Insurance Surveyor

An Insurance surveyor will carry out surveys of items to be insured, such as buildings, ships or aircraft. As a result of their surveys they write reports that help underwriters to decide whether to accept the insurance. An insurance surveyor will also recommend what terms and conditions should apply to the insurance.
Insurance surveyors usually specialise in one of four main areas of insurance:

• fire and perils (such as explosions and floods)
• accidents and liability
• engineering
• burglary and theft.

Insurance surveyors either work from an office or from home. They spend much of their time on sites they are surveying and on travelling between sites. Insurance surveyors work normal office hours, Monday to Friday, but sometimes may have to work outside these hours.
Salaries range from at least £15,000 a year for new entrants, to about £60,000 a year for some senior surveyors. Salaries in London can be higher.
An insurance surveyor should be thorough, observant and pay attention to detail,
be able to communicate well, both verbally and in writing.  
There are no set entry requirements. In practice, though, people often need qualifications such as A levels/H grades, and an increasing number of employers want people with a degree. Mature entrants are preferred.  Many trainees work in other branches of insurance first and then move into insurance surveying. Engineering surveyors usually come from an engineering background.
Most training takes place on the job. Trainee surveyors can study part time to become Associates of The Chartered Insurance Institute.
Insurance surveyors work for insurance companies, insurance brokers, specialist insurance surveying firms and risk management consultancies. Engineering surveyors usually work for specialist engineering insurance companies.
Promotion can be to senior surveyor or head of department. Surveyors might be able to become a partner in an insurance surveying firm or set up their own consultancy. There are some opportunities to work abroad.

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