Administrative occupations: records

How to become a pensions and insurance clerk or assistant

Official title: Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants

Also called: Admin clerk, Chief clerk, Claims clerk, Office clerk, Pensions clerk, Admin assistant, Assurance clerk, Insurance clerk, Pension officer, Claims assistant, Estimating clerk, Pensions officer

Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants provide general clerical support to senior colleagues and perform specialist clerical tasks in relation to the administration of pensions and insurance policies.

Main tasks

Answers queries from clients and assists in interpreting and completing information requested on forms
Checks forms completed by clients and contacts clients to obtain additional information or to clarify details
Makes arrangements for financial advisers to visit clients and potential customers
Transfers information from application forms and other documentation to computerised records
Receives notice of changes to personal circumstances and updates files
Issues application forms, policy documents, reminders, claims forms and other standard documentation
Performs general clerical duties to support senior staff

How to become one

There are no minimum academic requirements, although entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades. Training is usually provided on-the-job. NVQs/ SVQs, apprenticeships and professional qualifications are available in some areas.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Insurance practitioner (level 3). England. Typically 12 months. Skills England standard ST0240.
Apprenticeship (England): Pensions administrator (level 3). England. Typically 18 months. Skills England standard ST0187.
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: £30,269 a year The middle half earn £26,429 to £34,658.
About 97,400 people work in this job now, and about 92,500 are projected by 2035. (-5%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a pensions and insurance clerk or assistant?

How much does a pensions and insurance clerk or assistant earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £30,269 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £26,429 to £34,658.

Is a pensions and insurance clerk or assistant a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 5% by 2035, from about 97,400 to about 92,500 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a pensions and insurance clerk or assistant?

Not always. 45% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Arts & Humanities degrees; Business & Commerce degrees; Insurance practitioner (level 3).

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.