How Much Does Life Insurance Cost for a Sales Assistant in Australia? (2026)
- Jul 12
- 15 min read
Written by Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP | Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688 | July 2026
As at 12 July 2026, a full package of personal insurance for a representative 40-year-old female non-smoking sales assistant in Queensland earning $100,000 a year — $1,000,000 of life cover, $1,000,000 of any-occupation TPD, income protection paying $5,800 a month, and $100,000 of trauma cover — was quoted at $142.82 per month with the most competitively priced insurer on the Arrow Equities panel for that profile, Zurich. Of that total, $120.89 a month is funded through superannuation (life, TPD, income protection and most of the stamp duty) and $21.93 a month is paid from the sales assistant's own pocket (trauma cover and its stamp duty). OnePath was the next most competitively priced at $147.43 a month, and NEOS third at $162.47 a month, for the same profile on the same date. These are stepped premiums quoted on one profile on one day — individual circumstances change the price.
This page sets out what each cover type costs for a sales assistant on this profile, how the total splits between super and personal payment, how the three most competitive insurers compared, and how the comparison was run. The figures come from a comparison Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP, Authorised Representative, AFSL 526688, ran across the Arrow Equities insurer panel using adviser quotation software. They are an illustrative benchmark, not a personal recommendation.
The sales assistant profile used in this comparison
Every premium below is priced against the same standardised profile. Age, occupation, state, income and smoking status all move the price, so the profile is fixed to make the comparison meaningful. "Sales assistant" here reflects the paid retail occupation (Sales Assistants (General), the largest occupation in Australia). The same occupation class commonly covers roles advertised under many titles — retail worker, retail assistant, shop assistant, retail sales assistant, salesperson, sales consultant, sales clerk, store assistant, store person, sales associate, retail team member, customer service assistant, counter assistant, supermarket assistant, department store assistant, and clothing or boutique store assistant among them — so the figures here are a reasonable guide for those roles too. Closely related retail roles such as checkout operators and cashiers sit in an adjacent occupation group and are usually rated similarly. Exact duties can shift the class (for example, roles with heavy stock handling or warehouse work), so an adviser confirms the precise occupation class for a specific job.
Attribute | Detail |
Occupation | Sales assistant (retail worker) |
Age | 40 |
Sex | Female |
State | QLD |
Smoker | Non-smoker |
Estimated annual income | $100,000 |
Premium type | Stepped (rises each year with age) |
State matters specifically for stamp duty: each Australian state and territory sets its own insurance duty, so the duty line on a Queensland policy differs from the same policy issued to a resident of New South Wales or Victoria. The figures here carry Queensland stamp duty. Because these are stepped premiums, they are lowest at age 40 and rise each year — the comparison is a snapshot of cost at this age, not a fixed lifetime price.
Who works as a sales assistant in Australia — and why this profile uses a $100,000 income
Workforce data for the occupation gives useful context for these figures. Sales Assistants (General, ANZSCO 6211) is the largest occupation in Australia, employing about 557,500 people; the median age of workers is about 23, roughly 65% are women, and around 75% work part-time (Jobs and Skills Australia, drawing on ABS 2021 Census and Labour Force data). Median full-time earnings are about $1,240 a week — roughly $64,500 a year before tax (ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025), and because three in four sales assistants work part-time, typical annual earnings sit well below that full-time figure.
Both the age and income in this comparison are above the occupation's real median — many sales assistants are younger and part-time, and earnings vary with the retail sector, experience, supervisory responsibilities, commissions and weekend penalty rates. The 40-year-old, $100,000 profile is a deliberate standardisation — the same age and income used for the electrician, nurse and carer avatars — so the sales assistant premiums here can be read like-for-like against those occupations rather than being distorted by different assumptions. Income protection is sized to income, and premiums rise with age, so a younger sales assistant on a lower actual salary would typically be quoted a smaller income-protection benefit — the largest line in this package — and a lower premium than the figures shown here. For a quote based on an individual's actual age and income, see if you're eligible for a complimentary review.
