Start your career in life insurance.
No insurance experience required. We guide you through California licensing, train you in our office next to agents who are writing business every day, and put a full carrier lineup behind you.
- Location
- San Diego, CA — in office
- Type
- 1099 independent contractor
- Pay
- Commission-only, uncapped
- Experience
- None required
- License
- California life license — we guide you through it
Not a vision board. The actual board.
Real numbers from agents working out of our San Diego office — pulled from the CRM and the channel where the team posts every policy they write. Names withheld; everything else is as it happened.
Top producers · May 1 – 15, 2025
- 01Agent A27
- 02Agent B36
- 03Agent C30
- 04Agent D26
- 05Agent E22
- 06Agent F24
- 07Agent G22
Every policy gets posted. Here are a few.
Dollar amounts are the annual premium on a single policy.
Figures are submitted annual premium — the yearly premium on applications sent to carriers — not agent income. Agents earn a commission on issued policies that varies by carrier, product, and contract level. Boards show only the top producers in each window; most agents produce less, and results are not typical or guaranteed.
Want your name on next month's board?
Apply in 2 MinutesBuilt for people starting over, not starting out.
Career changers
Retail, restaurants, hospitality, fitness, real estate, the trades. If you have talked to the public for a living, you already have the hardest skill.
Veterans and military spouses
Structure, accountability, and a mission you can explain to your family. The skills transfer more directly than most civilian jobs.
People who have sold anything
Cars, phones, gym memberships, solar. You know volume and follow-up. Here the product actually protects people.
Anyone capped where they are
If your pay is set by someone else and your raise is three percent, commission work is the trade: more risk, no ceiling.
Sound like you? No resume needed.
Apply in 2 MinutesLicensed to leading, in four steps.
Get Licensed
We walk you through the California pre-licensing course, the state exam, and fingerprinting with study support and a clear timeline. Most new agents are licensed within weeks, not months.
Train With Producers
You learn in our San Diego office from agents who are actively writing business — live calls, real appointments, and scripts that hold up in the field instead of in a classroom.
Plug Into the System
Qualified leads, a full carrier lineup, and back-office support so your time goes to clients and not to paperwork.
Own Your Growth
Uncapped commissions with a transparent promotion track. Top producers build and lead their own teams and earn override on that production.
Step one takes two minutes.
Apply in 2 MinutesWhat we tell every recruit before they sign.
Recruiting pages tend to show the top producer's numbers and skip the rest. Here is the rest, because people who join knowing it are the ones who stay.
It is commission-based
There is no salary. Your income tracks your activity, especially in the first year. Agents who treat it like a job with a schedule do well; agents waiting to be managed do not.
The first 90 days are the filter
Licensing, product knowledge, and your first appointments land all at once. It is the steepest part, and the part most people quit during.
You will hear no a lot
Protection is bought after it is understood, and understanding takes conversations. Volume is the job.
Nobody earns identically
Some agents build six-figure books. Some earn very little and leave. Effort, market, and persistence decide which — not us, and not a recruiting page.
Still in? Good — that's the right answer.
Apply in 2 MinutesWhat people ask before they apply.
Do I need insurance or sales experience?
No. Most of our agents came from other industries. We teach the products, the conversations, and the process. What we cannot teach is showing up consistently — that part is on you.
How do I get a life insurance license in California?
You complete a state-approved pre-licensing and ethics course, pass the California Department of Insurance exam, and get fingerprinted through Live Scan. We give you the study plan and check in until you pass. You can start the course before your first conversation with us if you want a head start.
What does licensing cost, and who pays?
There are real costs: the course, the state exam fee, and fingerprinting. We go through exactly what applies to you, and how it is handled, on your first call — before you spend anything.
Can I get licensed with a criminal record?
Often, yes, but it depends on the record. The California Department of Insurance asks about criminal history on the license application and reviews each case individually, and many past convictions do not automatically disqualify you. Certain felonies involving dishonesty or breach of trust require separate federal approval, known as a 1033 waiver, to work in insurance. We do not ask about this on our application. If it applies to you, raise it on your first call and we will tell you honestly what the process looks like.
Is there a salary or base pay?
No. Agents are 1099 independent contractors paid on commission from the carriers when policies are issued, with renewals on some products. There is no cap on what you can earn, and no floor either.
How much do life insurance agents make?
It varies more than almost any job. Income depends on how many conversations you have, how quickly you get licensed, and how long you stay. Some agents build six-figure incomes; many earn little in their first months and some leave. We will not quote you a number on a recruiting page — see our Agent Income Disclosure.
Is this an in-office job?
Yes. Agents work from our San Diego office, where training, team meetings, and live coaching happen. Being in the room with producers is the fastest way to learn the job.
What happens after I apply?
Someone from our team calls you within one business day for a short, honest conversation about the role, the money, and where you are with licensing. If it is not a fit, we will say so.
Tell us where you are.
Licensed already, halfway through coursework, or just curious whether this is real — all three are fine answers. We will tell you honestly whether this is a fit.
Figures on this page describe results some agents have achieved. They are not a guarantee or projection of your earnings. Insurance sales is commission-based and results vary widely. See our Agent Income Disclosure.
Start your application
Two minutes now. A call from our team within one business day.
Ryker Financial welcomes applicants of every background and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Need an accommodation to apply or interview? Say so in your application and we will arrange it. How we handle your information: Applicant Privacy Notice.