Occupation ratings for Life, TPD and Income Protection insurance

Your occupation could have a big impact on life insurance. If you work in a risky occupation you might find that certain exclusions are added to your policy at the time of underwriting or you could end up paying slightly higher premiums.

You can check your occupation on our interactive list to get an idea of how your job might affect life insurance.

Search for your specific occupation*

_{*The occupations and risk ratings mentioned on this are a general guide and are not indicative of all insurance policies nor do they take into any account of your actual circumstances. Occupations and ratings are based off MLC's occupation ratings guide.}

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TAL Accelerated Protection Income Protection Finder Award	$30,000	Up to 70%	Up to Age 65	19	$1,305 million	Get up to 70% of your income covered with flexible short and long term benefit periods.	Get quoteView details Compare	loading Fetching your data...
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Types of occupation ratings (classes)

There are a number of categories insurers use to classify employees and employers seeking on-the-job insurance. Although the exact names of ratings and definitions will differ between policies, here’s a general guide of the categories used to rate the risk of your employment. You can also search for your specific occupation below.

Before taking out insurance for your profession or employment, double-check what insurers are likely to cover you for. This is important because stipulations and guidelines vary between insurers. You can do this by speaking with an adviser about what category you would fall into.

How does occupation rating affect my premium?

Your rating which is based on your occupational risk and income has an impact on your premium:

_{*Average monthly premium is based on the average premium of all policies available in finder's quote engine for both males and females. Quotes are based on non-smoking 35 year old in NSW. Income levels are for illustrative purposes and not as a definitive guide.}

• How am I classified if I have two occupations?

  For individuals with more than one job, you’ll be rated on the employment that carries the most risk. Depending on the policy, there can be special consideration to receive a more favourable rating if less than 20% of your work is in the more hazardous occupation.

  For example, if you work 30 hours a week as a labourer and up to another 7.6 hours a week as a writer, you’ll be classified as a manual worker. If the situation was reversed and you only worked one day a week in manual labour and the rest as a writer, you could qualify for white-collar status.

How much income protection can I get?

Most policies cover up to 75% of your monthly income with a specific maximum sum. Generally speaking, a job that isn't considered dangerous by these providers have the following maximums:

Questions our users ask about occupation risk ratings

• Why do life insurance brands classify occupations?

  Every workplace carries its own job titles for employers and employees, but when it comes to life insurance policies, jobs are categorised according to their own definitions. Whether you fall into the manual worker or white-collar basket is determined by the duties you perform, not the title given by your employer.

  This is because the risk of suffering a sickness or injury while on the job differs in every occupation. So it’s important to be aware of the parameters set out by insurance companies to ensure you meet the criteria to receive compensation for time off work due to illness or injury.

• How is an occupation classified?

  Under life insurance, your occupation is classed by the duties you perform on a day-to-day basis, not by your employment title. This means your job description won’t determine what level of risk you fall into.

  In many cases, determining your classification is simple. However in some situations it can be more complex, especially if you perform a range of mental and physical duties.

  For example, if you’re the director of your own building or plumbing company and perform manual as well as administration and accounting roles, you will be classed by life insurers as a blue-collar worker, and therefore a higher risk of injury. Despite a combination of physical and mental responsibilities, your labouring duties are seen as the primary risk factor.

• Types of employment contracts that are excluded regardless of category

  There are times when income protection under life insurance isn’t available to employers and their employees. Normally this is due to minimal working hours and the temporary basis of certain job-related contracts. Here’s a list showing times when you will be excluded:

  • Part-time workers. Income protection is only offered for individuals working more than 15 hours a week.
  • Casual workers. Regardless of a person’s duties, casual workers will not be covered under a salary continuance scheme.
  • Seasonal workers. Anyone employed as a seasonal worker will not qualify for income protection insurance.

  If you fall into one of these categories, you may want to rethink your employment terms or assess other forms of private insurance options to ensure you’ll receive compensation when you can’t work due to illness or injury.

• Types of employment contracts that have limitations

  • Fixed-term employment. Here your included income protection benefit is limited to the remainder of your employment contract.

Written by

Maurice Thach

Publisher

Maurice Thach was a publisher at Finder who covered anything that sounds hard to compare. This includes life insurance policies, side hustle ideas and energy plans. Maurice has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales, a Tier 2 General Insurance certification and a Tier 1 Life Insurance certification. Outside of work, you'll probably find Maurice hitting up the nearest basketball court. See full bio