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skilledjobs

Checked 5 Sept 2026

Skilled Worker visa salary threshold 2026

The general salary threshold is £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the occupation if that is higher. The lower figure of £33,400 applies in set cases, such as new entrants. Going rates for all 259 occupation codes are below.

How the threshold works

General threshold
£41,700
Lower figure (set cases)
£33,400

A Skilled Worker salary is compared with two numbers: the general threshold and the going rate for the occupation code on the Certificate of Sponsorship. The higher of the two is the bar. Occupations on the Immigration Salary List and some applicants, such as new entrants, are measured against lower figures. The salary calculator does the arithmetic for any code and salary. Figures checked against GOV.UK on 5 Sept 2026.

Going rates by occupation code

Every eligible SOC 2020 occupation with a published going rate. The bar for each is the higher of its going rate and £41,700.

CodeOccupationGoing rateBar
1111Chief executives and senior officials£88,100£88,100
1121Production managers and directors in manufacturing£55,000£55,000
1122Production managers and directors in construction£53,400£53,400
1123Production managers and directors in mining and energy£54,000£54,000
1131Financial managers and directors£75,100£75,100
1132Marketing, sales and advertising directors£87,300£87,300
1133Public relations and communications directors£77,200£77,200
1134Purchasing managers and directors£54,700£54,700
1135Charitable organisation managers and directors£44,300£44,300
1136Human resource managers and directors£52,900£52,900
1137Information technology directors£86,000£86,000
1139Functional managers and directors not elsewhere classified£74,700£74,700
1140Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport£81,400£81,400
1150Managers and directors in retail and wholesale£36,400£41,700
1162Senior police officers£64,000£64,000
1163Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services£61,600£61,600
1171Health services and public health managers and directors£50,300£50,300
1172Social services managers and directors£43,000£43,000
1211Managers and proprietors in agriculture and horticulture£35,900£41,700
1212Managers and proprietors in forestry, fishing and related services£33,400£41,700
1221Hotel and accommodation managers and proprietors£38,300£41,700
1222Restaurant and catering establishment managers and proprietors£33,400£41,700
1223Publicans and managers of licensed premises£36,300£41,700
1224Leisure and sports managers and proprietors£34,100£41,700
1225Travel agency managers and proprietors£36,000£41,700
1231Health care practice managers£40,400£41,700
1232Residential, day and domiciliary care managers and proprietors£40,400£41,700
1233Early education and childcare services proprietors£33,400£41,700
1241Managers in transport and distribution£44,900£44,900
1242Managers in storage and warehousing£35,100£41,700
1243Managers in logistics£44,900£44,900
1251Property, housing and estate managers£42,600£42,600
1252Garage managers and proprietors£45,600£45,600
1253Hairdressing and beauty salon managers and proprietors£33,400£41,700
1254Waste disposal and environmental services managers£48,300£48,300
1255Managers and directors in the creative industries£44,900£44,900
1256Betting shop and gambling establishment managers£33,400£41,700
1257Hire services managers and proprietors£33,400£41,700
1258Directors in consultancy services£70,100£70,100
1259Managers and proprietors in other services not elsewhere classified£41,400£41,700
2111Chemical scientists£39,900£41,700
2112Biological scientists£40,300£41,700
2113Biochemists and biomedical scientists£45,900£45,900
2114Physical scientists£54,600£54,600
2115Social and humanities scientists£40,400£41,700
2119Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified£41,500£41,700
2121Civil engineers£50,400£50,400
2122Mechanical engineers£46,800£46,800
2123Electrical engineers£58,700£58,700
2124Electronics engineers£52,000£52,000
2125Production and process engineers£45,000£45,000
2126Aerospace engineers£52,400£52,400
2127Engineering project managers and project engineers£51,900£51,900
2129Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified£46,100£46,100
2131IT project managers£58,200£58,200
2132IT managers£55,000£55,000
2133IT business analysts, architects and systems designers£54,900£54,900
2134Programmers and software development professionals£54,700£54,700
2135Cyber security professionals£48,500£48,500
2136IT quality and testing professionals£41,200£41,700
2137IT network professionals£45,600£45,600
2139Information technology professionals not elsewhere classified£52,300£52,300
2141Web design professionals£43,800£43,800
2142Graphic and multimedia designers£33,400£41,700
2151Conservation professionals£36,000£41,700
2152Environment professionals£37,200£41,700
2161Research and development (r&d) managers£54,400£54,400
2162Other researchers, unspecified discipline£43,600£43,600
2240Veterinarians£49,500£49,500
2311Higher education teaching professionals£52,600£52,600
2317Teachers of English as a foreign language£36,200£41,700
2319Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
2322Education managers£43,900£43,900
2323Education advisers and school inspectors£42,200£42,200
2324Early education and childcare services managers£33,400£41,700
2329Other educational professionals not elsewhere classified£40,600£41,700
2411Barristers and judges£59,400£59,400
2412Solicitors and lawyers£51,600£51,600
2419Legal professionals not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
