Best life insurance for firefighters & first responders: What you need to know

The best life insurance companies for firefighters and first responders are Legal & General America, MassMutual, Brighthouse Financial, and Mutual of Omaha.

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By

Katherine MurbachEditor & Licensed Life Insurance AgentKatherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.&Andrew HurstSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertAndrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Edited by

Antonio Ruiz-CamachoAntonio Ruiz-CamachoAssociate Content DirectorAntonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.
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Reviewed by

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®Certified Financial PlannerIan Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

Updated|4 min read

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Given how dangerous it can be to work as a first responder, there are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a life insurance company. We used industry data, rates from our partners, and third-party ratings like AM Best and J.D. Power to pick the best life insurance companies for first responders.

“The most important thing is to work with a fiduciary insurance advisor who can shop your policy across multiple insurance companies to find the best rate and terms possible,” says Christopher Bauchle, MSFS, RICP at Trust Wealth Strategies and career firefighter. 

If you’re ready to compare life insurance quotes and find the right coverage, Policygenius can help.

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Methodology

Why you can trust our picks

Our recommendations are based on internal and external expert analysis, as well as our Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index, which uses real-time data from leading life insurance companies to determine pricing trends. When reviewing a life insurance company, our editorial team uses a proprietary scoring rubric with five factors — price, policy details, financial strength, transparency, and customer experience — to assign an unbiased rating between one and five stars. These ratings are also taken into consideration as part of our company recommendations. We don’t get paid for our reviews.

Our reviews and recommendations can help you find a reliable insurer for your family’s financial protection, but the best life insurance company for you depends on multiple factors. A licensed agent at Policygenius can support you during the application process to ensure you get the right coverage for your circumstances at the most competitive price.

Read more about our reviews methodology

The best term life insurance company for firefighters and first responders is Legal & General America, which also does business as Banner Life and William Penn in some states. Legal & General America has great coverage options — up to 40-year terms and policies with up to $10 million in coverage for certain applicants.

What is term life insurance?

Term life insurance is the cheapest and most practical type of life insurance for most people. Here’s how it works: If you die during the time your policy is active — its “term” — your family receives a payment.

Best whole life insurance for firefighters and first responders: MassMutual

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2024 Policygenius award winner

MassMutual

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.9

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A++

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

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$

$

$

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All 50 states

Why we chose itchevron icon

MassMutual’s whole life insurance plan provides a lifetime coverage option that builds cash value with the potential to earn dividends.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Strong financial stability ratings

  • Higher potential for dividends for whole life policyholders than many competitors

  • Good customer satisfaction ratings

Cons

  • High term life premiums

  • Term life not available through Policygenius

The best whole life insurance for firefighters and first responders is from MassMutual. MassMutual has a high financial strength rating (A++) from AM Best, which is especially important for permanent life insurance.

What is whole life insurance?

Whole life insurance might be right for you if you want to use your life insurance as an investment, or provide for dependents with lifelong needs. Whole life insurance never expires and comes with a cash value component that gains interest over time. If you’re already maximizing your contributions to tax-advantaged accounts like a Roth IRA or a 401(k) and are seeking another investment option, whole life insurance might work for you.

We found that Legal & General America has some of the cheapest average rates for term life insurance. Even applicants with certain pre-existing conditions like diabetes or heart disease may be able to find affordable life insurance coverage with Legal & General.

Best life insurance for wildfire firefighters or similar specialties

Pacific Life logo

Pacific Life

Read our full Pacific Life life insurance review

Prudential logo

Prudential

Read our full Prudential life insurance review

Transamerica logo

Transamerica

Read our full Transamerica life insurance review

Pacific Life, Prudential, and Transamerica are the three best life insurance companies for wildland firefighters and other first responders with unique specialties.

All three companies allow you to avoid the extra fee that many competitors charge firefighters. As long as you don’t do smoke jumping or work with explosives, you may be able to find affordable coverage from Pacific Life, Prudential, or Transamerica.

Why firefighters and first responders needs life insurance

There are a few reasons why having life insurance is especially important for firefighters and first responders.

  • Financial security for your family: The right life insurance policy will ensure you don’t have to worry about any loved ones who rely on your income.

  • Help paying off debt: Your family can use a life insurance payment to take care of any debts you might leave behind, like loans or mortgages.

  • Add to your existing coverage: You might already have life insurance through a group plan from work, but chances are it’s not enough to fully cover your family’s needs.

If you’re not sure how much life insurance you need or whether it’s right for you and your family, our Policygenius experts can answer any questions.

How working as a first responder can affect your life insurance application

Although working as a first responder may not mean significantly higher rates, you might have to answer a few additional questions about your job when you apply for coverage.

