How much you pay for your car insurance premium varies depending on numerous factors including your age, where you live and your occupation. In this article, we look at how your job affects the cost of your car insurance policy and the cheapest and most expensive jobs for car insurance. We also share how you may be able to save money on your car insurance by tweaking your job title.
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Why does your job affect the cost of car insurance?
Insurers consider a number of factors when quoting car insurance premiums and your job role and employment status are likely to affect how much you can expect to pay. When quoting car insurance premiums insurers will look at historic claims data to determine high-risk job roles and if you work in one of these roles you are likely to see an increase in your insurance premium.
There are a number of reasons why your job can affect the cost of your insurance premium and we give some examples below:
- Using a car for work - There are some occupations, such as tradesmen, where using a car for work could mean many miles per day as they travel from job to job. This would increase the risk of a claim and therefore increase the premium charged. Also, many such occupations have the need to carry expensive tools or equipment that may be a temptation to a thief.
- Working unsocial hours - Occupations where evening work is required - such as the entertainment industry - will often result in higher premiums. Leaving a vehicle unoccupied during evening hours in vulnerable locations could increase the risk of theft or damage. Vehicles left close to public houses or nightclubs would be a good example.
What are the cheapest job titles for car insurance?
According to data from Confused.com between April 2022 and March 2023, the following job titles had some of the cheapest car insurance policy enquiries for fully comprehensive insurance.
| Job type | Annual car insurance premium |
| Civil service - clerical | £319 |
| Chartered engineer | £328 |
| Local Authority employee | £328 |
| Police - sergeant | £329 |
| Police - civilian attached | £354 |
| Civil service - executive officer | £354 |
| Local government officer | £358 |
| Mail carrier (postman/postwoman) | £367 |
| Teacher - education authority | £368 |
| Nursing sister | £372 |
(Data collected by Confused.com between April 2022 to March 2023 excludes retired people, students and unemployed people)
What are the most expensive job titles for car insurance?
According to data from Confused.com between April 2022 and March 2023, the following job titles had some of the cheapest car insurance policy enquiries for fully comprehensive insurance.
| Job type | Annual car insurance premium |
| Fast food delivery driver | £1,536 |
| Apprentice | £1,382 |
| Fast food caterer | £1,371 |
| Fast food proprietor | £1,343 |
| Waiter | £1,259 |
| Construction worker | £1,251 |
| Abbatoir worker | £1,234 |
| Barber | £1,222 |
| Car valet | £1,211 |
| Delivery courier | £1,187 |
(Data collected by Confused.com between April 2022 to March 2023 excludes retired people, students and unemployed people)
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Can you change your job title to save money on your car insurance?
While you should never lie when taking out a car insurance policy - as this could invalidate your insurance and be seen as insurance fraud - you may be able to amend your job title slightly in order to save on your car insurance premium. As long as the title you choose still resembles the work that you do, you may be able to save yourself some money.
The best way to compare is to generate a few quotes online using variations of your occupation title. For instance, the role of 'salesperson' would suggest that you do a lot of travelling but you may be desk-bound. In this case, a better title may be a 'sales administrator' and this change may save you money.
If you can't find your exact occupation listed, you could contact the insurance company and explain what you do to obtain a more specific quote. Alternatively, MoneySavingExpert has a handy car insurance job picker tool that highlights variations in job titles within the same industry and suggests how much you may expect to pay and the potential saving you could make.
Do you need to update your car insurance if you change jobs?
If your job role changes during your car insurance policy it is advisable to notify your insurer so that you do not invalidate any potential claims. If you have remained in the same or similar job role but changed employer or had a promotion it may not be necessary to notify the insurer of the change, particularly as you may be charged an administration fee for making amendments to your policy.
How to save money on your car insurance
If your job title is affecting how much you are paying for your car insurance policy and you are struggling to reduce the cost of your premium you could try the following:
- Buy your insurance annually - paying for your car insurance upfront can help you to save money instantly as some insurers charge interest for the privilege of paying your premium monthly. Damien explains more in this video 'Little known insurance fact'.
- Shop around for the best deal - Using comparison sites to shop around for the best deal on your car insurance can help you to save money as you can compare multiple insurers at once. We have partnered with Quotezone* to allow you to search and compare quotes from over 120 UK car insurance providers. One thing to consider, however, is that comparison sites don't always compare every insurer on the market and so you could get a better deal elsewhere.
- Consider telematics insurance - telematics insurance fits a black box to your car which monitors how you drive. If you drive carefully you may then see a reduction in your policy.
For more ways to save money on your car insurance policy read our article, '10 tips to save money on your car insurance'.
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