2421Chartered and certified accountants£49,200£49,200
2422Finance and investment analysts and advisers£45,800£45,800
2423Taxation experts£48,500£48,500
2431Management consultants and business analysts£50,200£50,200
2432Marketing and commercial managers£50,100£50,100
2433Actuaries, economists and statisticians£55,100£55,100
2434Business and related research professionals£38,800£41,700
2435Professional/chartered company secretaries£58,200£58,200
2439Business, research and administrative professionals not elsewhere classified£56,600£56,600
2440Business and financial project management professionals£56,500£56,500
2451Architects£47,600£47,600
2452Chartered architectural technologists, planning officers and consultants£35,800£41,700
2453Quantity surveyors£48,600£48,600
2454Chartered surveyors£43,800£43,800
2455Construction project managers and related professionals£44,300£44,300
2462Probation officers£35,700£41,700
2464Youth work professionals£38,000£41,700
2469Welfare professionals not elsewhere classified£39,700£41,700
2471Librarians£34,800£41,700
2472Archivists, conservators and curators£33,400£41,700
2481Quality control and planning engineers£41,300£41,700
2482Quality assurance and regulatory professionals£48,200£48,200
2483Environmental health professionals£40,900£41,700
2491Newspaper, periodical and broadcast editors£39,600£41,700
2492Newspaper and periodical broadcast journalists and reporters£34,000£41,700
2493Public relations professionals£37,000£41,700
2494Advertising accounts managers and creative directors£46,000£46,000
3111Laboratory technicians£33,400£41,700
3112Electrical and electronics technicians£39,300£41,700
3113Engineering technicians£42,500£42,500
3114Building and civil engineering technicians£33,400£41,700
3115Quality assurance technicians£33,400£41,700
3116Planning, process and production technicians£34,800£41,700
3119Science, engineering and production technicians not elsewhere classified£34,600£41,700
3120CAD, drawing and architectural technicians£33,800£41,700
3131IT operations technicians£35,200£41,700
3132IT user support technicians£33,400£41,700
3133Database administrators and web content technicians£34,600£41,700
3211Dispensing opticians£33,400£41,700
3212Pharmaceutical technicians£33,400£41,700
3221Youth and community workers£33,400£41,700
3222Child and early years officers£33,400£41,700
3223Housing officers£33,400£41,700
3224Counsellors£33,400£41,700
3229Welfare and housing associate professionals not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
3232Early education and childcare practitioners£33,400£41,700
3240Veterinary nurses£33,400£41,700
3312Police officers (sergeant and below)£46,900£46,900
3313Fire service officers (watch manager and below)£42,100£42,100
3314Prison service officers (below principal officer)£38,800£41,700
3319Protective service associate professionals not elsewhere classified£41,100£41,700
3411Artists£38,200£41,700
3412Authors, writers and translators£36,100£41,700
3413Actors, entertainers and presenters£33,400£41,700
3414Dancers and choreographers£33,400£41,700
3415Musicians£37,500£41,700
3416Arts officers, producers and directors£38,100£41,700
3417Photographers, audio-visual and broadcasting equipment operators£33,400£41,700
3421Interior designers£35,200£41,700
3422Clothing, fashion and accessories designers£36,500£41,700
3429Design occupations not elsewhere classified£39,300£41,700
3433Fitness and wellbeing instructors£33,400£41,700
3511Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers£80,400£80,400
3512Ship and hovercraft officers£58,300£58,300
3520Legal associate professionals£33,400£41,700
3531Brokers£52,400£52,400
3532Insurance underwriters£36,500£41,700
3533Financial and accounting technicians£48,700£48,700
3534Financial accounts managers£44,700£44,700
3541Estimators, valuers and assessors£35,300£41,700
3542Importers and exporters£35,700£41,700
3543Project support officers£33,900£41,700
3544Data analysts£34,900£41,700
3549Business associate professionals not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
3551Buyers and procurement officers£35,500£41,700
3552Business sales executives£36,700£41,700
3553Merchandisers£33,400£41,700
3554Advertising and marketing associate professionals£33,400£41,700
3555Estate agents and auctioneers£33,400£41,700
3556Sales accounts and business development managers£55,200£55,200
3557Events managers and organisers£33,400£41,700
3560Public services associate professionals£39,500£41,700
3571Human resources and industrial relations officers£33,400£41,700
3572Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists£33,400£41,700
3573Information technology trainers£40,000£41,700
3574Other vocational and industrial trainers£34,500£41,700
3581Inspectors of standards and regulations£34,400£41,700
3582Health and safety managers and officers£42,500£42,500
4111National government administrative occupations£33,400£41,700
4112Local government administrative occupations£33,400£41,700
4113Officers of non-governmental organisations£33,400£41,700
4121Credit controllers£33,400£41,700
4122Book-keepers, payroll managers and wages clerks£33,400£41,700
4124Finance officers£33,400£41,700
4129Financial administrative occupations not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
4132Pensions and insurance clerks and assistants£33,400£41,700
4134Transport and distribution clerks and assistants£33,400£41,700
4141Office managers£37,400£41,700
4143Customer service managers£35,200£41,700
4151Sales administrators£33,400£41,700
4159Other administrative occupations not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
