Short answer
Maryland had 2,488 insurance establishments with paid employees in 2023, employing 38,459 people, according to Census County Business Patterns: 448 carriers with 19,620 employees and 2,040 agencies, brokerages and related businesses with 18,839. No SEC-listed insurer is headquartered in the state. The Maryland Insurance Administration's Company and Producer Search shows whether a company or agent is licensed, its state of domicile and any orders against it.
- 2,488 insurance establishments, 38,459 employees and $3.9 billion in payroll in Maryland in 2023; average pay $101,140.
- Carriers hold 51% of insurance jobs and agencies and related services 49%, an unusually even split.
- 1,855 agency and brokerage establishments, 1,223 of them with fewer than five employees.
- No listed insurer has its principal office in Maryland; the one on file at a Maryland address now reports a Massachusetts mailing address and a DC-chartered insurer.
- Maryland Auto insures drivers who have been turned down or canceled by other companies.
On this page
This page is for Marylanders checking an insurance company or agent before they buy, people who need help with a claim, job seekers weighing the state's insurance employers, and businesses that sell to insurers and agencies. It sets out the Census counts, explains the difference between a carrier and an agency, and walks through the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) tools. It doesn't recommend insurers.
A market split down the middle
US Census Bureau County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, insurance carriers and related activities (NAICS 524), State of Maryland:
| Measure | Maryland, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Establishments | 2,488 |
| Employees | 38,459 |
| Annual payroll | $3,889,745,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 15.5 |
| Average annual pay | $101,140 |
| Share of US insurance establishments | 1.41% (of 176,459) |
| Rank among states by establishments | 26th |
Carriers underwrite the policy and pay claims (NAICS 5241). Agencies and brokerages sell policies for carriers, and related businesses adjust claims or administer plans (NAICS 5242). In most states carriers dominate the jobs; in Maryland the two halves are almost level.
| Segment (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees | Average pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriers (5241) | 448 | 19,620 | $111,839 |
| Property and casualty insurers (524126) | 174 | 9,957 | $107,240 |
| Health and medical insurers (524114) | 108 | 6,863 | $108,642 |
| Life insurers (524113) | 118 | 2,461 | $142,211 |
| Title insurers (524127) | 37 | 276 | $102,993 |
| Agencies, brokerages and related (5242) | 2,040 | 18,839 | $89,997 |
| Agencies and brokerages (524210) | 1,855 | 12,881 | $88,119 |
| Third-party administrators (524292) | 81 | not reported (high-noise figure) | not reported |
| Claims adjusters (524291) | 47 | 239 | $118,757 |
Each average is CBP payroll divided by CBP employees. The third-party administrators' employee count was published but flagged by the Census Bureau as high-noise (noise added for confidentiality moved it by 5% or more), so it isn't shown. CBP counts locations with paid staff, so a carrier with offices in Baltimore and Columbia counts twice, and agents with no employees aren't counted.
Why no listed insurer is based here
The SEC's records list one insurance company at a Maryland address, Forge Group, an over-the-counter stock that reports under Regulation A rather than filing a 10-K. Its annual report on Form 1-K for 2025 gives a mailing address in Worcester, Massachusetts for its principal executive offices, and says its insurer, Forge Insurance Company, a specialist commercial auto insurer, was incorporated in the District of Columbia in 1938. So no SEC-listed insurer has its head office in Maryland. That doesn't mean no insurers are chartered here: the MIA's company search shows each licensed company's state of domicile, the state that charters it and is its main regulator. The groups that write most Maryland policies appear in the largest insurance companies in the US.
Checking a company or agent with the MIA
The MIA's Company and Producer Search answers most questions in one place:
- Is the company licensed in Maryland? A company result shows its current and former names, NAIC number, state of domicile, the types of insurance it may write and its status.
- Has it been disciplined? The search lists exam reports and orders issued since January 1, 2002. Complaint orders aren't included.
- Is the agent or agency licensed? Producers and producer firms that are or were licensed in Maryland are listed with their license status.
- Need help with a claim? The MIA's auto and homeowners complaint line is 410-468-2340 and its life and health line 410-468-2244 (both also on 800-492-6116), and it takes complaints online.
For a company's complaint record across all states, the NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search lets you "look up company complaints, licenses, and financial health."
