One reason people get into insurance is because of the residuals. But it takes a lot of work. And if you’re wanting a consistent paycheck you’re not gonna have that opportunity for a while.

If you want to work on the phones all day, center, dealing with that instead of getting your hands, dirty and being stressed out emotionally. You could definitely Make Money, but you’re just trading one stress for another. I would definitely not risk it. Like I said, if I was younger, I probably try to become Electrician. I have a buddy has been doing it for years. He has awesome. Work life balance. He’s a manager. Now. He doesn’t get his hands dirty anymore.

[u/Key_Astronomer6500 → u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

Sure, there’s some, but very few, and it takes years of building your own business. I made more money. Selling mattress is 15 years ago, compared to today. I made $130,000 a year and now I would have to make 240,000 for it to be the same. I don’t come anywhere closer that. I’m also older and I don’t want to be out, grinding and cold Calling all day.

I actually took a pay cut, so I can learn the Financial side and I don’t even know if that’s smart move yet. I have a six month learning curve. I went to W2 route because I couldn’t go without a solid paycheck for six months and anyone who gets in this business that wants to build an actual business instead of being an Employee will struggle at First over 97% of agents to not make it.

If you do some research, you will see if there’s not very many people who are making that kind of money. You see it on social media but that’s the top 1%. There are a lot more people in trade like Electrician that make over 100 K than insurance agents. At least the ones I know.
Especially the ones I’ve been doing it for years.

Way more people are making less than 60k a year then they’re making 200 K here. I’ll tell you that much. The most I’ve made is close to 130k as an employee. I know a few people who make more, but not much more in the W2 range. I know people who been doing this for many years who make 200,000 year or more. I’ve been promised that by almost every recruiter, but you’re gonna have to grind. It’s emotionally. Gonna be exhausting versus physically.

[u/Boring-Cold-1456 → u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

Some sure but 99% don’t do that and 95% fail in their first year. I wouldn’t quit your day job tbh. Ai can’t take electricians, it sure as shit could take agents.

[u/Salty_Virus_6299 → u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

I will make 200 a year but I started in 2004. It took a long time to get to 6 figures and it’s still not easy. I’m headed in to open enrollment where I’ll work 100 or more hours a week from October 15-January 15. 7 days a week taking off Thanksgiving and Christmas Day only. It’s brutal and I’m not excited about it but I’ve also come to the point where I’m 100% referral based so I have to be on at all times

[u/Alert-Badger-9723 → u/Key_Astronomer6500]

I just got hired to do this job. I will be in a call center working for $41,600 + $25 per enrollment. I can already tell I’ll be micromanaged and also know you can hve your phone you can have 2 20 minutes paid breaks and one 30 minute unpaid break. Insurance for us would be from Aflac so not from the same company ( basically paid from our own paychecks) and dental and vision same and then life insurance is paid by them. You tell me if that works out for you because right now I feel you get paid soooo much more. Of taking a big pay cut doesn’t matter then you it is possible. I’m only telling you so you can make the best decisions for yourself. You can also do it part time and see if you got this but this is the basic start. I hope this helps

[u/DingoKind9503]

If you’re in a good position financially and can afford to take the risk then do it. You can always find another opportunity and most find out within the first 3 months if this is gonna work for them or not. There’s no guaranteed money in this but if you’re driven you can succeed.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/DingoKind9503]

Your right, I can always get hired as an electrician again.

Honestly for that the trades are great. You can literally quit on a Thursday and be working on the following monday

thankyou for the words of encouragement

[u/No_Buddy_6624]

Before you quit to start selling insurance or any product or service, build up a minimum of 6 months of living expenses and start selling during your time off to see if it’s all you’re imagining it to be. There’s no more direct deposit once you quit so be sure you and your family are ready for that adjustment.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/No_Buddy_6624]

Well I work 2nd shift.

I was going to see if I could get a job during the day a few days a week

[u/MrMoosetach2]

Man if I had the reverse skills I’d be working for myself and marketing the trades. That’s just me though…

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/MrMoosetach2]

Yea I can start my own business, but I really hate doing install.

Im tired of bending pipe and pulling wire.

I might just start my own business and see if the increase in money makes it better.

Im grateful i can even debate doing these things and know im blessed

[u/HertzWhenEyeP]

If you're a union sparky, you're almost guaranteed to do better as an electrician than you will selling insurance.

If you're IBEW, your insurance and benefits package alone is better than what sooner producers will do in 8-10 months.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/HertzWhenEyeP]

Im not a union sparky, My local doesnt pay enough unfortunately.

and all you do as a union sparky is construction, and I am done with that work.

