Trading Standards Officer

Typical Salary

£19,000 To £90,000

Typical Hours

38 to 40 a week

evenings / weekends attending events or appointments

How To Become a Trading Standards Officer

You can get into this job through:

a university course
working towards this role
applying directly

College / University

You can become a trading standards officer with any degree subject.

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

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

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

You can apply for work as a trainee trading standards officer with a local authority. You'll then study towards professional qualifications on the job, and work your way up to trading standards officer.

You'll usually need 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including maths. Some authorities may also want you to have 2 A levels, or equivalent qualifications.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

persistence and determination
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
analytical thinking skills
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
knowledge of English language
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
excellent verbal communication skills
thinking and reasoning skills
to be able to use a computer and the main software packages competently

Day To Day Tasks

Your day-to-day duties could include:

visiting local traders and businesses for routine checks or investigating complaints
taking samples of goods for testing
checking that weighing scales and measures are accurate, like beer and spirit measures in pubs and clubs
making sure labelling is correct and advertising is not misleading
finding unsafe electrical goods and toys
advising consumers and businesses about the law
investigating suspected offences through undercover or surveillance work
preparing evidence and going to court in prosecution cases
giving talks, writing reports and keeping records.

Working Environment

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

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

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

Career Path & Progression are not listed for this job.

Volunteering Opportunities

Volunteering Opportunities are not listed for this job.

Tips & Information

Career tips

You'll find it useful to have experience of legal, retail or advice work.

Further information

You can find out more about working and training in trading standards through the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

pass background checks