Crop Insurance Agent/Specialist
Working for an insurance company, a crop insurance agent/specialist works with farmers to help manage risk and protect against the loss of crops from events like natural disasters or market changes. Crop insurance agents work mostly in an office setting but may be required to travel to the farmers that they serve to inspect crops, make insurance adjustments or participate in public relations events.
Future Job Market
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Fair
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Good
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Excellent
Typical Employers:
Employers may include agricultural lending banks and agricultural insurance companies.
Suggested Professional Organizations and Associations:
- Crop Insurance Professionals Association
- American Association of Crop Insurers
- Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau
- Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America
- State and local agriculture associations
Salary:
$55,000?
SAE Connections:
What Responsibilities Will I Have?
- Input insurance policy and customer information into database systems
- Organize financial records and ensure they are accurate
- Provide clients with information on different policy and coverage options
- Recommend policies to clients based on their farm needs and budgets
- Walk clients through the steps of how to make a claim (a request to an insurance company to pay for something the policy covers)
- Estimate value of property (crop) damage and loss of income due to covered events such as a natural disaster or inclement weather
- Conduct presentations on insurance offerings to farm groups and potential customers in rural areas
- Make sales calls to potential customers
- Gather acreage reports and production histories to create accurate crop insurance policies
- Communicate with customers clearly via email, phone calls, meetings, etc.
- Stay up to date on USDA and federal/legislative changes to insurance requirements through training or continuing education
Recommended High School Courses:
- agricultural education
- business
- accounting
- statistics
- finance
Education/Training Required:
A bachelor’s degree in agribusiness, marketing or finance is required. An insurance license is also required and must be kept up to date with continuing education. Knowledge of production agriculture and region-specific commodities in the job location is preferred.
