Skilled Worker Going Rate 2026: Verified Rates for 87 SOC Codes

The going rate is the occupation-specific minimum salary the UK government expects a Skilled Worker to be paid, based on the median earnings for that job in the wider UK labour market. For most applicants the rule is simple: in 2026 you must be paid the higher of £41,700 per year or the going rate for your specific occupation code. If your job's going rate is above £41,700, the going rate wins; if it is below, the £41,700 general threshold applies instead.

What is the Skilled Worker going rate?

The going rate is the occupation-specific minimum salary set for each Skilled Worker SOC code, derived from median UK earnings (ASHE data) for that role. It works alongside the general £41,700 threshold: a sponsor must pay the higher of the two. Going rates assume a 37.5-hour week and have an equivalent hourly value.

How the salary rules fit together

Three salary tests interact, plus hourly floors. You must clear the relevant annual threshold and the matching hourly floor. The table below shows the verified 2026 figures.

Tier	Annual figure	Hourly floor	Who it applies to
General threshold	£41,700	£17.13	Most Skilled Worker applicants (paid the higher of this or the going rate)
Lower threshold	£33,400	£12.82	Applicants eligible for a reduction (new entrants, ISL, PhD-relevant roles, etc.)
Absolute floor	£25,000	£12.82	Immigration Salary List and Health & Care (care worker) roles

For a fuller breakdown of how these tiers are applied, see our guide to UK visa sponsorship salary thresholds for 2026.

Skilled Worker going rates by occupation (2026)

The table below lists the verified standard (100%) going rate — both per year and per hour — for 87 commonly sponsored SOC occupation codes. Remember: your salary must still meet the £41,700 general threshold unless you qualify for a reduction.

Source: gov.uk Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (updated April 2026). Figures effective 8 April 2026.

SOC code	Occupation	Standard going rate (per year)	Hourly rate
1111	Chief executives and senior officials	£88,100	£45.18
1121	Production managers and directors in manufacturing	£55,000	£28.21
1122	Production managers and directors in construction	£53,400	£27.38
1123	Production managers and directors in mining and energy	£54,000	£27.69
1131	Financial managers and directors	£75,100	£38.51
1132	Marketing, sales and advertising directors	£87,300	£44.77
1133	Public relations and communications directors	£77,200	£39.59
1134	Purchasing managers and directors	£54,700	£28.05
1135	Charitable organisation managers and directors	£44,300	£22.72
1136	Human resource managers and directors	£52,900	£27.13
1137	Information technology directors	£86,000	£44.10
1139	Functional managers and directors not elsewhere classified	£74,700	£38.31
1140	Directors in logistics, warehousing and transport	£81,400	£41.74
1162	Senior police officers	£64,000	£32.82
1163	Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services	£61,600	£31.59
1171	Health services and public health managers and directors	£50,300	£25.79
1172	Social services managers and directors	£43,000	£22.05
1241	Managers in transport and distribution	£44,900	£23.03
1254	Waste disposal and environmental services managers	£48,300	£24.77
1255	Managers and directors in the creative industries	£44,900	£23.03
2111	Chemical scientists	£39,900	£20.46
2112	Biological scientists	£40,300	£20.67
2113	Biochemists and biomedical scientists	£45,900	£23.54
2114	Physical scientists	£54,600	£28.00
2115	Social and humanities scientists	£40,400	£20.72
2119	Natural and social science professionals not elsewhere classified	£41,500	£21.28
2121	Civil engineers	£50,400	£25.85
2122	Mechanical engineers	£46,800	£24.00
2123	Electrical engineers	£58,700	£30.10
2124	Electronics engineers	£52,000	£26.67
2125	Production and process engineers	£45,000	£23.08
2126	Aerospace engineers	£52,400	£26.87
2127	Engineering project managers	£51,900	£26.62
2129	Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified	£46,100	£23.64
2131	IT project managers	£58,200	£29.85
2132	IT managers	£55,000	£28.21
2133	IT business analysts, architects and systems designers	£54,900	£28.15
2134	Programmers and software development professionals	£54,700	£28.05
2135	Cyber security professionals	£48,500	£24.87
2136	IT quality and testing professionals	£41,200	£21.13
2137	IT network professionals	£45,600	£23.38
2139	Information technology professionals not elsewhere classified	£52,300	£26.82
2141	Web design professionals	£43,800	£22.46
2142	Graphic and multimedia designers	£33,400	£17.13
2161	Research and development (R&D) managers	£54,400	£27.90
2162	Other researchers, unspecified discipline	£43,600	£22.36
2240	Veterinarians	£49,500	£25.38
2311	Higher education teaching professionals	£52,600	£26.97
2411	Barristers and judges	£59,400	£30.46
2412	Solicitors and lawyers	£51,600	£26.46
2419	Legal professionals not elsewhere classified	£33,400	£17.13
2421	Chartered and certified accountants	£49,200	£25.23
2422	Finance and investment analysts and advisers	£45,800	£23.49
2423	Taxation experts	£48,500	£24.87
2431	Management consultants and business analysts	£50,200	£25.74
2432	Marketing and commercial managers	£50,100	£25.69
2433	Actuaries, economists and statisticians	£55,100	£28.26
2434	Business and related research professionals	£38,800	£19.90
2435	Professional and chartered company secretaries	£58,200	£29.85
2439	Business, research and administrative professionals not elsewhere classified	£56,600	£29.03
2440	Business and financial project management professionals	£56,500	£28.97
2451	Architects	£47,600	£24.41
2453	Quantity surveyors	£48,600	£24.92
2454	Chartered surveyors	£43,800	£22.46
2455	Construction project managers and related professionals	£44,300	£22.72
2462	Probation officers	£35,700	£18.31
3111	Laboratory technicians	£33,400	£17.13
3112	Electrical and electronics technicians	£39,300	£20.15
3131	IT operations technicians	£35,200	£18.05
5119	Agricultural and fishing trades not elsewhere classified	£33,400	£17.13
5223	Metal working production and maintenance fitters	£39,300	£20.15
5231	Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians	£35,500	£18.21
5241	Electricians and electrical fitters	£38,800	£19.90
5311	Steel erectors	£35,000	£17.95
5312	Stonemasons and related trades	£33,400	£17.13
5313	Bricklayers	£33,400	£17.13
5314	Roofers, roof tilers and slaters	£33,400	£17.13
5315	Plumbers and heating and ventilating installers	£38,100	£19.54
5319	Construction and building trades not elsewhere classified	£33,400	£17.13
5321	Plasterers	£34,200	£17.54
5322	Floorers and wall tilers	£33,400	£17.13
5323	Painters and decorators	£33,400	£17.13
5330	Construction and building trades supervisors	£41,800	£21.44
5434	Chefs	£33,400	£17.13
6111	Early education and childcare assistants	£33,400	£17.13
6135	Care workers and home carers	£33,400	£17.13
6136	Senior care workers	£33,400	£17.13

