UK Skilled Worker Visa Salary Threshold 2026, Full List by Job

The Skilled Worker visa is the UK's main work route, and in 2026 the salary rules are stricter than ever. If your salary doesn't clear the threshold, your application is refused, no judgement, no appeal on that ground. This guide walks you through every threshold that applies in April 2026, who each one hits, and how to check whether your specific job code qualifies.

The three numbers you need to know

There is no single "Skilled Worker salary threshold." Your application must clear three separate salary tests simultaneously:

1. General minimum salary, £41,700 per year for most new applicants from April 2026.
2. Going rate for your occupation code, varies by SOC 2020 job code, published by the Home Office.
3. £15.88 per hour, minimum hourly rate regardless of contract type.

You must meet all three. The Home Office takes the highest of the three as your effective threshold. A nurse on £32,000 fails even if nursing's going rate is lower, because the general minimum isn't met (unless they qualify for a discount, see below).

Who qualifies for a lower threshold?

Five groups get a discount from the £41,700 headline figure:

The new-entrant discount is the most commonly missed. If you're 25, graduated within the last 2 years, or switching from a UK Student visa, apply it. It saves £8,300 per year on the threshold (8 April 2026 rates).

Going rates by occupation, the ones most people apply for

Every SOC 2020 code has its own going rate, set at the 25th percentile of UK earnings for that role. Here are the 2026 figures for the most commonly sponsored roles:

• Software developer (2136), £49,400
• Programmer and software development professional (2134), £49,400
• IT business analyst, architect and systems designer (2135), £52,300
• Chartered and certified accountants (2421), £39,700
• Management consultants and business analysts (2423), £42,900
• Registered nurse (2231), £31,081 (Health & Care route) / £41,700 (Skilled Worker)
• Care worker (6135), Closed to new overseas applications from March 2025
• Civil engineer (2121), £40,500
• Mechanical engineer (2122), £38,900
• Secondary school teacher (2314), £31,650 (under education pay scale)
• Chef (5434), £33,400 (Immigration Salary List)
• Graphic designer (3421), £33,400 (under new-entrant rate only)

If your role's going rate is above £41,700, the going rate applies. If it's below, £41,700 applies (unless you qualify for a discount group).

The Immigration Salary List, what replaced the Shortage Occupation List

From April 2024 the Shortage Occupation List was abolished. In its place, the Immigration Salary List (ISL) offers a 20% discount on the general threshold for specific roles where the UK cannot fill vacancies domestically.

ISL roles in 2026 include:

• Bricklayers and masons (5312)
• Roofers, roof tilers and slaters (5313)
• Construction and building trades supervisors (5330)
• Animal care services occupations (6139, partial)
• Laboratory technicians (3111)
• Boat and ship builders and repairers (5235)
• Stonemasons and related trades (5311)

If you're on the ISL, the minimum drops from £41,700 to £33,400, but you still need to clear your occupation's going rate and £15.88/hour.

How salary is calculated, the gotchas

The Home Office doesn't just take your offer letter number at face value. They count:

• Basic gross salary only. Bonuses, commission, overtime, allowances (including London weighting in most cases), in-kind benefits and pension contributions do not count.
• Guaranteed allowances, some allowances count if they are guaranteed in the Certificate of Sponsorship and paid regardless of performance. Car allowances and accommodation allowances usually don't.
• Weekly hours, the salary is assessed against a standard 37.5-hour week. If you work 30 hours, your gross is pro-rated up to 37.5 hours for threshold purposes, which is why £15.88/hour exists as a floor.

Example: You're offered £35,000 for a 30-hour week. The full-time equivalent is £43,750, which clears £41,700. But if you're offered £32,000 for 37.5 hours, you fail, even if your hourly rate is fine.

What happens if your salary rises later

Your threshold is locked at the time your Certificate of Sponsorship is issued. If thresholds rise after you're granted leave, you're fine for your current visa, but an extension or switch will be assessed at the new rate.

This bites hardest at extension stage. Applicants granted leave in 2023 at the old £26,200 threshold now face £41,700 when they extend in 2028. Many will need to negotiate a pay rise or switch employer.

What to do next, your salary-check workflow

If all three clear with a margin of at least £500, you're safe. Thin margins are risky, Home Office caseworkers round down, not up.

Document checklist before you apply

Common questions

Our UK Skilled Worker visa guide covers the full application process, document list and fee breakdown.

Going rates for every major sector, the numbers that actually matter

The general minimum of £41,700 is the floor, but your occupation's going rate is often higher. Here's how the major sectors break down in 2026, so you can compare your offer against the actual bar before submitting.

Technology and digital: Software developers (2136) at £49,400 and IT business analysts (2135) at £52,300 are the most-sponsored tech roles. Cybersecurity analysts (2139) sit at £47,500. Data scientists (2433) are at £45,100. If you're a junior developer earning £42,000, you clear the general minimum but could fail your role's going rate, always check Appendix Skilled Occupations, not just the headline figure.