What the full package costs
For the most competitively priced insurer on this profile (Zurich), the monthly premium breaks down as follows.
Cover type | Cover amount | Held in | Monthly premium |
Life | $1,000,000 | Superannuation | $24.91 |
TPD (any occupation) | $1,000,000 | Superannuation | $30.91 |
Income protection ($5,800/mo, 90-day wait, 5-yr benefit) | up to 70% of income | Superannuation | $59.70 |
Trauma / critical illness | $100,000 | Own name | $20.12 |
Queensland stamp duty (split super/own-name) | — | — | $7.18 |
Full package | $142.82 |
The package splits two ways by how it is paid: $120.89 a month through superannuation (life, TPD, income protection and the stamp duty on the super-held cover) and $21.93 a month from the sales assistant's own name (trauma cover and its stamp duty). Holding the life, TPD and income protection cover inside superannuation keeps it off personal cash flow; trauma is held in own name because critical illness cover generally cannot be held inside super. Whether that is the right payment structure for an individual depends on their circumstances — it is a question worth putting to an adviser rather than assuming. To get a comparison run on a specific profile, speak to an adviser today →.
Cost by cover type for a sales assistant
Each line above answers a separate question a sales assistant might ask. In short, for this profile on 12 July 2026:
Life cover — $1,000,000 held inside super was $24.91 a month. Life cover pays a lump sum on death or terminal illness and is generally the cheapest of the four covers per dollar of protection.
TPD cover — $1,000,000 of any-occupation TPD held inside super was $30.91 a month. The any-occupation definition pays only if the sales assistant is unable to work in any job suited to their education, training or experience; the alternative own-occupation definition is more generous and costs more. The trade-off is set out in own occupation versus any occupation TPD, and the cover itself in what TPD insurance is.
Income protection — a benefit of $5,800 a month (about 70% of a $100,000 income), with a 90-day waiting period and a 5-year benefit period, held inside super, was $59.70 a month. It replaces income while the sales assistant cannot work because of illness or injury — a different job from life cover, as explained in income protection versus life insurance. Income protection is the largest single line for a sales assistant on this profile, and the cover on which insurers priced most differently — which is also why the signs that an income protection policy is out of date matter most on this cover.
Trauma cover — $100,000 held in own name was $20.12 a month. Trauma (critical illness) cover pays a lump sum on diagnosis of a defined condition such as cancer, heart attack or stroke; the timing of trauma cover matters because access narrows as health history accumulates.
How the three most competitive insurers compared on 12 July 2026
Across the Arrow Equities insurer panel, Zurich was the most competitively priced for this exact sales assistant profile on 12 July 2026, at $142.82 a month for the full package. OnePath was next at $147.43 a month, and NEOS third at $162.47 a month, for the same profile on the same date.
Rank | Insurer | Full-package monthly premium |
1 | Zurich | $142.82 |
2 | OnePath | $147.43 |
3 | NEOS | $162.47 |
Second and third most competitive — how each total is paid:
Rank | Insurer | Full package | Through super | Own name (trauma + duty) |
2 | OnePath | $147.43 | $123.64 | $23.79 |
3 | NEOS | $162.47 | $138.37 | $24.10 |
Cover-by-cover, the same package priced across all three:
Cover (same amount each insurer) | Zurich | OnePath | NEOS |
Life — $1,000,000 (super) | $24.91 | $26.78 | $22.39 |
TPD any-occupation — $1,000,000 (super) | $30.91 | $28.71 | $32.17 |
Income protection — $5,800/mo (super) | $59.70 | $62.52 | $76.89 |
Trauma — $100,000 (own name) | $20.12 | $21.83 | $24.10 |
Queensland stamp duty | $7.18 | $7.59 | $6.92 |
Full package | $142.82 | $147.43 | $162.47 |
No single insurer was the cheapest on every cover: NEOS had the lowest life premium and Queensland duty, and OnePath the lowest TPD line, but Zurich led on the full package because it was cheapest on both income protection and trauma — $59.70 and $20.12 a month, against $76.89 and $24.10 for NEOS. Income protection is where the three insurers diverged most for a sales assistant, and it drove the overall ranking. (Stamp duty is charged on the premium and, in Queensland, split between the super-held and own-name cover — so the duty line moves with both the total premium and how the cover is structured.)
