Employer-provided life insurance is a benefit provided by your workplace that offers your beneficiaries financial security in the event of your death. This type of life insurance is considered group life insurance, meaning that a single contract protects a group of people, like your coworkers. Today, about six in ten private‑industry workers have access to employer‑provided life insurance according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employers typically fund a “basic” amount using one of two common formulas: a flat dollar benefit (most often around $50,000) or about 1× annual pay—designs that align with the federal rule that up to $50,000 of employer‑paid group‑term life is excluded from taxable wages under IRS Publication 15‑B. Amounts above $50,000 generally create taxable “imputed income” using the IRS age‑banded Table I rates. Beyond basic coverage, most employers offer employee‑paid supplemental life so you can buy higher amounts—commonly 3–5× salary and sometimes up to 8×—subject to plan maximums (often $500,000–$1,000,000) and guaranteed‑issue limits, as described by major carriers like The Hartford and Guardian. Because employer plans are job‑dependent and often capped, employees with larger needs may want to consider other types of life insurance.
Employer-provided Life Insurance vs. Term Life Insurance
Term life insurance plans offer coverage for a predetermined length of time, usually ranging from 10 to 30 years. If the insured dies during the term, the death benefit is paid to beneficiaries, and premiums are level for the chosen term on most level‑term policies. Individually owned term is portable and not tied to your job. As of 2025, market quotes for healthy applicants remain inexpensive by historical standards; the Policygenius Life Insurance Price Index shows illustrative premiums for a healthy 35‑year‑old buying $500,000 of 20‑year term often in the low‑$20s per month for females and mid‑ to high‑$20s for males (actual rates vary). Many carriers also use accelerated/no‑exam underwriting for eligible applicants, speeding decisions, per the Insurance Information Institute. Even if you have coverage at work, individually owned term can provide larger, portable protection through job changes.
Employer-provided Life Insurance vs. Whole Life Insurance
Unlike employer-provided life insurance or term life insurance, whole life insurance is designed to insure you for your entire life. It offers guaranteed premiums, guaranteed cash value accumulation, and a guaranteed death benefit; participating policies may also pay nonguaranteed dividends. Because of lifetime guarantees and cash value, premiums are materially higher than term for the same death benefit, as emphasized in the NAIC Consumer’s Guide to Life Insurance. Recent interest‑rate increases have generally improved life insurers’ portfolio yields and supported stronger participating dividend scales in 2024–2025, according to AM Best market segment reports, but dividends are not guaranteed and results vary by carrier. Cash values can be accessed via policy loans/withdrawals, which may reduce the death benefit and have tax or interest implications.
Advantages of Employer-Provided Life Insurance
Employer-provided life insurance is often included with a benefits package, so there is no reason not to accept the offer, especially if it is free or very low cost. Having insurance through your employer has several benefits worth mentioning:
- Convenience: Employer-provided life insurance is often automatically included in a benefits package and requires little to no research or hunting on your part. Many plans include a guaranteed‑issue amount at hire or annual enrollment with no medical exam, which simplifies enrollment (The Hartford; Guardian).
- Cost: Many employers cover all or most of a basic benefit, commonly a flat $50,000 or about 1× salary, aligning with the tax rule that up to $50,000 of employer‑paid group‑term life is excluded from income; amounts above that create taxable “imputed income” using the IRS age‑banded Table I rates (IRS Publication 15‑B). Supplemental buy‑up is typically payroll‑deducted.
- Price for pre-existing conditions: Employer-provided life insurance generally offers guaranteed‑issue amounts without medical underwriting during initial eligibility. Higher amounts often require evidence of insurability (EOI), but group rates don’t change based on one person’s health (Guardian).
- Opportunities for add-ons: While most employers cover basic life insurance (often a flat $50,000 or ~1× salary), they also offer supplemental life you can add—commonly 3–5× salary and sometimes up to 8×—subject to plan maximums often in the $500,000–$1,000,000 range and guaranteed‑issue caps (The Hartford; Guardian). Many group policies now bundle services such as accelerated death benefits for terminal illness, will preparation, and beneficiary support (MetLife EBTS 2025).
Disadvantages of Employer-Provided Life Insurance
When you only have group life insurance through your employer, you are subject to some restrictions. Depending on your financial responsibility and the size of your family, you may want to consider the following limitations:
- Not enough coverage: Basic employer-paid coverage is commonly a flat $50,000 or about 1× your annual salary—designs influenced by tax rules (IRS Publication 15‑B). That may be inadequate for multi‑year income replacement or large debts (see NAIC’s guide for sizing needs).
- Limited coverage for spouses: Spousal/dependent coverage is typically optional with lower guaranteed‑issue limits and may require EOI for higher amounts, which could be insufficient in the event of a spouse’s death (Guardian).
