Agricultural inspector

Agricultural inspectors make sure food safety, animal welfare and environmental standards are followed in farms and dairies.

Also known as: Farm assessor

• Starter salary£25,000 a year
• Experienced£45,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 40 a week

What you'll do

As an agricultural inspector, you could:

• examine machinery, buildings and the working environment
• test and analyse product samples against quality standards
• check record keeping on farms and production facilities
• assess the controls for prevention of animal disease
• investigate animal welfare concerns
• plan and co-ordinate site visits
• make sure inspection paperwork is accurate and up to date
• write reports and make recommendations for improvements

Working environment

You could work in an office or on a farm.

Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers and you'll travel often.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• the ability to analyse quality or performance
• the ability to work well with others
• thinking and reasoning skills
• knowledge of public safety and standards in agricultural production
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• excellent verbal communication skills
• customer service skills
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a agricultural inspector

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:

• agriculture
• environmental health
• agricultural business management
• science
• maths

Some universities offer a foundation degree in agriculture as preparation for working in the agricultural sector.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Direct application

To apply directly to become an agricultural inspector, you'll need:

• a minimum of a level 3 qualification in an agricultural subject
• at least 2 years' relevant work experience in farming, for example as an agricultural machine operator
• a willingness to work flexibly and travel often

Professional certification and health and safety training will also be useful. You could do training with an organisation like:

• Lantra
• NEBOSH
• The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• have a full driving licence

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a team leader, managing a group of technical staff, or work as a consultant for quality certification bodies.

You might also specialise in areas like sustainable farming, land conservation or agricultural science.

Career tips

You'll usually work for a government-related agency, for instance:

• Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
• Heath and Safety Executive
• Red Tractor scheme

Self-employment is another common option.

Guides for this industry

• Environmental Sciences: pay, interviews and getting started →

Related roles

• Job roleRural surveyor
• Job roleFarm secretary
• Job roleHealth and safety adviser
• Job roleFarmer
• Job roleAgronomist

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0