Insurance risk surveyor
Risk consultants, risk control surveyors, risk control advisers
Insurance risk surveyors carry out surveys of items that need to be insured.
Salary Range: £22,000 to £100,000
How to become an insurance risk surveyor
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
- a graduate training scheme
University
You could get a degree before applying to join an organisation’s management training scheme. Most subjects are accepted but you may have an advantage if you study:
- actuarial science
- building surveying
- business and management
- economics
- engineering
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More information
- equivalent entry requirements
- student finance for fees and living costs
- university courses and entry requirements
Apprenticeship
You could complete a senior insurance professional degree apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship
More information
Work
You could start working as an administrator for a risk team to build up your skills and knowledge.
Your employer may give you the chance to take industry qualifications so you can apply for promotion to risk surveyor when you’ve got more experience.
Direct application
You can apply directly for jobs if you’ve got relevant qualifications and experience in a related profession like building surveying, health and safety, engineering or fire safety.
Other routes
Some of the large insurance companies run graduate training schemes. You’ll usually need an upper second class degree in any subject to apply.
More information
Further information
You can find out more about working in insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute and Discover Risk.
What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- maths knowledge
- knowledge of economics and accounting
- legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- analytical thinking skills
- the ability to work well with others
- excellent verbal communication skills
- excellent written communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
What you’ll do
Day-to-day tasks
Your day-to-day duties may include:
- carrying out commercial and personal surveys
- checking building plans, and construction and fire protection systems
- preparing risk reports with recommendations for underwriters
- advising clients on how to reduce the risk of future insurance claims
- working closely with health and safety inspectors and fire officers
- working with the risk control team to maintain technical knowledge and standards
- keeping up to date with technical issues affecting risk, like hazardous materials
Working environment
You could work in an office or visit sites.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you’ll travel often.
Career path and progression
You could become a senior surveyor, head of a risk management department, or lead a compliance and governance unit.
You could also move into insurance loss adjusting or set up your own consultancy.