Trading standards officer

Trading standards officers (TSOs) enforce consumer rights and protect people and businesses by investigating the sale of illegal or dangerous items.

Also known as: Enforcement and compliance officer

• Starter salary£26,000 a year
• Experienced£50,000 a year
• Typical hours37 to 40 a week

What you'll do

As a trading standards officer, you could:

• make routine checks on businesses and give advice about trading laws
• investigate counterfeit traders, sometimes through undercover or surveillance work
• test potentially unsafe goods, like toys, vapes and electrical items
• work closely with police on investigations and enforcement action
• make sure labels on products are correct and not misleading
• put out warnings about scams and other fraudulent activity
• prepare evidence and go to court in prosecution cases
• write reports and keep accurate case records

Working environment

You could work in an office, at a client's business or in a court.

Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time, cramped and at height.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

• persistence and determination
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to think clearly using logic and reasoning
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• knowledge of English language
• legal knowledge including court procedures and government regulations
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently

How to become a trading standards officer

You can get into this job through:

• a university course
• an apprenticeship
• working towards this role
• applying directly

University

You can become a trading standards officer after studying for a degree in any subject.

If you do a degree in law, or one that contains units on consumer protection, you may be exempt from some of the professional examinations that must be completed to become a trading standards officer.

Some local authorities might sponsor you to do a degree in consumer law. This means that you'll get work experience whilst you study. It could also lead to a job offer after you graduate.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
• 2 to 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply to a local authority to do an apprenticeship, which deals with enforcing regulations, such as:

• Regulatory Compliance Officer Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship
• Trading Standards Professional Level 6 (non-degree) Apprenticeship

These can take between 2 and 3 years to complete and combine on-the-job training and study with a learning provider.

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

Work

You could start as an assistant enforcement officer with a local authority and apply to join a trading standards training programme . Your employer would support you through the different levels of training.

Direct application

You could apply for a trainee trading standards officer role with a local authority. You would study for professional qualifications while you work to fully qualify as a trading standards officer.

You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths. Some authorities might also want you to have 2 A levels, or equivalent qualifications. Experience in retail law, consumer protection or regulation compliance would also be helpful.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

• pass background checks

Career path and progression

With experience, you could become a senior or principal trading standards officer or departmental manager.

You could also do professional development courses to keep up to date with legislation changes, for example in:

• alcohol, tobacco and vape sales
• product safety
• intellectual property law, covering patents, copyright and trademarks

As your career develops, you could work towards Chartered Trading Standards Practitioner status. This recognises your skills and expertise in the profession.

You might also move into private consultancy work.

Career tips

Some local councils might offer work experience or internships in trading standards in departments like environmental health.

Guides for this industry

• Administration: pay, interviews and getting started →

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