4214Company secretaries and administrators£33,400£41,700
4215Personal assistants and other secretaries£33,400£41,700
5111Farmers£34,100£41,700
5112Horticultural trades£33,400£41,700
5113Gardeners and landscape gardeners£33,400£41,700
5114Groundsmen and greenkeepers£33,400£41,700
5119Agricultural and fishing trades not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
5211Sheet metal workers£33,400£41,700
5212Metal plate workers, smiths, moulders and related occupations£36,700£41,700
5213Welding trades£34,900£41,700
5214Pipe fitters£46,000£46,000
5221Metal machining setters and setter-operators£34,600£41,700
5222Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out£38,400£41,700
5223Metal working production and maintenance fitters£39,300£41,700
5224Precision instrument makers and repairers£33,400£41,700
5225Air-conditioning and refrigeration installers and repairers£41,100£41,700
5231Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians£35,500£41,700
5232Vehicle body builders and repairers£33,400£41,700
5233Vehicle paint technicians£33,400£41,700
5234Aircraft maintenance and related trades£45,000£45,000
5235Boat and ship builders and repairers£33,700£41,700
5236Rail and rolling stock builders and repairers£57,000£57,000
5241Electricians and electrical fitters£38,800£41,700
5242Telecoms and related network installers and repairers£36,700£41,700
5243Tv, video and audio servicers and repairers£33,400£41,700
5244Computer system and equipment installers and servicers£35,100£41,700
5245Security system installers and repairers£36,300£41,700
5246Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers£39,700£41,700
5249Electrical and electronic trades not elsewhere classified£45,800£45,800
5250Skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades supervisors£42,400£42,400
5311Steel erectors£35,000£41,700
5312Stonemasons and related trades£33,400£41,700
5313Bricklayers£33,400£41,700
5314Roofers, roof tilers and slaters£33,400£41,700
5315Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers and repairers£38,100£41,700
5316Carpenters and joiners£33,400£41,700
5317Glaziers, window fabricators and fitters£33,400£41,700
5319Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
5321Plasterers£34,200£41,700
5322Floorers and wall tilers£33,400£41,700
5323Painters and decorators£33,400£41,700
5330Construction and building trades supervisors£41,800£41,800
5411Upholsterers£33,400£41,700
5412Footwear and leather working trades£33,400£41,700
5413Tailors and dressmakers£33,400£41,700
5419Textiles, garments and related trades not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
5421Pre-press technicians£33,400£41,700
5422Printers£33,400£41,700
5423Print finishing and binding workers£33,400£41,700
5431Butchers£33,400£41,700
5432Bakers and flour confectioners£33,400£41,700
5433Fishmongers and poultry dressers£33,400£41,700
5434Chefs£33,400£41,700
5436Catering and bar managers£33,400£41,700
5441Glass and ceramics makers, decorators and finishers£33,400£41,700
5442Furniture makers and other craft woodworkers£33,400£41,700
5443Florists£33,400£41,700
5449Other skilled trades not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
6111Early education and childcare assistants£33,400£41,700
6114Childminders£33,400£41,700
6117Playworkers£33,400£41,700
6129Animal care services occupations not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
6134Houseparents and residential wardens£33,400£41,700
6213Air travel assistants£33,400£41,700
6214Rail travel assistants£41,300£41,700
6311Police community support officers£33,400£41,700
7124Market and street traders and assistants£33,400£41,700
7131Shopkeepers and owners - retail and wholesale£33,700£41,700
7132Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale£33,400£41,700
7214Market research interviewers£33,400£41,700
7220Customer service supervisors£34,200£41,700
8113Chemical and related process operatives£33,400£41,700
8133Energy plant operatives£41,500£41,700
8134Water and sewerage plant operatives£38,000£41,700
8143Routine inspectors and testers£33,400£41,700
8215Driving instructors£39,500£41,700
8232Marine and waterways transport operatives£38,300£41,700
9119Fishing and other elementary agriculture occupations not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700
9249Elementary sales occupations not elsewhere classified£33,400£41,700

Common questions

What is the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold in 2026?

The general threshold is £41,700 a year. The salary must also meet the going rate for the occupation code, and the higher of the two applies. Some applicants can be paid a lower amount (the general figure for them is £33,400), for example new entrants and some roles on the Immigration Salary List. GOV.UK sets out who each figure applies to.

What is a going rate?

Each eligible occupation code (SOC 2020) has its own published going rate, based on typical UK pay for that occupation. The table on this page lists the going rate we hold for every eligible code, with a link to each code's page.

Is the threshold pro-rated for part-time work?

Going rates are published for a standard working week and are pro-rated for other hours, while the general threshold is an annual figure. GOV.UK explains how hours are counted.

Do health and care jobs use different figures?

Many health and education roles are measured against national pay scales, such as NHS Agenda for Change, rather than the standard going rate. The notes on each occupation's page and GOV.UK list the exceptions.

Jobs whose advertised salary meets the threshold →