
Pensions administrators handle the day-to-day running of pension schemes and life insurance policies.
Salary Range: £15,000 to £30,000

How to become a pensions administrator
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly

College
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant subjects include a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Business and Administration.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
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Apprenticeship
You may be able to do an advanced apprenticeship as a workplace pension administrator or a financial services administrator.
Entry requirements
You’ll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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Work
You could start as an assistant administrator and do training on the job with organisations like the Pensions Management Institute and the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Direct application
You can apply directly for vacancies. Employers will expect you to be good with numbers, know how to use common office software and be able to communicate well, both verbally and in writing. Some companies may prefer you to have at least two A levels.
Previous experience in customer service, accounts or office work would also be helpful.
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Further information
You can find more advice about working in pensions from Pension Careers.

What it takes
Skills and knowledge
You’ll need:
- customer service skills
- the ability to sell products and services
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- persistence and determination
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal 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 tasks may include:
- answering queries by phone, letter and email
- using a computer system to check and update records
- calculating the amount of money people will receive
- processing money paid towards a person’s pension
- transferring benefits from one pension to another
- arranging the payment of pensions
- keeping up to date with pension and tax laws
Working environment
You could work in a contact centre or in an office.

Career path and progression
You could further your career with a qualification in pensions administration or calculations.
With experience, you could become a team leader, supervisor or pensions manager. With further study, you could qualify as a financial adviser.