What employers pay health insurance brokers
Updated plan year 2025 so far: 34,505 filings through September 24, 2026
The median broker commission on a fully insured employer medical plan that pays commissions was 3.8% of premium in plan year 2024, computed from 4,574 Form 5500 filings; another 933 insured plans reported no commission at all. The middle half of commission-paying plans fell between 2.7% and 5.0%. Counting every insurance contract, the median employer that disclosed broker pay reported $72,628 in commissions and fees, and the total across 54,681 employers was $6.9B. In the first 34,505 filings for plan year 2025, the median so far is 3.5% (2,482 plans).
By employer size
Rates step down as groups grow. 'Rated' is the number of commission-paying, fully insured medical plans behind each median.
| Plans | Rated | Median rate | Middle half | Median $ | Premium / person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100-199 participants | 23,219 | 2,201 | 4.2% | 3.1% – 5.2% | $53,852 | $7,424 |
| 200-499 participants | 19,077 | 1,711 | 3.6% | 2.6% – 5.0% | $77,013 | $7,362 |
| 500-999 participants | 7,363 | 399 | 2.7% | 1.9% – 4.4% | $104,902 | $6,843 |
| 1,000-4,999 participants | 6,821 | 205 | 2.0% | 0.8% – 3.5% | $168,579 | $6,939 |
| 5,000+ participants | 2,067 | 58 | 4.8% | 1.0% – 5.0% | $458,262 | $7,207 |
By state
Employer's mailing state on the filing. Medians with fewer than 30 rated plans are noisy.
| Plans | Rated | Median rate | Middle half | Median $ | Premium / person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 638 | 10 | 3.7% | 3.0% – 4.8% | $64,089 | $6,384 |
| Alaska | 97 | 3 | 2.0% | 1.1% – 3.9% | $59,787 | — |
| Arizona | 1,032 | 21 | 7.5% | 5.1% – 8.0% | $70,061 | $5,476 |
| Arkansas | 371 | 58 | 3.7% | 2.5% – 5.1% | $64,301 | $5,286 |
| California | 6,836 | 48 | 4.0% | 0.6% – 6.3% | $104,298 | $6,689 |
| Colorado | 1,040 | 13 | 5.0% | 1.8% – 9.3% | $46,030 | — |
| Connecticut | 722 | 41 | 6.0% | 4.1% – 6.9% | $74,008 | $8,147 |
| Delaware | 157 | 5 | 4.6% | 3.9% – 5.4% | $73,411 | — |
| District of Columbia | 413 | 10 | 6.4% | 4.9% – 8.0% | $97,416 | — |
| Florida | 3,039 | 684 | 4.6% | 3.7% – 5.2% | $83,531 | $9,849 |
| Georgia | 1,709 | 60 | 7.0% | 5.7% – 8.3% | $86,655 | $6,385 |
| Guam | 6 | 0 | — | — – — | $44,248 | — |
| Hawaii | 202 | 7 | 2.0% | 1.3% – 2.6% | $45,338 | $6,331 |
| Idaho | 271 | 38 | 3.2% | 2.4% – 4.0% | $52,220 | $6,310 |
| Illinois | 2,831 | 95 | 1.5% | 0.4% – 3.1% | $85,899 | $6,708 |
| Indiana | 1,155 | 10 | 4.9% | 3.0% – 8.6% | $48,384 | — |