Finance and professional services: Chartered accountants (2421) at £39,700 sit below the general minimum, meaning the £41,700 floor applies unless you're on a discount. Financial analysts (2423 group) vary widely, management consultants sit at £42,900 (just above the general minimum). Actuaries (2427) are at £52,300. Tax advisors (2421 adjacent) typically fall under the £39,700 going rate.

Engineering: Civil engineers (2121) at £40,500 and mechanical engineers (2122) at £38,900 both sit below £41,700, the general minimum is your test unless you have a discount. Electrical engineers (2123) are at £40,500. Chemical engineers (2461) sit at £44,800, above the floor, so their going rate applies.

Healthcare (outside the Health and Care route): Registered nurses applying under the standard Skilled Worker route (not Health and Care) face a £41,700 general minimum regardless of NHS pay bands. This is the main reason nurses should apply via the Health and Care Worker visa instead, where the threshold drops to £25,000.

Education: Secondary school teachers (2314) at £31,650 are below the general minimum, qualifying for ISL discount (£33,400) in some cases, or new-entrant. Most teacher sponsors are local authorities or academy trusts, and their CoS will state the role's exact going rate.

The month-by-month salary check, what "gross annual" actually means

Home Office salary assessments use gross annual salary, your salary before tax and National Insurance but including obligatory pension contributions that reduce your take-home. The figure on the offer letter should already be gross. Confirm this before signing.

Part-time calculations: If you're offered £50,000 for a 30-hour week, your FTE equivalent is £50,000 × (37.5/30) = £62,500, well above the threshold. But your hourly test: £50,000 ÷ 52 ÷ 30 = £32.05/hour, also passes.

If you're offered £38,000 for a 30-hour week: FTE = £47,500 (above £41,700). But hourly: £38,000 ÷ 52 ÷ 30 = £24.36/hour, also passes. However, if your role's going rate is £45,000, you fail that test regardless.

Probationary pay: Some employers offer lower pay during a 3-month probation. If the CoS states the probationary salary, that is the salary the Home Office uses. If the offer letter states "£38,000 rising to £45,000 after probation" and the CoS shows £38,000, your effective threshold is £38,000. Make sure your CoS reflects the salary that meets the threshold on day one.

Guaranteed allowances, what can and cannot be counted

The Home Office guidance states that allowances are countable only if they are:

1. Unconditionally guaranteed (not discretionary, not performance-linked)
2. Written explicitly into the Certificate of Sponsorship
3. Paid every pay period without exception

In practice, this means very few allowances qualify. Here is what typically does and does not count:

Usually counts:

• Site allowance for workers required to work at a specific location (written into CoS, paid regardless of site attendance choices)
• On-call allowance for roles with contracted on-call obligations (if guaranteed in contract)
• Some London weighting elements if written into the CoS as a permanent component of salary

Usually does not count:

• Bonus (even contractual "guaranteed" bonuses, courts have consistently found these conditional)
• Commission (depends on sales performance)
• Overtime beyond contracted hours
• Flexible benefit allowances
• Meal, transport or clothing allowances
• Pension contributions (already excluded by definition, gross salary does not include employer pension)
• Shift allowances where the worker can choose shifts

If you're uncertain, assume it doesn't count and verify with the employer's HR team before the CoS is issued. Changing the CoS after submission is possible but delays processing.

The Immigration Skills Charge, your employer's cost

Your employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge when they issue your CoS. You never see this payment, but understanding it helps you negotiate.

• Large employers (250+ staff or £50m+ turnover): £1,000 per year of your visa
• Small employers or charities: £364 per year

For a 5-year visa, a large employer pays £5,000 in Skills Charge alone, plus £827 visa fee for you (if applicable), plus sponsor licence renewal costs (~£1,476 every 4 years). The total cost to sponsor you for 5 years can reach £7,000 to £10,000.

This cost is entirely the employer's responsibility. You cannot be asked to contribute toward the Skills Charge or the licence fee. If an employer asks you to pay any part of it, it is illegal under the Modern Slavery Act provisions and you should report it to the UKVI whistleblowing line.

What happens at salary reviews and pay rises

Your visa is locked to the salary stated on your CoS. Pay rises after you arrive do not require a new CoS, they are simply normal employment. However:

When a new CoS is needed:

• You change role (different SOC code)
• You change employer
• Your hours change materially
• Your salary drops below the threshold (rare, but happens in restructuring)

At extension: Your extension CoS must show salary at the threshold current on the date of the extension application, not the original date of entry. Applicants who entered in 2022 at £26,200 must extend at £41,700. If your current salary is below the new threshold, you must either negotiate a raise before applying or change employer.