- Loss of coverage if you lose your job: Group life insurance does not have federal COBRA continuation; coverage typically ends at separation. Plans may allow conversion (usually to an individual whole life policy) or portability of term coverage within short windows (commonly ~31 days) and at higher personal cost (DOL on COBRA scope; NY DFS conversion; Aflac portability). With median employee tenure at 4.1 years in 2024, job changes are common (BLS Tenure).
- Limited options: Plan designs, caps, and underwriting rules are set by the employer and insurer; customization is limited compared with individual policies. Above $50,000 of employer‑paid coverage, taxable imputed income applies using IRS Table I age bands (IRS Publication 15‑B).
- Difficult customer service communication: When you personally are not the policyholder, you may need to route questions and claims through your HR/benefits team and the carrier, which can add steps.
Guide to deciding if employer-provided life insurance is enough for you
Your lifestyle determines your insurance needs. We spoke to life insurance expert Chris Abrams of Abrams Insurance Solutions in San Diego and asked him whether an employed person should seek additional life insurance outside of their employer-provided insurance. This approach aligns with consumer guidance from the NAIC, FINRA, and the CFPB, which recommend a structured needs analysis before choosing policy types and amounts.
Abrams said, “Yes. Employer-provided insurance is often only 1-2 times your income, which is generally not enough to support all of your financial responsibilities like a spouse and children, mortgage and debts.” He went on to say that employer-provided insurance isn’t portable — meaning that if you lose your job, you lose your insurance.
If you are unsure whether or not employer-provided life insurance is enough for you, use the step-by-step guide below.
| STEP 1 | Define who you are protecting and for how long. List dependents (spouse/partner, children, others), their support timelines, and immediate cash needs at death: final expenses, mortgage and other debts, emergency fund, and any education goals (NAIC guide; FINRA). |
| STEP 2 | Inventory current resources. Include existing individual policies, employer group coverage (note that basic amounts are often $50,000 or ~1× salary and may end at separation), savings/investments, and expected survivor income (e.g., a spouse’s earnings and Social Security survivor benefits). For employer-paid group term over $50,000, understand taxable “imputed income” and how the IRS Table I age bands are used to calculate it (IRS Pub. 15‑B). |
| STEP 3 | Size the gap using a capital‑needs calculation. Translate the survivor’s annual income need (after subtracting their earnings and benefits) into a present‑value lump sum using reasonable assumptions for inflation and after‑inflation returns, then subtract your current resources to find the coverage gap (Insurance Information Institute). Also consider job‑change risk and the limited windows (commonly ~31 days) for group life conversion/portability (NY DFS). |
| STEP 4 | Match solutions to needs. If a gap remains, align term lengths to time‑limited goals (years until youngest child’s independence, years left on mortgage). Consider individual term for large, portable, low‑cost coverage, and permanent insurance only for lifelong/estate needs. Confirm what happens to employer coverage when you leave, and compare conversion (usually to whole life, no new medical) vs. portability (continuing group term at unsubsidized, age‑based rates) before deadlines (NAIC; DOL). |
If you think you may want more coverage, but aren’t sure how much, try using Abrams’ Life Insurance Needs Calculator as a tool to determine your recommended insurance coverage. To estimate what supplemental (voluntary group) life might cost, find your employer’s age‑banded rate per $1,000 and multiply by your elected amount (convert biweekly rates to monthly using ×26÷12 ≈ 2.167). As a national benchmark, the federal FEGLI Option B schedule implies approximate monthly costs of about $4–$5 per $100,000 for a 30‑year‑old, ~$17–$18 per $100,000 at age 45, ~$50 per $100,000 at age 55, and ~$134 per $100,000 at age 65. Public employer plans show similar structures: see current charts from ERS Texas, the University of California, and Oregon PEBB, where younger ages often pay only a few dollars per $100,000 per month and costs rise substantially with age.
- How many people depend on your income, for how long, and what survivor resources will they have (their wages and Social Security survivor benefits)?
- Will you qualify for guaranteed‑issue amounts during enrollment, or will higher amounts require evidence of insurability—and would you qualify for accelerated/no‑exam underwriting on an individual term policy (III)?
- Can you afford premiums over time? Remember supplemental group life is age‑banded (costs rise as you move into older bands) and employer‑paid amounts over $50,000 can generate taxable imputed income using IRS Table I (IRS Pub. 15‑B).
- Do you need portability through job changes? Compare group portability/conversion windows (often ~31 days, higher post‑employment rates) with the stability of an individually owned policy (NY DFS).
The Bottom Line
Employer-provided life insurance is convenient and inexpensive for a basic amount, typically a flat $50,000 or about 1× salary to align with tax rules (IRS Pub. 15‑B). But because job changes are frequent (median tenure 4.1 years in 2024; BLS) and coverage is capped, many households supplement with an individually owned term life insurance policy for larger, portable protection. If you decide to supplement your life insurance you have plenty of options. Take a look at some of our other insurance information depending on whether your consumer needs are general, looking for life insurance for a senior citizen or budget conscious.