| Iowa | 619 | 55 | 1.6% | 1.1% – 2.4% | $38,968 | $10,958 |
| Kansas | 588 | 99 | 2.8% | 1.9% – 4.0% | $49,377 | $5,957 |
| Kentucky | 700 | 10 | 3.7% | 3.4% – 5.0% | $61,155 | — |
| Louisiana | 623 | 116 | 5.0% | 3.5% – 5.5% | $92,702 | $7,393 |
| Maine | 246 | 20 | 3.8% | 2.4% – 4.8% | $58,098 | — |
| Maryland | 1,084 | 17 | 5.5% | 3.9% – 8.1% | $77,915 | $7,401 |
| Massachusetts | 1,864 | 534 | 2.5% | 2.0% – 3.2% | $75,078 | $8,072 |
| Michigan | 2,113 | 704 | 3.2% | 3.0% – 4.5% | $68,927 | $5,845 |
| Minnesota | 1,318 | 5 | 5.0% | 3.6% – 5.9% | $58,196 | — |
| Mississippi | 257 | 74 | 3.7% | 2.9% – 4.7% | $66,846 | $4,335 |
| Missouri | 1,063 | 69 | 4.5% | 2.8% – 5.9% | $64,776 | $7,252 |
| Montana | 154 | 3 | 3.5% | 3.0% – 12.8% | $60,255 | — |
| Nebraska | 414 | 34 | 4.2% | 2.2% – 5.5% | $56,795 | $8,240 |
| Nevada | 381 | 2 | 8.8% | 8.6% – 8.9% | $78,590 | — |
| New Hampshire | 274 | 9 | 4.4% | 2.4% – 5.1% | $63,662 | — |
| New Jersey | 1,521 | 71 | 5.4% | 2.7% – 7.3% | $79,574 | $7,942 |
| New Mexico | 167 | 10 | 3.0% | 1.2% – 6.0% | $50,216 | — |
| New York | 3,508 | 280 | 3.7% | 2.9% – 4.3% | $85,893 | $10,907 |
| North Carolina | 1,587 | 36 | 4.5% | 2.8% – 7.0% | $64,516 | $5,949 |
| North Dakota | 173 | 1 | 1.9% | 1.9% – 1.9% | $46,125 | — |
| Ohio | 2,404 | 212 | 3.5% | 2.5% – 4.7% | $56,081 | $11,620 |
| Oklahoma | 617 | 14 | 1.6% | 0.8% – 2.6% | $70,599 | — |
| Oregon | 811 | 8 | 2.8% | 1.8% – 3.6% | $46,418 | — |
| Pennsylvania | 2,599 | 216 | 4.4% | 3.0% – 5.4% | $57,332 | $7,621 |
| Puerto Rico | 239 | 185 | 5.0% | 4.8% – 5.0% | $53,861 | $4,572 |
| Rhode Island | 195 | 9 | 1.0% | 0.2% – 3.0% | $55,655 | — |
| South Carolina | 612 | 176 | 3.9% | 2.7% – 4.4% | $73,727 | $10,873 |
| South Dakota | 164 | 19 | 1.6% | 1.3% – 2.3% | $35,673 | $9,660 |
| Tennessee | 1,276 | 193 | 3.9% | 3.3% – 5.3% | $82,913 | $5,747 |
| Texas | 4,926 | 194 | 5.6% | 2.7% – 6.0% | $86,351 | $6,089 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | 5 | 0 | — | — – — | $99,347 | — |
| Utah | 700 | 24 | 5.0% | 3.0% – 5.9% | $77,994 | $4,849 |
| Vermont | 155 | 1 | 5.2% | 5.2% – 5.2% | $35,694 | — |
| Virginia | 1,613 | 27 | 4.6% | 3.2% – 6.4% | $71,889 | $6,864 |
| Washington | 1,423 | 3 | 1.3% | 0.6% – 3.1% | $40,089 | — |
| West Virginia | 156 | 1 | 2.3% | 2.3% – 2.3% | $50,231 | — |
| Wisconsin | 1,402 | 38 | 2.1% | 1.6% – 3.1% | $42,793 | $7,247 |
| Wyoming | 49 | 0 | — | — – — | $38,272 | — |
By industry
Two-digit NAICS sector from the filing's business code.