A common question is which insurer is best for a sales assistant. Arrow Equities does not name any insurer as "best" — the most suitable insurer depends on an individual's health, exact occupation duties, cover needs and structure, and the definitions matter as much as the price. If by "best" a reader means most competitively priced for this specific profile on this date, then on 12 July 2026 that was Zurich, with OnePath and NEOS next. A different profile — a different age, state, income, health history or cover structure, such as the electrician, nurse or carer examples — can reorder that list entirely.
These prices and rankings change from month to month. Insurers reprice their products through the year, and stepped premiums rise each year with age, so the insurer that is most competitively priced for a sales assistant today may not be the cheapest next month. This page is updated monthly to track that movement. Because the leader shifts over time — and a different age, income or health history can already reorder the list — the only reliable way to know which insurer is currently most competitive for a particular sales assistant is a fresh comparison on that person's actual circumstances. Find out which insurer is currently most competitive for an individual profile →.
The same comparison applies to any occupation
The comparison on this page is one profile in a series. Arrow Equities publishes the same worked example for other occupations — including electricians, nurses, carers and teachers — and its advisers review cover for Australians across many lines of work, not only retail. Across every occupation it prices, Arrow Equities also compiles a monthly ranking of the panel insurers by price — see the monthly insurer ranking. Published case studies span a range of occupations: a registered nurse, a carpenter and a chef among them, where a review cut the cost of long-standing policies — often by unwinding the loyalty tax that builds up on ageing cover.
How this comparison was run
The figures are an illustrative comparison for the representative profile above, quoted on 12 July 2026 using adviser quotation software across the insurer panel. Bundle discounts were applied where available; no health, platform, preferred-adviser or couples discounts were applied, and no individual underwriting loadings or exclusions are reflected. Premiums are stepped, so they rise each year with age. Insurance pricing changes regularly, and individual circumstances — health, exact duties, cover levels and ownership structure — change the price, so these figures are a benchmark rather than a quote for any individual. To get quotes from an adviser today →, based on actual circumstances, is the only way to confirm a real price.
Frequently asked questions
How much does life insurance cost for a sales assistant?
For a representative 40-year-old female non-smoking sales assistant in Queensland, $1,000,000 of life cover held inside superannuation was quoted at $24.91 a month with the most competitively priced insurer on the panel (Zurich) on 12 July 2026. Premiums are stepped and rise with age, and individual circumstances change the price.
How much does TPD insurance cost for a sales assistant?
For the same profile, $1,000,000 of any-occupation TPD held inside superannuation was quoted at $30.91 a month on 12 July 2026. Any-occupation cover is cheaper than own-occupation cover, which pays on a more generous definition; the right definition depends on the individual's work and circumstances.
How much does income protection cost for a sales assistant?
For the same profile, income protection paying $5,800 a month (about 70% of a $100,000 income), with a 90-day waiting period and a 5-year benefit period, held inside superannuation, was quoted at $59.70 a month on 12 July 2026. Income protection was the largest premium line and the cover insurers priced most differently for a sales assistant; a longer waiting period or shorter benefit period would lower it.
How much does trauma insurance cost for a sales assistant?
For the same profile, $100,000 of trauma (critical illness) cover held in own name was quoted at $20.12 a month on 12 July 2026. Trauma cover is generally held personally because critical illness cover cannot usually be held inside superannuation.
How much does life insurance cost for a retail worker?