Salary disputes: If your employer is paying you below what's on the CoS (a form of illegal deduction), you can still apply for an extension at the contracted salary, but the Home Office may cross-check with HMRC data. Report salary theft to ACAS and, separately, to UKVI's sponsor compliance team.

New entrant strategy, planning the transition to full rate

If you're on the new-entrant rate (£33,400), you have up to 4 years before the full rate applies. Plan accordingly:

Year 1 to 2: Prioritise learning and proving value. Most employers pay the new-entrant rate honestly, but some use it to underpay indefinitely. Know your market rate.

Year 3: Begin salary negotiation. You should be earning above the full going rate for your SOC code by the time your first extension arrives, not scrambling to meet it.

Year 4 (extension time): Your extension CoS must show the full going rate or £41,700 (whichever is higher). If you earn below this at year 4, you either need a raise, a new employer, or to apply for a different visa route (Graduate if you're still under 26, unlikely at this stage). Most people negotiate a raise; employers who have invested 4 years in sponsoring you rarely want to lose you over a threshold issue.

Frequently asked questions, advanced

Can my employer pay me in stock options instead of salary? No. Only cash salary payments count. Equity compensation, share options, RSUs and similar instruments are entirely excluded. Some tech companies pay low cash salaries with large equity packages, these are fine for your personal finances but do not count toward the threshold.

What if my role changes mid-visa without a new CoS? A material change in role (different SOC code) requires a new CoS and a change-of-employment application. "Material change" means different occupational category, not just a title change. Moving from junior developer to senior developer within the same SOC 2136 code typically does not need a new CoS, check with your HR team if uncertain.

Can I do freelance work on the side? Yes, in limited circumstances. Skilled Worker holders can do supplementary employment (freelance/second job) up to 20 hours per week, provided it falls within the same SOC broad group as your sponsored role, OR the role appears on the Immigration Salary List. You cannot, for example, work as a sponsored software developer and also freelance as a graphic designer.

Does Skilled Worker lead to British citizenship? Yes, via ILR. Five years on Skilled Worker → ILR → 12 months holding ILR → citizenship application. Total: around 6 to 7 years from first entry. The full sequence: Skilled Worker 3 years → extend 2 years → apply ILR → wait 12 months → apply for naturalisation.

Sector-specific salary benchmarks for 2026

Understanding where your role sits against the going rate is essential for Skilled Worker applications. Here are 2026 benchmarks for the most commonly sponsored occupations:

Technology:

• Software developer (2136): going rate £49,400. Typical actual salaries at entry level: £40,000 to £55,000. At senior level: £65,000 to £90,000. Most tech roles clear both the general minimum and going rate comfortably.
• Cybersecurity analyst (2135): going rate £52,300. Demand is high; starting salaries rarely fall below £50,000 at sponsored level.
• Data scientist (2425): going rate £42,900. Market salaries: £45,000 to £65,000 for mid-level. Below going rate is rare in data.

Healthcare:

• Consultant physician (2211): going rate £88,364 (NHS consultant scale). Well above all thresholds.
• Registered nurse (2231): NHS Band 5 starts at £28,407, Band 6 at £35,392. Health & Care Worker route has a separate going rate of £29,970, most NHS nurses qualify only via Health & Care route, not standard Skilled Worker.
• Paramedic (2225): going rate on Health & Care route. NHS Band 5 paramedic: £28,407 to £34,581.

Engineering:

• Civil engineer (2121): going rate £40,500. Many civil engineering roles at major contractors (Bechtel, Balfour Beatty, Aecom) pay £42,000 to £55,000 for mid-level, clearing the general minimum.
• Mechanical engineer (2122): going rate £38,900. This is below the general minimum, applicants at the going rate must reach £41,700. New-entrant rate (£33,400) is available for those qualifying.

Finance:

• Chartered accountant (2421): going rate £39,700. Big Four graduates at audit associate level typically earn £32,000 to £38,000, below the going rate. New-entrant discount applies to newly qualified accountants under 26 or recent graduates.
• Investment analyst (2422): going rate £44,400. Most investment bank analysts earn well above this.

Month-by-month salary calculation for borderline cases

If your salary is close to the threshold, how does the Home Office calculate it? Here is the method:

1. Take your actual annualised salary as stated on the CoS (not your payslip amount if paid weekly/bi-weekly).
2. Convert hourly to annual if necessary: hourly rate × weekly hours × 52.
3. Check all three tests:
   • Annual salary ≥ £41,700 (or applicable rate for your group)?
   • Annual salary ≥ your SOC going rate?
   • Hourly rate ≥ £15.88?

The Home Office uses the annualised salary, not month-by-month. Seasonal fluctuations don't matter as long as the annualised figure holds.

Guaranteed allowances (accommodation allowance, London weighting) can be counted if they are contractual, non-discretionary, and payable regardless of performance. Put them in the CoS.

Non-guaranteed bonuses and discretionary allowances cannot be counted.