If no company will insure your car
Maryland Auto, the trading name of the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, says: "If you've been turned down or canceled by other insurance companies, Maryland Auto will cover you. Guaranteed." It sells through agents, and its site has a find-an-agent search. That's the route for a driver who has been refused elsewhere; it isn't a comparison of prices, and we don't rank it against private insurers.
Office sizes and insurance jobs
| Employees per establishment | Establishments |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 1,533 |
| 5 to 9 | 470 |
| 10 to 19 | 221 |
| 20 to 49 | 148 |
| 50 to 99 | 59 |
| 100 to 249 | 38 |
| 250 to 499 | 11 |
| 500 to 999 | 4 |
| 1,000 or more | 4 |
Fifty-seven establishments have 100 or more employees, and at least 32 of them are carriers' offices. The Census Bureau doesn't publish the carriers' 1,000-or-more cell; derived as the total less the published classes, it holds 2 more. Carrier jobs pay $111,839 on average, about $21,800 more than agency and related jobs. For agency careers, Big I Maryland has served the state's independent agents since 1939 and runs pre-licensing and new-hire training.
Selling to Maryland insurers and agencies
| Buyer | Maryland establishments | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Agencies with 1 to 4 employees | 1,223 | The owner |
| Agencies with 5 or more | 632 | Principal, with an office or operations manager |
| Carrier offices with 100 or more | 34 (2 derived) | Department heads locally; contracts often signed at group level |
| Administrators and adjusters | 128 | Operations and client-service leaders |
Maryland's agencies are small and local, so prospecting works county by county; carriers' larger offices are fewer and slower to buy. Our guide to finding decision makers covers reaching the right person at each.
Illustrative example. Chesapeake Policy Print and its price are invented; the counts are from CBP 2023.
Chesapeake Policy Print (chesapeakeprint.example) prints and mails renewal notices for agencies at $2,400 a year per agency. Maryland has 632 agency establishments with five or more employees. If 35% are reachable in a year and 10% of those sign, that's 22 agencies, or $52,800 a year, before any carrier work. Bebop builds that agency list and researches each one, so the first call is about the agency's own book.
Next step: compare with the national picture in the largest insurance companies list.
Sources
- County Business Patterns 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Company and Producer Search instructions, Maryland Insurance Administration, accessed 30 October 2026
- Maryland Insurance Administration home page and contact lines, Maryland Insurance Administration, accessed 30 October 2026
- Maryland Auto (Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund), Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, accessed 30 October 2026
- Forge Group, Inc. annual report on Form 1-K for 2025, US Securities and Exchange Commission (EDGAR), 30 April 2026
- Consumer resources and Consumer Insurance Search, National Association of Insurance Commissioners, accessed 30 October 2026
- Big I Maryland, Independent Insurance Agents of Maryland, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many insurance companies are in Maryland?
The Census Bureau counted 2,488 insurance establishments with paid employees in Maryland in 2023, employing 38,459 people. 448 were carriers that underwrite policies and 2,040 were agencies, brokerages, adjusters and administrators. These are locations, not companies: one insurer with several offices counts several times, and agents working alone without employees aren't counted.
How do I check if an insurance company is licensed in Maryland?
Use the Maryland Insurance Administration's Company and Producer Search. It shows whether the company is licensed in Maryland, its NAIC number, state of domicile, the types of insurance it can write, its status, and exam reports and orders since 2002. Search the legal name on your policy, and use the producer search for the agent or agency.
Who do I call to complain about an insurance company in Maryland?
The Maryland Insurance Administration takes complaints online and by phone. Its auto and homeowners complaint line is 410-468-2340 and its life and health line is 410-468-2244; both can also be reached toll-free on 800-492-6116. Try the company first, and keep your policy number, claim number and a record of every contact.
Can I get car insurance in Maryland if I've been turned down?
Yes. Maryland Auto, the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund, says that if you've been turned down or canceled by other insurance companies it will cover you, guaranteed. It sells policies through agents, and its website has a find-an-agent search. It's intended for drivers who can't get cover elsewhere, so most drivers start with private insurers.
Are there any insurance companies headquartered in Maryland?
No SEC-listed insurer has its principal executive offices in Maryland. The one insurance company the SEC lists at a Maryland address, Forge Group, now gives a Worcester, Massachusetts mailing address in its 2025 annual report, and its insurer is chartered in the District of Columbia. Insurers chartered in Maryland can be found through the MIA's company search, which shows state of domicile.