TechTips

How Compensation Data Can Guide Your Agency in 2026

Written by Matt Smith | January 19, 2026

A new year brings new opportunities and new challenges for independent insurance agencies. From retaining top talent to planning for growth, compensation decisions play a major role in an agency’s success. Yet many agency owners are forced to make those decisions without reliable benchmarking data.

That’s where Agency Compensation 360 comes in.

Why Compensation Data Matters More Than Ever

The independent agency landscape continues to evolve. Agencies are navigating rising labor costs, increased competition for experienced talent, and shifting expectations around benefits, bonuses, and flexibility. Without accurate data, it’s difficult to know whether your compensation strategy is competitive or putting your agency at risk.

Compensation data helps agency owners:

  • Evaluate salary ranges with confidence
  • Understand benefits and bonus trends
  • Support hiring and retention efforts
  • Make informed budgeting decisions
  • Plan proactively rather than reactively

Simply put, better data leads to better decisions.

Introducing the Agency Compensation 360 Dashboard

The Agency Compensation 360 Dashboard is a new interactive tool built specifically for independent insurance agencies. It provides access to real-world data collected from agencies nationwide, enabling you to benchmark your agency against peers of similar size and structure.

Inside the dashboard, you’ll find:

  • Compensation benchmarks by role
  • Benefits and bonus trends
  • Regional and national comparisons
  • Agency size filters
  • Interactive charts you can explore, download, and use for planning

This tool is designed to help agency leaders move beyond guesswork and into confident, data-driven decision-making.

How to Access the Dashboard

Access to the Agency Compensation 360 Dashboard is available to agencies that complete the Agency Compensation 360 Survey.

  • If you’ve already completed the survey:
    You can log in now and start exploring the dashboard.

    Access the Dashboard

  • If you haven’t completed the survey yet:
    The survey is open, and once you complete it, you’ll unlock full dashboard access.

    Start Survey

The survey takes about one hour to complete, and dashboard access is granted immediately after submission.

If you have questions along the way, support is available at Comp360@catalyit.com

How Agencies Are Using the Data

Agencies that have accessed the dashboard are already using it to:

  • Prepare 2026 salary and compensation budgets
  • Evaluate benefits offerings
  • Support internal compensation discussions
  • Strengthen recruiting and retention strategies
  • Benchmark their agency against peers

Whether you’re planning modest adjustments or considering significant changes this year, having reliable data at your fingertips makes the process more strategic and less stressful.

Make 2026 Your Most Informed Year Yet

Compensation decisions impact every part of your agency – your people, your culture, and your bottom line. Starting the year with clear, credible data puts you in a stronger position to succeed.

If you’ve already completed the survey, your dashboard is ready.
If not, now’s the perfect time to participate and unlock access.

Here’s to a year of smarter planning and stronger agencies.