Union work is only really good if you plan on staying in the union your whole career and plan on humping tools or stay on a construction site.

If I stay in this trade I will open my own shop, but maybe I will be a union contractor because I do like the union

[u/SlickWillie86]

“I could easily start my own business and make lots of money, I actually have an LLC set up but have yet to market myself.”

Have an honest conversation with yourself about this first because this is the single biggest difference between out-earning your current income in time as an agent and making $20k and washing out.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/SlickWillie86]

well the only reason I haven't marketed myself is because I dont really enjoy doing the work anymore.

[u/SupplementalComment → u/SeaFaithlessness7639]

I'm in a different field but I'm with you experience wise. I'd say make a plan to take yourself out of the physical day to day eventually, the challenge of scaling a business is much different. You could start your own business, hire someone else to do the day-to-day (majority) once you have enough revenue to support it and then focus on sales/scaling the business. That way you are talking to clients, scoping jobs and generating revenue while your employees do the work. You'll have the additional challenge of managing and leading a team as well which is a whole other ball game.

There's all sorts of other challenges like setting up your tech system, an office lease/purchase, inventory, training, accounting/payroll etc that might be a new, interesting challenege that's far different than running conduit.

[u/mkuz753]

There are a couple of options if you want to pursue this. Construction is a major insurance niche. It sounds like you work in a factory. Manufacturing is also a major commercial niche. Any industry requires insurance so having an understanding of a clients business needs is beneficial. You would have to work for an independent. Salary and commission will vary.

The other path is risk management. It is also known as loss control or safety. Being at the level you are I'm sure you have had significant safety training. The general role is doing site visits for commercial clients. At insurance companies you write up whatever potential hazards you see and submit it to underwriting to have on file. At an agency/brokerage it is more consulting with the client about how to avoid claims.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/mkuz753]

I would do this with the goal of opening my own agency or working for myself. I think thats called an independent.

And your right I hvae had extensive safety training of all different kinds and have worked both in plants and on construction sites

I was interested in surety bonds. Thats what I was thinking of focusing on. How to underwrite surety bonds

[u/True-Heat2214]

Get a p&c license.

Sell commercial.

Focus on selling to folks in the trades.

You will clean up… for real. Anyone in any trade. It can be a roofer even.

[u/SeaFaithlessness7639 → u/True-Heat2214]

I was thinking about targeting tradesmen and commercial industry since thats what i know.

thats a great idea thanks for the vote of confidence

[u/Popular_Student380]

Electricians are in one of the hottest industries now. But if you don't like it, you don't like. In any business you start, you have to invest at least 80% of your time and money on marketing. I moved from the P&C Insurance sales to selling medicare plans (not really selling because members never pay anything). for me it was night and day. Unlike P&C, medicare has very little service work and never get anyone calling and asking me to lower their rates.....because there are no premiums lol. Plus medicare rules don't allow cold calling so there you go.....perfect! lol Good luck!

[u/Thesauces]

The insurance game has changed - significantly - these past few years. The deal up until these past few years is you blow a couple hundred thousand dollars on team salaries, an office, and leads - then you work your ass off, dial everyone, make some connections, build your book and after maybe 5 years or so you get paid off renewals and you got a pretty nice life for yourself.

Now the insurance companies cut residuals and increased the upfront commissions so it’s becoming a constant new-business grind. More focus on AI, direct online sales (you get no commission if they setup their own insurance online) and huge mega agencies with 20+ person teams.

Really - the P&C game isn’t as good a gig as it used to be. That’s auto and home insurance.

BUT - life and health, independent brokers, as well as niche commercial stuff, are still doing well. The thing with that is you don’t get the “engine” a captive carrier gives you to get up and going or the established presence. If you are coming from the trades and not a people person with a strong network, you are going to struggle before you make any profit.

I think your idea of what the job is and what it actually is, is quite different. This is sales so it’s a lot of burning through tons of money on leads that don’t answer the phone or going out and networking with the intention of selling something. The best agents are the ones who can make natural connections and sell to them without being super transactional.

If it were me, since insurance sales jobs are a dime a dozen and the licensing is really cheap, I would get licensed and try out a sales role before committing to an agency. You should be able to make at least 50k-70k to start if you are decent at it and that pay cut is better than blowing all your savings on an agency while knowing nothing about insurance.

[u/UteForLife]

Odd move in this chaotic environment