On the 1950s U.S. TV sit-com "Father Knows Best", what does father (Robert Young) do for a living?

On the 1950s U.S. TV sit-com "Father Knows Best", father (Robert Young) works as an insurance salesman for a living. The main idea behind the show was to give Americans an ideal of the “typical American family”. Accordingly father had a career that people could actively get behind. After World War II, history showed that Americans had a bright future ahead, and optimism abounded regarding their lives and ways of making a living.

Every episode in the show had a message, something to say that touched the television audience. In outright defiance of the 1950’s sitcom formula which included “zany wives, blustering chowder head husbands, and sassy children (one step away from juvenile delinquency)”, the show "Father Knows Best" portrayed a strong family that was surprising similar to most Americans of the 1950s.

Also, it was interesting to see that one newspaper critic at the time wrote, “Jim Anderson may be the first intelligent father permitted on TV since they invented the thing”. All the things that made Jim Anderson perfect for TV had to include his family, life style, and job as an excellent insurance agent.