Agricultural inspector

Agricultural inspectors make sure animal welfare regulations are followed in farms and dairies.
Salary Range: £23,000 to £50,000

You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- applying directly

You could start by taking a degree in a relevant subject like:
- science
- maths
- engineering
- environmental health
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Direct application
To apply directly to become an agricultural inspector, you’ll usually need A levels or equivalent, and at least 2 years’ relevant work experience, for example in agricultural engineering.
A professional qualification in health and safety would also be useful, for example a course offered through NEBOSH or IOSH.
More information
Career tips
You’re most likely to find jobs with a government-related agency, for instance:
- Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- Heath and Safety Executive
- Red Tractor scheme
Further information
You can find more details about working as an agricultural inspector from Tasty Careers.

Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to work well with others
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- thinking and reasoning skills
- the ability to analyse quality or performance
- customer service skills
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
For the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), your day-to-day duties could include:
- checking machinery, buildings and the environment
- investigating accidents and complaints
- writing reports and making recommendations
- giving evidence in court
For the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), your day-to-day duties could include:
- collecting and analysing data
- checking record keeping on farms
- investigating animal welfare concerns
- planning the control and prevention of animal and poultry disease
For food assurance inspection, your day-to-day duties could include checking:
- the health and welfare of livestock
- crop management and production methods
- the environmental impact of farming techniques
- animal feed
- livestock shelters are safe and the right size
- animal identification and veterinary treatments
- record keeping and documentation
Working environment
You could work in an office or on a farm.
Your working environment may be noisy and dirty.
You may need to wear protective clothing.

With experience, you could progress to a management role, or work as a consultant in occupational health.
You could move into public health or conservation work.
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