How Does A Life Insurance Agent Get Paid? 
It 's going to depend on the type of coverage and the payout offered by the insurance carrier . The state where a policy is sold may also have some restrictions on how much commission is paid out at one time . A commission is paid to an agent `` after '' a premium has been paid and is in good standing from the insurance carrier . Commissions depending on the product can be paid for just one year or several at a lower amount each year , depending on the company . 