Retail workers and shop assistants are commonly rated in the same occupation class as a sales assistant, so this page is a reasonable guide: on 12 July 2026 the full package — $1,000,000 life, $1,000,000 any-occupation TPD, $5,800-a-month income protection and $100,000 trauma — was quoted at $142.82 a month with the most competitively priced insurer (Zurich) for a 40-year-old female non-smoker in Queensland on a $100,000 income. An adviser confirms the exact occupation class for a specific retail role.
How much does life insurance cost for a shop assistant or retail assistant?
Shop assistants and retail assistants usually fall in the same or a similar occupation class as a sales assistant, so the figures here are a reasonable guide — the full package of the four covers was quoted at $142.82 a month with the most competitively priced insurer for the representative profile on 12 July 2026. Roles with heavier stock handling can change the class, so an adviser confirms it for the specific job.
How much does income protection cost for a retail worker?
Income protection is the largest and most variable line for a sales assistant or retail worker. For the representative profile, a benefit of $5,800 a month (about 70% of a $100,000 income, 90-day wait, 5-year benefit, held in super) ranged from $59.70 with Zurich to $76.89 with NEOS on 12 July 2026. A lower actual income, a longer waiting period or a shorter benefit period would reduce it.
Is life insurance cheaper for a sales assistant or retail worker?
Retail sales roles are generally rated a lighter occupation class than hands-on trades or care work, which mainly lowers income protection and TPD premiums rather than life cover. For this profile the full package was $142.82 a month, below the same package for a carer or an electrician — the difference sits mostly in income protection. Cost still depends on the exact role, health, cover levels and structure, not the job title alone.
Can a part-time or casual sales assistant get income protection?
Around three in four sales assistants work part-time, and income protection is based on income and working hours, so part-time or casual work can affect both eligibility and the benefit that can be insured. Cover is often still available, but the insured benefit is generally tied to actual earnings, and a longer waiting or shorter benefit period can lower the premium — an adviser confirms what a part-time or casual sales assistant can apply for.
What is the average age and income of a sales assistant in Australia?
Sales Assistants (General) is the largest occupation in Australia (about 557,500 workers). The median age is about 23 and roughly 65% of workers are women, per Jobs and Skills Australia and ABS 2021 Census data, with median full-time earnings of around $1,240 a week (about $64,500 a year) in the ABS Employee Earnings and Hours survey (May 2025). About 75% work part-time, so typical earnings are lower again. This page uses a standardised 40-year-old, $100,000 profile to compare like-for-like with other occupation examples; a younger worker on a lower income would generally see a lower income-protection premium.
What insurance does a retail worker or sales assistant need?
The four covers priced on this page are the ones most retail workers consider: life cover (a lump sum on death or terminal illness), TPD (if they can never work again), income protection (replacing income while unable to work), and trauma cover (a lump sum on a serious illness such as cancer, heart attack or stroke). Which of these an individual needs, and at what level, depends on their debts, dependants and savings — a qualified adviser can assess the mix.
Do young retail workers need income protection or life insurance?
The median sales assistant is around 23, and cover needs differ by stage of life. A younger worker with few dependants may prioritise income protection and TPD — which protect their ability to earn — over a large life insurance sum, while someone with a mortgage or children may need more life cover. Premiums are lower at younger ages, and holding cover inside super keeps it off personal cash flow. What suits an individual depends on their circumstances, and a qualified adviser can help weigh it up.
How much does life insurance cost for a supermarket worker?
Supermarket and general retail workers are commonly rated in the same or a closely related occupation class as a sales assistant, so this page is a reasonable guide — the full package of the four covers was quoted at $142.82 a month with the most competitively priced insurer for the representative 40-year-old profile on 12 July 2026. Checkout operators and cashiers sit in an adjacent occupation group and are usually rated similarly; an adviser confirms the exact class for a specific supermarket role.
Is income protection worth it for a retail worker?
