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Agricultural inspector
Agricultural inspectors make sure animal welfare and environmental standards are followed in farms and dairies.
Average salary (a year)
£23000.0
Starter
£40000.0
Experienced
Typical hours (a week)
38.0 to 40.0 hours
a week
Work Hours
evenings
away from home
How to become
Explore the different ways to get into this role
You can get into this job through:a university course; applying directly
University
You could start by taking a degree in a relevant subject like
science, maths, environmental health, agriculture
Some universities offer a foundation degree in agriculture as preparation for working in the agricultural sector.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
student finance for fees and living costs|https://www.gov.uk/student-finance
university courses and entry requirements|https://www.ucas.com/
College
The following courses may help you to work towards this role
Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Agriculture, Level 3 BTEC Diploma in Agriculture
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
More Information
equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
search for courses|/find-a-course
funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
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 as an agricultural machine operator.
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 and The Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture.
What it takes
Find out what skills you’ll use in this role
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
Digital Skills Level
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently
What you will do
Discover the day-to-day tasks you’ll do in this role
Day to day tasks
Your day to day duties will depend on where you work.
For the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), you could
check machinery, buildings and the working environment, investigate accidents and complaints, write reports and make recommendations
For the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), you could
collect and analyse data, check record keeping on farms, investigate animal welfare concerns, plan the control and prevention of animal disease
For food assurance standards, you could
inspect the health and welfare of livestock, check food crop production methods, ensure records and documents are kept up to date
Working environment
You could work in an office or on a farm.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
Your working environment may be noisy and dirty.
Career Path & Progression
Look at progression in this role and similar opportunities
With experience, you could become a manager or work as a consultant in occupational health.
You could also specialise in areas like public health or conservation. Salaries for specialist work can sometimes be higher.
Job profile data provided by The National Careers Service.
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