How to become a Broker
Official title: Brokers
Also called: Broker, Air broker, Oil broker, Tea broker, Bill broker, Ship broker, Jewel broker, Money broker, Share broker, Stock broker, Yacht broker, Energy broker
Brokers deal in commodities, stocks, shares and foreign exchange on behalf of clients or on own account, broker insurance and reinsurance, and buy and sell shipping and freight space.
Main tasks
- Advises client on the suitability of insurance schemes and places insurance on behalf of client
- Discusses buying and or selling requirements of client and gives advice accordingly
- Analyses information concerning market trends for commodities, financial assets and foreign exchange and advises client and employer on the suitability of investments
- Records and transmits buy and sell orders for stocks, shares and bonds and calculates transaction costs
- Provides independent advice on the suitability of insurance schemes and places insurance on behalf of client
- Arranges the production of auction catalogues, fixes reserve prices, attends auction and bids on behalf of client, or negotiates purchase/sale by private treaty of goods not sold at auction
- Obtains cargo space, fixes freight charges and signs and issues bills of loading
- Collects freight charges from client and undertakes all necessary formalities concerning customs and the loading/unloading of cargo
How to become one
There are no formal academic requirements although many employers require entrants to possess a degree or equivalent qualification. Training is typically undertaken in-house, although entrants may attend courses run by professional institutions. Registration with a regulatory authority may be required in some positions.
Ways in
- University: Arts & Humanities degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
- University: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 27 universities in the UK
Pay · Outlook
- Median full-time pay: £56,689 a year The middle half earn £39,461 to null.
- About 58,700 people work in this job now, and about 61,400 are projected by 2035. (+4.6%)
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Broker?
There are no formal academic requirements although many employers require entrants to possess a degree or equivalent qualification. Training is typically undertaken in-house, although entrants may attend courses run by professional institutions. Registration with a regulatory authority may be required in some positions.
How much does a Broker earn in the UK?
Median full-time pay is £56,689 a year (Office for National Statistics).
Is a Broker a growing career in the UK?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 58,700 to about 61,400 people (Department for Education).
Do you need a degree to become a Broker?
Not always. 56% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees.
Sources
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
- Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Updated 2026-10-03
Graduate outcomes: Discover Uni dataset, HESA (www.hesa.ac.uk), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Aggregated by subject and adapted by Peernovo.