Income protection replaces part of a person's income while they cannot work because of illness or injury. For a retail worker whose household relies on their earnings, it is often the cover that matters most day to day — which is why it was the largest line in this comparison. Whether it suits an individual, and at what waiting and benefit period, depends on their savings, other cover and circumstances, so a qualified adviser can assess it.
Can a sales assistant hold life insurance in an SMSF?
Yes — life and TPD cover can be held inside a self-managed super fund (SMSF), and an SMSF's trustees are required to consider the insurance needs of its members. The figures on this page assume cover held in a standard super account rather than an SMSF, and the most suitable structure — standard super, an SMSF, or personal ownership — depends on an individual's situation. A qualified adviser or SMSF specialist can advise on holding cover through an SMSF.
Does life insurance for a sales assistant cost more in an SMSF?
Often the pricing is similar to cover held in a standard super account, but it can be more expensive depending on the insurer and how the cover is arranged — an SMSF generally holds an individually underwritten retail policy rather than a group default, and premiums vary by insurer and structure. Speak to an adviser to see how holding cover in an SMSF would affect the premium for a specific situation.
Which insurer is best for a sales assistant?
Arrow Equities does not rank any insurer as "best", because suitability depends on health, occupation duties, cover needs, definitions and structure — not price alone. If "best" is taken to mean the most competitively priced for this specific profile on 12 July 2026, that was Zurich at $142.82 a month, with OnePath and NEOS next. A different profile can change the order.
How often do these sales assistant insurance prices change?
Prices and rankings change from month to month. These are stepped premiums that rise each year with age, and insurers reprice their products through the year, so the most competitively priced insurer for a sales assistant today may not be the cheapest next month. This page is updated monthly for that reason; the figures are a benchmark for one profile on 12 July 2026, and a current quote on actual circumstances is the only way to confirm which insurer is most competitive now and what the real cost is.
Book a quick review with an adviser
Book a quick review with an adviser now. A review checks what cover a sales assistant — or any worker — actually needs, whether it is held in the most cost-effective structure across super and personal ownership, and how current pricing compares across the insurer panel.
About the Author
Christopher Hall, AdvDipFP, is the principal financial adviser at Arrow Equities and an Authorised Representative under AFSL 526688. He has completed more than 500 life insurance policy reviews for Australian families, with a specialisation in life risk insurance.
Insurance product providers reviewed for this analysis (12 July 2026)
The premiums on this page were compared across the Arrow Equities insurer panel. Each provider reviewed for this analysis is listed below:
A full insurance premium review compares an individual's actual cover against this panel.
Sources
Premium figures: Arrow Equities adviser quotation software comparison across the insurer panel, run 12 July 2026, on the representative profile described above.
Stamp duty: levied per state/territory on the premium; figures reflect Queensland insurance duty for this cover set (split between super-held and own-name cover).
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2022) Census of Population and Housing, 2021 — Sales Assistants (General) (ANZSCO 6211) occupation demographics: workforce size, median age, sex composition.
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2025) Employee Earnings and Hours, Australia, May 2025 — median full-time weekly earnings by occupation.
Jobs and Skills Australia (2026) Sales Assistants (General) occupation profile (ANZSCO 6211), drawing on ABS data.
Arrow Equities, AFSL 526688, ABN 87 645 284 680.
Educational Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
The information, opinions and other materials appearing on the Web Site are of a general nature only and shall not be construed as advice. Arrow Equities, AFSL 526688, ABN 87 645 284 680. This general information is educational only and not financial advice, recommendation, forecast or solicitation. Rose Bay Equities accepts no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information, opinions or other materials provided on or accessible through the Web Site. The Web Site has not been prepared with reference to your individual financial or personal circumstances. You should not rely on any advice in this Web Site without first seeking appropriate professional, financial and legal advice. Further, where Rose Bay Equities makes third party material available or accessible through the Web Site you acknowledge that Rose Bay Equities is a distributor and not a publisher of that content and that its editorial control is limited to the selection of those materials to make available. We accept no liability for any loss or damages arising from use.
Comments