Car insurance after changing jobs

Making a career switch can change how you use your car and your job title, both of which are factors your insurance provider uses to calculate your monthly premium.

How does car insurance change after switching jobs?

Getting a promotion at your company shouldn’t have an effect on your insurance premium, but there are two main factors that could impact car insurance when you switch jobs: commute time and job title.

Commute time

How far you drive each day to and from work has a massive effect on your insurance costs. Insurers will see you as a higher risk if you use your car most days and you’re driving during the busiest times.

However, if you work from home and mainly use your car for the odd errand or occasional visit to someone in the family, your rate will likely be lower.

Job title

While you might not think your profession has any impact on your driving ability, it is one major factor insurance companies use when working out how high of a risk you are on the roads.

Nurses and PAs typically get some of the lowest rates on the market, as insurers claim people in these lines of work are more responsible on the roads.

Some suggest this is one way providers are getting around the current law that bans insurers from giving women cheaper rates, as nursing is a female-dominated profession.

At the other end of the scale you have labourers, waiters and footballers, who are seen as statistically more likely to claim.

Or if you do a job which requires you to drive frequently or carry expensive equipment, such as a musician, then you’ll have to pay more for insurance too.

Get cheap car insurance after changing jobs

It’s essential that you’re honest about your new job, but the way you word your role can have a huge bearing on your insurance price.

It would be illegal to say you’re a lawyer when you’re actually a teacher. However, slight tweaks can work. Putting yourself down as a “writer” rather than a “journalist” will probably lead to lower rates.

But there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to tweaking job titles, and rates, and it’s just one of many factors that go into calculating your premium. Keep in mind that the occupation you list must still be accurate, otherwise you’ll be guilty of fraud.

How do I update my car insurance after changing jobs?

Get in touch with your insurance provider to discuss your change in title. Should your new role mean you’ll be driving more, or less, then tell it about this too. Ways you can get in touch include:

• Online. Log in to your account and edit your driver profile.
• Phone. Call your insurer to and tell it about any changes.
• Email. Write to your insurance company describing your job change and ask how it could affect rates.

While you’re at it you could shop around and get a few quotes to compare and see if you can get a better deal elsewhere.

What should I watch out for with car insurance after changing jobs?

Switching career can be a bit if a whirlwind. The chances are updating your car insurance is near the bottom of your to-do list, but getting in touch with your insurer could save you money on your monthly or annual premium. Remember to tell it about the following:

• Any changes to your expected annual mileage. Definitely explain if you’ll be commuting more or less in your car than before, as this has a huge impact on how much of a risk your insurer sees you as.
• Your new job title. Certain jobs are seen as higher risk by insurers, although some roles are seen as less stressful, so your rates could go down.
• If you’ll be driving the car for work. You might take up a job that means you or one of your employees will have to use your vehicle for work. If so you may have to get a business car or van policy, which will offer you greater protection. If you’re an Uber driver you’ll need a commercial private hire insurance policy.

Bottom line

Switching jobs can be exciting but also daunting. To make sure you get the best insurance deal possible following your switch, shop around and exhaustively compare what’s out there.

Finder survey: What aspects of car insurance matter most to Brits when choosing a policy?

Response	55+	45-54	35-44	25-34	16-24
Cost of the premium	60.39%	52.63%	45.76%	47.83%	28.16%
Level of excess	49.58%	40.35%	35.17%	36.65%	23.3%
Courtesy car included	32.41%	23.39%	16.95%	25.47%	15.53%
Customer service	21.33%	16.37%	16.1%	24.84%	13.59%
Provider reputation	19.11%	17.54%	19.92%	26.71%	17.48%
Ability to pay in instalments	17.73%	25.73%	29.24%	26.71%	33.98%
I would not choose car insurance	13.57%	11.11%	10.17%	4.97%	3.88%
Don't know	9.7%	15.79%	15.25%	12.42%	24.27%
Other	1.66%			1.24%

Source: Finder survey by Censuswide of 1032 Brits, December 2023

Frequently asked questions about car insurance after a job change

• How much does business vehicle insurance cost?

  If you’re using your car for business purposes it tends to be on the road far more. In turn this makes it more likely to be involved in an accident. As such, it typically costs more to insure a vehicle for business use than it does to insure it for personal use alone.

  The cost of your business car insurance can vary widely and will depends on factors such as:

  • The make, model, year and even weight of your vehicle.
  • Cover limits and the size of your excesses.
  • What you use your vehicle for, for example for office travel, to deliver goods or visiting clients.
  • The number of drivers using your car.
  • Each named driver’s experience and accident history.

• How does retiring affect my car insurance?

  In general retiring should lead to lower rates, particularly if you had been using your car to commute. Insurance companies will see you as a lower risk if you’re not driving around during the frantic rush hours.

  However, car insurance will start to rise in your mid- to late-sixties, as insurers will unfortunately see your rising age as a risk factor.

*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £524.68

The offers compared on this page are chosen from a range of products we can track; we don't cover every product on the market...yet. Unless we've indicated otherwise, products are shown in no particular order or ranking. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations), aren't product ratings, although we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it; this is subject to our terms of use. When making a big financial decision, it's wise to consider getting independent financial advice, and always consider your own financial circumstances when comparing products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.

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Esther Wolffowitz

Esther Wolffowitz was a publisher at finder.com specialising in insurance. Esther holds an MSc in Media and Communication Governance from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

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