Skilled Worker salary thresholds and going rates, explained
The short answer
For most new Skilled Worker visas, the salary must be at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher. New entrants, including many people switching from a Student or Graduate visa, can be paid 70% of the going rate, but not less than £33,400. Health and education jobs on national pay scales follow those scales instead.
For most Skilled Worker visas, the salary has to clear two bars at once: the general threshold and the going rate for the job. New entrants get lower rates. Here is how the numbers work, with the Home Office's own tables for common graduate jobs and a dated record of what changed.
Key points
- The general threshold has been £41,700 a year since 22 July 2025, when the Immigration Rules changes in HC 997 took effect. Figures quoted from before that date are out of date.
- Each occupation code has its own going rate in the Home Office tables, based on a 37.5-hour week. For many graduate jobs it is higher than the general threshold.
- New-entrant rates can only be used for a total stay of up to 4 years, including time on a Graduate visa.
- Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts. Overtime, bonuses, allowances and one-off payments are left out.
- The employer chooses the occupation code, so two jobs with the same title can have different going rates.
Key points
- The general threshold has been £41,700 a year since 22 July 2025, when the Immigration Rules changes in HC 997 took effect. Figures quoted from before that date are out of date.
- Each occupation code has its own going rate in the Home Office tables, based on a 37.5-hour week. For many graduate jobs it is higher than the general threshold.
- New-entrant rates can only be used for a total stay of up to 4 years, including time on a Graduate visa.
- Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts. Overtime, bonuses, allowances and one-off payments are left out.
- The employer chooses the occupation code, so two jobs with the same title can have different going rates.
What is the Skilled Worker general salary threshold?
The general threshold is £41,700 a year. It applies to most new Skilled Worker applications, alongside the going rate for the job. The job’s salary has to meet both, so whichever is higher is the number that counts.
Is the threshold £38,700 or £41,700?
The general threshold rose to £41,700 on 22 July 2025, when the Immigration Rules changes in the statement HC 997 took effect. It replaced £38,700. The new-entrant floor rose to £33,400 on the same day. The Migration Advisory Committee’s review of salary requirements, published on gov.uk, sets out the figures before and after the change.
Older figures still circulate on websites, in forum posts and in some AI answers. If a page quotes a lower general threshold without a date, it is probably describing the rules before 22 July 2025. gov.uk’s your job page shows the figure in force today.
What has changed, and when?
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| 4 April 2024 | Going rates moved up from the 25th percentile to the median of UK earnings for each occupation, and the general threshold was raised. |
| 22 July 2025 | The general threshold rose from £38,700 to £41,700, and the new-entrant floor from £30,960 to £33,400. New applications generally need a job at RQF level 6 or above. The Temporary Shortage List was introduced and the Immigration Salary List expanded, both with removal dates. |
| 31 December 2026 | Temporary Shortage List jobs can only be used with a Certificate of Sponsorship issued before this date. Most Immigration Salary List entries have this removal date. |
The guide to the Immigration Salary List and Temporary Shortage List explains the two lists.
What is a going rate?
Every job is matched to an occupation code, called a SOC code. The Home Office publishes a going rate for each eligible code in the Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations. The going rate is a full-time annual figure, based on a 37.5-hour week.
Here are the Home Office’s figures for occupations that many international graduates apply to:
| Occupation (SOC code) | Going rate | New-entrant rate | Minimum, experienced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Programmers and software development professionals (2134) | £54,700 | £38,300 | £54,700 |
| IT business analysts, architects and systems designers (2133) | £54,900 | £38,400 | £54,900 |
| Actuaries, economists and statisticians (2433) | £55,100 | £38,600 | £55,100 |
| Cyber security professionals (2135) | £48,500 | £34,000 | £48,500 |
| Information technology professionals not elsewhere classified (2139) | £52,300 | £36,600 | £52,300 |
| Web design professionals (2141) | £43,800 | £33,400 | £43,800 |
| Finance and investment analysts and advisers (2422) | £45,800 | £33,400 | £45,800 |
| Chartered and certified accountants (2421) | £49,200 | £34,500 | £49,200 |
| Management consultants and business analysts (2431) | £50,200 | £35,100 | £50,200 |
| Marketing and commercial managers (2432) | £50,100 | £35,000 | £50,100 |
| Business and financial project management professionals (2440) | £56,500 | £39,500 | £56,500 |
| Civil engineers (2121) | £50,400 | £35,200 | £50,400 |
| Mechanical engineers (2122) | £46,800 | £33,400 | £46,800 |
| Environment professionals (2152) | £37,200 | £33,400 | £41,700 |
| Solicitors and lawyers (2412) | £51,600 | £36,100 | £51,600 |
Minimum, experienced: the higher of the going rate and the £41,700 general threshold. New-entrant rate: 70% of the going rate, but not below £33,400. Annual, full-time (37.5 hours a week).