| Plans | Rated | Median rate | Middle half | Median $ | Premium / person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare & social assistance | 8,344 | 721 | 3.7% | 2.6% – 5.0% | $72,771 | $7,937 |
| Professional & technical services | 7,915 | 660 | 3.6% | 2.5% – 5.0% | $87,691 | $7,313 |
| Manufacturing — metal, equipment, transportation | 6,439 | 538 | 3.5% | 2.6% – 5.0% | $68,336 | $7,064 |
| Construction | 4,139 | 297 | 4.2% | 3.0% – 5.3% | $61,605 | $6,982 |
| Finance & insurance | 4,048 | 307 | 3.1% | 2.2% – 4.6% | $83,650 | $7,358 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,185 | 209 | 3.9% | 2.6% – 5.2% | $67,931 | $7,065 |
| Retail — stores, food, auto, clothing | 3,023 | 272 | 4.0% | 2.9% – 5.0% | $64,522 | $6,978 |
| Manufacturing — chemical, wood, plastics | 2,887 | 209 | 3.3% | 2.3% – 5.0% | $61,723 | $7,221 |
| Other services | 2,117 | 168 | 4.2% | 2.8% – 5.9% | $75,230 | $7,848 |
| Education services | 2,086 | 180 | 4.0% | 2.6% – 5.0% | $72,580 | $8,498 |
| Administrative & support services | 1,817 | 144 | 4.0% | 2.8% – 5.2% | $73,242 | $6,851 |
| Transportation — truck & rail | 1,705 | 99 | 4.2% | 3.0% – 5.1% | $72,473 | $7,262 |
| Information & publishing | 1,656 | 110 | 3.3% | 2.2% – 5.0% | $89,283 | $7,494 |
| Accommodation & food services | 1,630 | 136 | 4.6% | 3.3% – 5.4% | $63,859 | $6,648 |
| Real estate & rental | 1,613 | 145 | 3.7% | 2.8% – 5.0% | $74,895 | $7,407 |
| Manufacturing — food & textile | 1,561 | 86 | 4.2% | 2.8% – 5.2% | $62,327 | $6,861 |
| Arts & entertainment | 994 | 82 | 4.5% | 3.2% – 5.4% | $65,871 | $7,819 |
| Retail — general merchandise, sporting goods | 717 | 45 | 4.8% | 3.1% – 5.6% | $70,343 | $6,448 |
| Management of companies | 610 | 49 | 3.4% | 2.5% – 5.0% | $92,088 | $6,409 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 602 | 41 | 4.0% | 3.1% – 5.5% | $43,680 | $6,360 |
| Mining, oil & gas | 543 | 21 | 3.4% | 2.9% – 4.9% | $77,238 | $5,882 |
| Utilities | 480 | 28 | 3.0% | 1.6% – 5.0% | $89,822 | $6,586 |
| Transportation — warehousing | 245 | 18 | 4.8% | 3.0% – 6.8% | $69,624 | — |
| Public administration | 90 | 3 | 4.5% | 4.0% – 5.2% | $82,410 | — |
Source: DOL Form 5500 and Schedule A, plan year 2024 as filed through September 24, 2026 (the DOL adds late and amended filings monthly), employer health plans with 100 or more participants; built October 24, 2026. Rate = (commissions + fees) ÷ earned premium on contracts coded as health coverage, employers with at least $100,000 of such premium and at least $1,500 of premium per covered person (so administrative-only contracts are excluded); medians count only plans that paid a commission or fee. Premium per person = medical premium ÷ people covered at year end, contracts covering 50 or more people. Full methodology.
What is a typical health insurance broker commission?
On fully insured employer medical plans with 100 or more participants that pay commissions, the median broker compensation reported on 2024 Form 5500 filings was 3.8% of premium; 933 insured plans reported none. Half of plans fell between 2.7% and 5.0%. In dollars, the median employer that disclosed broker pay reported $72,628 across all its insurance contracts.
Do smaller employers pay higher commission rates?
Yes. 100-199 participants: 4.2%; 200-499 participants: 3.6%; 500-999 participants: 2.7%; 1,000-4,999 participants: 2.0%; 5,000+ participants: 4.8%. Rates fall as groups grow because carriers' commission schedules step down with premium volume and large employers more often pay flat fees.
Which states have the highest broker commission rates?
Among states with at least 30 fully insured medical plans in the data, the highest medians were Georgia (7.0%), Connecticut (6.0%), Texas (5.6%); the lowest were Illinois (1.5%), Iowa (1.6%), Wisconsin (2.1%).
Why can't a rate be computed for every employer?
Self-funded employers pay medical claims themselves, so Schedule A carries no medical premium to divide by; their broker pay appears in dollars only. Rates here use only contracts coded as health coverage with at least $100,000 of filed premium.