How much does an insurance license cost?

Official fees in three big states

These are the fees each state and its testing company publish. Exam fees are paid when you book and are generally non-refundable.

The costs people forget

• Fingerprints. All three states require them, and you pay the fingerprint vendor directly: IdentoGO in Texas, a Live Scan vendor in Florida, Capital Live Scan in California.
• A pre-licensing course, where your state requires one. Florida’s 2-20 General Lines license needs a 200-hour course and its 2-15 Life & Health license a 60-hour course. California requires 12 hours on ethics and its Insurance Code before the license is issued.
• Retakes. Every new attempt means a new exam fee.
• Renewal and continuing education. Licenses in Texas are typically valid for 2 years, and most need 24 hours of continuing education each time.

What courses cost

Study courses aren’t official fees, but most people buy one. As of October 2026, Achievable charges $99 for a single line, such as Life, and $149 for Life & Health or Property & Casualty. 360training lists its Texas All-Lines Adjuster course, including the course’s own final exam, at $169.

Bigger providers like Kaplan and ExamFX don’t show prices until you pick your state and package. Our where-to-learn page compares them.

How much do insurance adjusters make?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says claims adjusters, examiners and investigators earned a median of $78,000 a year in May 2025. The lowest 10% earned under $48,850 and the top 10% over $117,040. Auto damage appraisers had a median of $78,240.

Where you work matters. Adjusters at insurance carriers (other than life and health) had a median of $79,280, and those at agencies and brokerages $76,130. The federal figures don’t split out independent adjusters, who are often paid per claim and can earn very different amounts from one storm season to the next.

One honest note: the BLS expects jobs in this group to fall about 6% from 2025 to 2035, though it still projects about 21,600 openings a year as people retire or change jobs.

Can you skip the exam fee?

Sometimes. In Texas, finishing a TDI-approved adjuster course in the 12 months before you apply replaces the Pearson VUE exam, so you pay the course instead. Florida waives its adjuster exam for holders of certain designations on its approved list. Either way you still pay the application and fingerprint fees.