Every role page shows the table for its own occupation codes, for example software engineer, data analyst and accountant. See all roles. The going rates by occupation code list every eligible code.
What is the new-entrant salary?
New entrants can be paid less: 70% of the going rate for their occupation, with a minimum of £33,400 a year. In the table above, the new-entrant column already applies that minimum.
gov.uk lists who counts as a new entrant. In broad terms it includes people under 26 when they apply, people switching from a Student or Graduate visa, people working towards a recognised professional qualification, and some postdoctoral roles. New-entrant rates can only be used for a limited time: gov.uk says your total stay cannot be more than 4 years, including time on a Graduate visa. The new-entrant guide covers each category and the time limit.
How do you work out the number for one job?
Take a software developer role, occupation code 2134. Using the table:
- If you are experienced, the salary must be at least the higher of the going rate and £41,700. The going rate is higher, so it is the going rate.
- If you are a new entrant, the salary must be at least the higher of the new-entrant rate and £33,400. Here the new-entrant rate is higher.
So a graduate offer can qualify at a salary that would not qualify for an experienced hire in the same job. That is why it is worth knowing which code a job will use before you accept. The salary check does this comparison for any code.
What counts as salary?
The Home Office looks at guaranteed basic pay. The Immigration Rules (paragraphs SW 14.1 and SW 14.2) count guaranteed basic gross pay and leave out things like pay that cannot be guaranteed, bonuses, overtime, shift pay, allowances and one-off payments. If an offer mixes basic pay with variable pay, compare the basic figure with the rate. The rates are for full-time work, so check how the hours in the contract affect the figure. gov.uk has the details.
What about health and education jobs?
Some health and education occupations, such as nurses, doctors and teachers, are paid on national pay scales. For those, the going rate is the relevant pay band rather than a single figure, and many health roles qualify for the Health and Care Worker visa, which has its own rules. The role pages for nurses, doctors and teachers show the pay scale the Home Office names, and the NHS visa sponsorship guide explains how the bands work.
Can the salary be lower for other reasons?
There are other routes to a lower salary in the rules, for example for some people with a PhD relevant to the job, and for occupations on the Immigration Salary List. These change over time, so check gov.uk rather than relying on any third-party summary.
How Visavi uses these numbers
Every job in Visavi shows its salary against the threshold, so you can see before you apply whether the advertised pay can work for a Skilled Worker visa. It is a signal, not a decision: the employer chooses the occupation code, and the Home Office decides the application.
Common questions
- What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
- gov.uk says the minimum is usually £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. New entrants can be paid 70% of the going rate, but not less than £33,400. Health and education jobs on national pay scales follow those scales.
- When did the threshold change to £41,700?
- On 22 July 2025, when the Immigration Rules changes in the statement HC 997 took effect. The new-entrant floor rose to £33,400 at the same time. gov.uk still shows both figures today.
- Do bonuses count towards the salary threshold?
- No. The Immigration Rules count guaranteed basic gross pay. Bonuses, overtime, shift pay, allowances and one-off payments are left out.
- Is the going rate the same in every part of the UK?
- For occupations with a single going rate, yes: the Home Office tables give one annual figure, based on a 37.5-hour week. Jobs on national pay scales, such as NHS and teaching roles, have rates that differ by nation.
Sources
- Skilled Worker visa: your job (gov.uk)
- Skilled Worker visa: when you can be paid less (gov.uk)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (gov.uk)
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker, SW 14.1 to SW 14.2 (gov.uk)
- Statement of changes to the Immigration Rules HC 997, 1 July 2025 (gov.uk)
- Review of salary requirements, Migration Advisory Committee (gov.uk)
- Health and Care Worker visa (gov.uk)
General information, not immigration advice. Rules change: always check gov.uk. Find a regulated immigration adviser (gov.uk)