“It may be surprising to know many life insurance companies do not discriminate against firefighters when it comes to underwriting,” says Bauchle. That said, you may be limited to a Standard, or average, risk classification if you work in law enforcement as a first responder.

If your job carries more risk — like bomb disposal, for example — you might have to provide more details about the specifics of your profession during underwriting, and coverage will be more expensive.

How working as a firefighter can affect your life insurance application

If you’re a municipal firefighter, your job may not affect your life insurance at all. But if you fight wildfires, the cheapest rates you can find will probably be in line with the national average cost of life insurance.

If your job involves higher-risk activities like smoke jumping or working with explosives, some insurance companies will require you to pay an extra fee — others won’t cover you at all.

These extra fees are an additional charge per $1,000 of coverage you purchase. Common examples of flat extras include an extra $2 or $5 per $1,000 — so, if you have a $500,000 policy, you could pay an extra $1,000 to $2,500 per year.

Given how the risks of being a firefighter can change from job to job, life insurance companies will likely ask you some additional questions, like:

  • Do you work to contain wildfires?

  • Are you a smoke jumper/is smoke jumping part of your regular job duties?

  • Are you involved with any explosive plans or the use of munition?

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How much does life insurance cost for firefighters & first responders?

The average cost of life insurance for a 30-year-old firefighter with a non-hazardous specialty is about $30 a month for a life insurance policy with a $500,000 death benefit payout and a 20-year term. If your job is hazardous, your rates will depend on the specifics of your job.

Below are approximations of rates, but the best way to get an accurate life insurance quote is to have a personalized phone call with a Policygenius expert.

Term life insurance rates for firefighters & first responders 

If you’re a firefighter or first responder and you don’t do wildfire fighting, smoke jumping, or handling explosives, you could qualify the rates in the left hand column. If your job involves more hazards, your rates may be closer to those in the right hand column below. 

Keep in mind if you regularly participate in high-risk activities at work — like handling explosives — you may pay a flat extra fee in addition to your base premiums.

Age

Gender

Non-hazardous specialty

Hazardous specialty

20

Female

$22.21

$33.24

Male

$29.02

$40.34

30

Female

$22.37

$33.48

Male

$29.97

$40.72

40

Female

$34.31

$51.99

Male

$41.17

$64.40

50

Female

$74.37

$114.46

Male

$95.91

$145.82

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Methodology: Average monthly rates are calculated for male and female non-smokers in Preferred and Standard health classifications buying a 20-year $500,000 term life insurance policy. Life insurance averages are based on a composite of policies offered by Policygenius from Legal & General America, Brighthouse Financial, Corebridge Financial, Foresters Financial, Lincoln Financial, Mutual of Omaha, Pacific Life, Protective, Prudential, Symetra, and Transamerica, and may vary by insurer, term, coverage amount, health class, and state. Not all policies are available in all states. Rate illustration valid as of 07/01/2023

Whole life insurance rates for firefighters & first responders

Here are whole life insurance rates with a Standard risk classification for an average level of risk. You might be eligible for these rates if you don’t have a hazardous specialty like wildfire fighting or smoke jumping, and you don’t handle explosives.

Age

Gender

$500,000 coverage amount 

20

Female

$293

Male

$360

30

Female

$421

Male

$502

40

Female

$623

Male

$768

50

Female

$994

Male

$1,188

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Methodology: Average monthly rates are calculated for male and female non-smokers in a Standard health classification buying a $500,000 whole life insurance policy from MassMutual. Rates may vary by insurer, term, coverage amount, health class, and state. Not all policies are available in all states. Rate illustration valid as of 07/01/2023

Life insurance for other occupations

Frequently asked questions

Should firefighters and first responders get life insurance?

Yes, it’s a good idea for you to have life insurance if you’re a first responder. Life insurance is an especially good idea if you have a family or dependents and any debts, like a mortgage or unpaid loans.

Do firefighters and first responders have life insurance?

You may have some employer-sponsored life insurance, but you should apply for an individual policy if you want to have more comprehensive coverage. You can keep individual policies regardless of whether you leave your job or change employers.

How much life insurance should firefighters and first responders get?

There’s not one amount of life insurance that you should get. The coverage you need depends on your personal finances, like your debt and savings.

Authors

Katherine Murbach is an editor and a former licensed life insurance agent at Policygenius. Previously, she wrote about life and disability insurance for 1752 Financial, and advised over 1,500 clients on their life insurance policies as a sales associate.

Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.

Editor

Antonio helps lead our life insurance and disability insurance editorial team at Policygenius. Previously, he was a senior director of content at Bankrate and CreditCards.com, as well as a principal writer covering personal finance at CNET.

Expert reviewer

Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.

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