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.