Brokerage Benchmarks Group
Producer Terms StudyNo. 7 · Q3 2026
Producer Terms Study · United StatesData to 30 September 2026
Draws come back as agencies compete for producers
Nearly half of the producer roles posted by agencies above $5 million in revenue now offer a draw. Small agencies still lean on book ownership instead of cash
1Posted base salary
Agencies posted 1,846 producer roles between July and September that we could place in a revenue band. Median posted base rose in every band, and fastest among agencies between $5 million and $25 million, which are hiring producers away from both smaller agencies and national brokers.1
| Agency revenue | Postings | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1.25M | 412 | $52,000 | $50,000 | +4.0% |
| $1.25M to $5M | 538 | $58,000 | $55,500 | +4.5% |
| $5M to $25M | 501 | $65,000 | $62,000 | +4.8% |
| Over $25M | 395 | $72,500 | $70,000 | +3.6% |
| All agencies | 1,846 | $61,000 | $58,500 | +4.3% |
Source: agency job postings, state insurance department producer license records, Brokerage Benchmarks Group estimates
2Draws and guarantees
The share of postings that state a draw or salary guarantee has risen in seven of the last eight quarters. Larger agencies offer draws most often and for longer, typically 24 months, while agencies under $1.25 million offer them in fewer than a third of postings.2
| Agency revenue | Draw stated | Months | Producer owns book | Vesting stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $1.25M | 31% | 12 | 22% | 9% |
| $1.25M to $5M | 44% | 18 | 17% | 14% |
| $5M to $25M | 52% | 24 | 11% | 23% |
| Over $25M | 47% | 24 | 6% | 31% |
| All agencies | 44% | 18 | 14% | 19% |
Source: agency job postings, state insurance department producer license records, Brokerage Benchmarks Group estimates
Source: agency job postings, state insurance department producer license records, Brokerage Benchmarks Group estimates
3Commission and book ownership
Where postings describe commission, new business rates are highest in life and health and lowest in personal lines. Book ownership is the term that separates small agencies from large ones: small agencies offer it in place of a draw, while larger agencies replace it with vesting schedules that pay out over five to seven years.
Source: agency job postings, state insurance department producer license records, Brokerage Benchmarks Group estimates
4Against the Agency Performance Study
5What to watch in the fourth quarter
Whether the draw share holds above 40 percent as agencies hire ahead of January renewals, whether larger agencies keep lengthening vesting schedules, and whether the acquisitions announced this year bring book ownership terms in acquired agencies into line with their buyers.
How this study is built
- A posting counts once per role and agency, however many boards carry it
- Agency revenue bands match those in the Agency Performance Study so the two can be read side by side
- Terms are read from posting text only; a term the posting does not state is counted as not stated
Approved for subscribersDana WhitfieldDirector of Agency Benchmarks · 8 October 2026
1 Revenue bands use annual commission and fee revenue from the posting, public filings or our study panel. 214 postings without a determinable band are excluded.
2 Months is the median stated length of the draw or guarantee among postings that state one.