The cost of car insurance has fallen by £160 or 16% over the last year, plummeting to an 18-month low, recent data shows.
It means that a typical driver can expect to pay around £834 for their car insurance, according to figures from Confused.com.
However, not all motorists are seeing these savings – from those who are already locked into a car insurance policy to drivers with certain job titles.
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Not many people may expect their profession to influence how much they pay for their car cover, but research has shown that some job titles can affect quotes – and it might not work in your favour.
We look at what job titles could be costing you more, and ways to cut the cost of car insurance without falling foul of your insurer.
Which job titles cause the biggest spike in car insurance premiums?
A new study from insurance company Quotezone analysed 100,000 car insurance policies between April and June 2024 for 20 of the most popular jobs in the UK.
These are job roles that had some of the costliest annual premiums compared to other professions.
| Job title | Average car insurance premium (Q2 2024) | Price difference compared to national average |
|---|---|---|
| Warehouse worker | £1,371.67 | +39% |
| Healthcare Assistant | £1,343.13 | +36% |
| Chef | £1,279.44 | +30% |
| Sales Assistant | £1,240.68 | +26% |
| Shop Assistant | £1,193.98 | +21% |
| Accountant | £1,148.91 | +17% |
| Customer Advisor | £1,148.55 | +16% |
| Cleaner | £1,110.66 | +13% |
| Unemployed | £1,036.09 | +5% |
| Company Director | £997.95 | +1% |
| Factory Worker | £971.17 | -1% |
| Delivery Driver | £966.50 | -2% |
| Assistant Teacher | £874.45 | -11% |
| Houseperson | £838.43 | -15% |
| Administration Assistant | £825.46 | -16% |
| Nurse | £741.16 | -25% |
| Teacher | £664.12 | -33% |
| Civil Servant | £589.12 | -40% |
| HGV Driver | £580.57 | -41% |
| Retired | £492.08 | -50% |
In percentage terms, warehouse workers have seen the biggest increase in their insurance costs. Their premiums were 39% more than the national average in the second quarter of 2024. Healthcare assistants came in second place, with their car insurance premiums valued at around £1,343.13. Retirees typically paid 50 per cent less than the national average during the period being analysed.
Why your job title impacts your car insurance premium
With all forms of insurance, the underwriters essentially work out how likely it is that you are going to need to make a claim against your policy. The more likely the insurer feels you are to make a claim, the higher your premium costs will then be.
There are all sorts of different factors that play a part here. Obviously the car itself and your record as a driver will be crucial ones. For example, if you have been in a handful of accidents over the last few years then your costs will be higher, since it suggests you are less careful behind the wheel, while certain vehicles tend to be targeted more by thieves and vandals.
However, there are other less obvious factors that impact your ‘risk’ level, including your job title.
Alastair Douglas of TotallyMoney says: “When taking out car insurance, providers will ask you about your employment — and even though it might seem odd, it can have an impact on how much you pay. That’s because they treat some jobs as being more risky than others…”
Go.Compare suggests that you may have to pay more for insurance if your job involves spending a lot of time on the road – for instance, if you’re a delivery or taxi driver. It’s the same if you’re unemployed, as insurers assume that you’ll be travelling more while looking for a job. On the other hand, if you’re retired, you may receive cheaper quotes due to your years of driving experience.
Tweaking your job title (legally)
According to Go.Compare, while you shouldn’t lie about your job, if you find another description for what matches your role best, it may be worth comparing quotes for both occupations and seeing which is cheaper.
For example, if you’re a journalist, you may be offered the chance to select the title of editor or writer.
Try this online tool from MoneySavingExpert to see if you can use an alternative job title and slash hundreds off your policy costs.
It’s important to be really careful when doing this. The job title on your policy must be accurate for your role or it can invalidate your car insurance coverage. As a result, if you try to make a claim, you may find that you are left having to pay the cost of repairs entirely out of your pocket.
There’s a further financial impact too, since you will need to declare that you have had an insurance policy voided when arranging other financial products in the future. This can mean they are more expensive or even lead to financial firms declining your application altogether.
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