Is $7.50 enough to be an insurance customer sales rep? I don't think so, should I ask for a raise?

I am single working mother who is trying to move out of my parents house with 2 kids. I love my job, and do not want to find another one. What should I do, and how should I go about it?
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I have been here since January, and NO COMMISSIONS. I am not licensed yet, but I do EVERYTHING, but call people back with quotes. I take their information, run it, and give it to my boss. I do claims, call backs, answer the phones, all the filing, new business letters send outs, anything and everything.

It really depends on the area and how hard it is to replace you, As sad as it is to say if they can replace you for $7.00 you better not ask. Goodluck and look for other jobs with higher wages

It depends on the market value of similar positions where you live. If you check monster.com and similar websites you may be able to figure out how much your services are worth in your area.

It may be that you don't want to switch jobs, or it may be that you don't want to switch companies. If you can find the same position in another company that pays more, do that, if you can get a lateral or upward promotion in the same company, do that. If none of that is an option, and you know you are worth more, check your efficiency as a worker and if you can do more, ask for more work or a few more hours. Make yourself available when others need time off, and get in on extra projects. Stockpile all these acts of initiative, then ask for an evaluation and a raise, armed with your research about how much a job like yours usually pays.

You may also be able to rethink the rest of your situation. If you qualify for any benefits as a single mother, get them. There are sliding scale rent assistance programs, Habitat for Humanity for a low cost mortgage. If you are owed child support, there are free resources to help you collect it. If you can get food stamps get them. If your kids qualify for free medical care, get it...this allows you to only insure yourself, instead of your children, and have more take home pay. It is an assumption that your kids day care situation is the grandparents. If this can continue, or if you qualify for daycare through work or a low income program...get that. Anything you can get help with will put more money in your pocket.

In the meantime, get yourself organized. If you have clutter, pare down so you can afford a smaller house. If you eat out a lot, start thinking about more at home cooking. There are tons of ways to make really delicious really cheap food, and you don't have to bust your butt in the kitchen. Save coupons for things like bathroom supplies. Choose products that do more than one thing. A tinted moisturizer instead of foundation and moisturizer. A laundry soap with fab softener in it, usually for the same price. Clean with natural products like vinegar and baking soda. Find cheap outings for the kids. We used to go get 2 large fries and tap water at McDonalds, dump them all on the tray, and head for the jungle gym. They would snack and play. The whole outing was about 3 dollars and lasted for a couple hours. Library and park. Matinee at the cheap movie theater or borrow a DVD for the kids. Free computer games. Free homework help online. ETC ETC. Shop discount outlets like Steinmart, Ross, etc for work clothes or check second hand places.

You can always benefit your situation by getting and staying organized with little details of getting things done. It helps you be more efficient with all your resources...time, money, energy...and then the things that matter like self, family, friends, and career can start to be more of a priority, all while you are achieving that independence that you want.

You should if you are not getting a commission in addition to your hourly pay from the sales you make.

Make yourself VALUABLE to your employer and prove that you are worth $25 or $50 per hour.

Depends if you make commission, and if so, how much? Are the commissions enough for you to make a living?

If you are making a straight $7.50/hr YES ask for a raise.

It probably is that way because you make the majority of the money off of comissions.

Ask for a raise. It depends on how long you have been at the job though.

It depends on the area you live if that is fair pay, I know where I am from, the answer would be no, they start out paying 10 or more............easy way to figure is go online or through the newspapers and look at the help wanted ads and see what they are paying.

Whoa, definitely!!! I used to have your job back in 2000, and I made $8 an hour!!! You deserve a raise, trust me. For all the stuff you have to deal with, you are worth WAY more than $7.50.

It does sound on the low side but this sort of salary is usually supplemented by commissions.

You can check what the going rate for your job title is by looking through job adverts for similar jobs. I think this site might also help you determine your going rate.

http://www.payscale.com/salary-survey/aid-6837/raname-VACATION/rid-61/fid-6886

When it comes down to it, though, your employers will probably only pay what the job is worth to them.

This is the definitive site, I suppose ... but I found it very hard to find the information I was looking for!

http://www.bls.gov/ncs/

ASKING FOR A RAISE
Too many sites to quote! There is plenty of good advice out there - type the above heading into Google.

Important things are:

Don't go in with a grievance! Make sure you know how much your job is worth in your area - and can back it up with statistics. Start off with some compliments about the job and the company, say why you need more money and ask if it's possible to discuss your position and review your salary. Have a figure in mind but negotiate first. Be prepared to accept a promise of a review in, say, a month's time and ask if you could have that promise in writing. End the interview with a thank you, even if you didn't get what you wanted.

yeah..i make 10$ just for sitting here and asnwer yahoo questions...do it

$7.50!? Yeah if you live in the middle of BFE! I wouldn't take that, I've seen McDonald's pay more than that!

Do you get commissions on top of that? If not than you should ask for more money.

Insurance sales rep? That sounds important! Ask for the raise

it all depends on were you live and the cost of living there, but when i was a sales rep i made 15+ an hr plush bonuses, i think you deserve a raise personally.

if you keep your options open i can show you how to gain extra income without quitting. i am a licesned agent

THATS HARD TO SAY. IT DEPENDS ON HOW LONG YOU'VE BEEN WORKING THERE AND HOW GOOD OF A JOB YOU ARE DOING. I AM A CSR FOR AN INSURANCE AGENCY ALSO. WHEN I STARTED I WAS MAKING 6.75 AN HOUR. I AM NOW MAKING ABOUT 11 DOLLARS AN HOUR. STILL LOW AS I HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR ALMOST 3 YEARS AND ACTUALLY RUN THE OFFICE. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE AVERAGE RATE OF PAY FOR THIS POSITION (UNLICENSED)IS AT LEAST 9 AN HOUR. WHAT I WOULD DO IS PUT MY RESUME OUT THERE AND SEE WHAT OTHER PLACES WILL OFFER YOU. THEN YOU'LL HAVE MORE LEVRAGE WHEN ASKING FOR THAT RAISE.

Lots of considerations... how long have you been doing the job, what training and experience do you have, are you any good at it, do you make cold calls or just answer the phone and enter data from the caller?

If someone else could and would do the job as well as you do for $7.50, it's enough. If not, ask for a raise.

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