Source: gov.uk Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations (updated April 2026).

Which roles get a reduced (discounted) going rate?

Some applicants can be sponsored below the standard going rate and below the £41,700 general threshold, down to the lower salary threshold of £33,400. This is not a separate published number for each job — it is a discount mechanic applied to the standard going rate, with the £33,400 figure acting as the overall floor for these reduced cases.

You may qualify for a reduction if you are a new entrant to the labour market (for example, under 26, switching from a Student visa, or within four years of relevant study), if your role is on the Immigration Salary List (ISL), or if you hold a relevant PhD. For Immigration Salary List and eligible Health & Care worker roles, salaries can go as low as the £25,000 absolute floor, subject to the matching £12.82 hourly floor.

Because the exact reduced figure depends on your individual eligibility category, we deliberately do not publish a single "reduced" number per occupation. To check which jobs currently attract a discount, see the UK Immigration Salary List for 2026, and review the Skilled Worker salary threshold by role for how the tiers map to specific occupations.

What about doctors, nurses and teachers?

Several health and education occupations are not in the table above because their going rate is set by a national pay scale rather than a single ASHE-based annual figure. This includes medical practitioners (doctors), registered nurses and midwives, paramedics, social workers, and school teachers (primary, secondary and further education).

For these roles the going rate is the relevant national framework: the NHS Agenda for Change pay scales for most NHS clinical and care staff, and national teacher pay scales for school teachers. You should check the pay band and spine point that applies to your post rather than a flat going-rate figure. For health roles, see our guides to NHS visa sponsorship jobs in the UK for 2026 and the UK Health and Care Worker visa for 2026.

How do I calculate the hourly going rate?

Going rates assume a standard 37.5-hour working week, which is 1,950 paid hours per year (37.5 × 52). To derive the hourly going rate from the annual figure, divide the annual going rate by 1,950:

Hourly going rate = Annual going rate ÷ 1,950

Worked example — Programmers and software development professionals (SOC 2134): the standard annual going rate is £54,700. Dividing by 1,950 hours gives £54,700 ÷ 1,950 = approximately £28.05 per hour, which matches the published hourly rate in the table. Note that the hourly figure must also clear the £17.13 standard hourly floor (or £12.82 for reduced cases) regardless of how few hours you work.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?

For most applicants in 2026 the minimum is the higher of £41,700 per year or your occupation's going rate. Applicants eligible for a reduction (new entrants, Immigration Salary List or care roles) can go lower — down to a £33,400 lower threshold, or a £25,000 absolute floor for ISL and care worker roles.

Is mechanical engineering on the going rate list?

Yes. Mechanical engineers fall under SOC code 2122 with a verified standard going rate of £46,800 per year (£24.00 per hour). Because this is below the £41,700 general threshold, a standard applicant must still be paid at least £41,700 unless they qualify for a reduction.

Do I have to be paid the going rate or the general threshold?

You must be paid whichever is higher. If your occupation's going rate exceeds £41,700, the going rate sets your minimum salary. If the going rate is below £41,700, the general threshold of £41,700 applies instead, unless you fall into a reduction category with a lower applicable threshold.

Why are nurses and doctors not in the table?

Roles such as doctors, registered nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers and school teachers have going rates set by national pay scales — the NHS Agenda for Change framework or national teacher pay — rather than a single ASHE-based figure. Publishing one flat number would be inaccurate, so they are intentionally excluded from the table.

How is the hourly going rate worked out?

The hourly going rate is the annual going rate divided by 1,950 hours, based on a standard 37.5-hour week over 52 weeks. Your pay must also clear the relevant hourly floor: £17.13 per hour for standard cases or £12.82 per hour for reduced cases, whichever applies to your situation.

Can a care worker be sponsored below the going rate?

Care workers and senior care workers (SOC 6135 and 6136) have a going rate of £33,400 per year. Eligible Health & Care worker and Immigration Salary List roles can be sponsored down to the £25,000 absolute floor, subject to the £12.82 hourly floor. See our Health and Care Worker visa guide.

Plan your sponsorship with confidence

Knowing your exact going rate is the first step to a compliant Skilled Worker application. To understand the full cost picture — visa fees, the Immigration Skills Charge and the health surcharge — read our breakdown of UK visa sponsorship costs for 2026. When you're ready to find a sponsoring employer, start your search at Tarve.