On agent-reported rates across InSifter, the top-paying carriers on personal auto are Acuity (13%), Auto-Owners Insurance (13%), Cincinnati Insurance (13%), Erie Insurance (13%), West Bend Mutual (13%) — all at the top of the 10–13% new-business range. On homeowners, the leaders reach 15%: Acuity (15%), Auto-Owners Insurance (15%), Cincinnati Insurance (15%), Erie Insurance (15%), West Bend Mutual (15%). Commercial and specialty lines run highest of all — up to 15–20% for professional liability and specialty programs at carriers like Philadelphia (PHLY) and Tokio Marine HCC.
Full ranges for every line — including renewals — live on the commission benchmarks page, and each carrier’s state-by-state numbers are on its profile.
A carrier paying 13% that loses on price to a carrier paying 11% earns you less — close rate and retention beat two points of commission every time. The best-paying carrier is the one whose rate and appetite fit your market; that’s why the same names dominate both our top-payer data and the best-carriers rankings. Also check what channel you’d write through — an aggregator override changes your real take: which aggregator pays the most.
Based on agent-reported data on InSifter: Acuity, Auto-Owners, Cincinnati, Erie, and West Bend Mutual lead personal auto at 13% new business; homeowners tops out around 15%; and specialty commercial lines pay the most overall at 15–20%.
Agents report the highest rates on specialty and professional lines — up to 15–20% new business — while standard personal lines typically run 10–15% and workers’ comp is lowest at 8–11%.
No — rates commonly vary 2–4 points between carriers on the same line and state, which compounds to thousands of dollars a year on a typical book. That spread is the reason comparing carrier commissions matters.
Agent-reported new-business and renewal rates for 70 carriers, by state and line.
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