Pensions administrator

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

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• funding advice
• search for courses

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

More information

• equivalent entry requirements
• guide to apprenticeships

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.

More information

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.