For a Skilled Worker visa, your salary must be at least the higher of two figures: the general threshold of £41,700 a year or the going rate set for your SOC occupation code. Reduced thresholds apply to young workers, PhD holders, jobs on the Immigration Salary List and people who received their first certificate of sponsorship before 4 April 2024. The correct figure depends on the occupation code, working hours and how pay is structured, which is why Imperial & Legal checks it before the employer assigns the certificate of sponsorship.
How much a Skilled Worker must be paid in 2026
If your certificate of sponsorship (CoS) was assigned on or after 22 July 2025, the standard requirement is a salary of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for your job, whichever is higher. The rule is set out on the GOV.UK page “Skilled Worker visa: Your job” and in the Home Office guidance for sponsors.
In practice, this means two separate tests. The first is the general threshold: your actual gross annual pay is compared with £41,700, counting no more than 48 hours a week. The second is the going rate: the figure for your occupation code, based on a 37.5-hour week and pro-rated to your actual working pattern. You need to pass both tests at the same time.
In addition, for most salary options the hourly rate cannot fall below £17.13, and the employer must always comply with the National Minimum Wage. These figures look simple, but mistakes tend to start with choosing the occupation code and deciding what actually counts as salary. Imperial & Legal therefore begins every case by checking all three parameters: the SOC code, the hours and the structure of pay.
It also matters who is responsible for the figures. The sponsoring employer enters the salary on the CoS, and the Home Office checks whether it meets the rules when deciding the application. If the figure is too low, it is the applicant who is refused, even when the mistake was the employer’s. Imperial & Legal works with both sides: it helps the applicant understand their threshold and agrees compliant terms with the employer.
Key takeaways on Skilled Worker salary
- The standard minimum is the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the SOC code.
- Going rates are based on a 37.5-hour week and pro-rated to your working pattern.
- The general threshold is measured against actual pay, not pro-rated by hours.
- Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts, without bonuses or overtime.
- Reduced thresholds are available to specific groups, but never below a set minimum.
- For CoS assigned from 8 April 2026, the Home Office also checks pay by pay period.
What a going rate is and how it depends on the SOC code
A going rate is the minimum pay for a specific occupation, published by the Home Office in the table “Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes”. Every job corresponds to a four-digit SOC 2020 code, and each code has two rates: a standard rate and a lower rate. The lower rate applies only in specific cases, covered below.
The SOC code is determined by the actual duties of the role, not by the job title in the contract. An “analyst” in one company may fall under IT business analysts, while in another the role belongs under finance and investment analysts, and their going rates differ. If the code is wrong, the Home Office may refuse the application even when the salary itself looks sufficient. Imperial & Legal compares the description of your role with the code descriptions and helps the employer choose a well-reasoned option.
Below are some examples from the official Home Office table (annual, based on 37.5 hours a week):
| SOC code | Occupation | Standard going rate | Lower going rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1131 | Financial managers and directors | £75,100 (£38.51/hour) | £49,700 |
| 2133 | IT business analysts, architects and systems designers | £54,900 (£28.15/hour) | £42,400 |
| 2134 | Programmers and software development professionals | £54,700 (£28.05/hour) | £40,000 |
| 2412 | Solicitors and lawyers | £51,600 (£26.46/hour) | £39,000 |
| 2432 | Marketing and commercial managers | £50,100 (£25.69/hour) | £39,900 |
| 2421 | Chartered and certified accountants | £49,200 (£25.23/hour) | £36,900 |
| 2422 | Finance and investment analysts and advisers | £45,800 (£23.49/hour) | £34,200 |
| 2136 | IT quality and testing professionals | £41,200 (£21.13/hour) | £34,500 |
Note the last row: the going rate for testers is below the general threshold, so for them £41,700 is the deciding figure, not the occupation rate. For programmers, the opposite is true: the occupation rate is above the threshold, so the minimum for full-time work is £54,700. The table is updated whenever the rules change, so Imperial & Legal checks the rate against the current version on the date the CoS is assigned and the application is submitted.
How Imperial & Legal helps check your Skilled Worker visa salary
- Identification of the SOC code from the actual duties of the role
- Calculation of the going rate for your hours and the hourly minimum
- Assessment of eligibility for a reduced threshold: age, PhD, ISL
- Analysis of transitional rules for CoS assigned before 4 April 2024
- Review of the structure of pay: basic salary, allowances, deductions
- Agreement of the job offer terms with the employer before the CoS
- Support with the visa application, extension and the ILR application
What counts towards salary for the visa
Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts for the visa: pay before income tax, including the worker’s own pension and National Insurance contributions. Other guaranteed payments also count if they are taxed and subject to contributions in the same way as basic salary. This rule is set out in section SK7 of the Home Office guidance “Sponsor a Skilled Worker”.
The following do not count, even if guaranteed by the contract:
- variable pay, overtime, shift allowances and bonuses;
- employer pension and National Insurance contributions;
- accommodation and cost-of-living allowances;
- benefits in kind, such as a company flat or car;
- one-off payments, reimbursement of immigration costs and business expenses.
A typical situation: the offer shows a “package” of £45,000, but £5,000 of it is a guaranteed bonus. Only £40,000 counts for the visa, which falls short of the general threshold. That is why Imperial & Legal reviews the structure of pay line by line rather than looking at the headline figure in the employer’s letter.
There is one temporary exception. Certain guaranteed allowances, such as London weighting that local staff in the same role also receive, can be counted at extension or settlement if the sponsor has not changed since the last grant and the application is made before 1 December 2026. The conditions for this exception are narrow, and Imperial & Legal checks each of them before the application is submitted.
When you can be paid less: reduced thresholds
The rules allow lower pay for several groups of applicants, often referred to as going rate “discounts”. However, each group has an absolute minimum below which pay cannot fall. The full list is on the GOV.UK page “When you can be paid less”.
| Group | Percentage of going rate | Annual minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Under 26, recent graduate (Student or Graduate visa), working towards a professional qualification | 70% | £33,400 |
| PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job | 80% | £33,400 |
| PhD in another subject relevant to the job | 90% | £37,500 |
| Postdoctoral position in science or higher education | 70% | per the rules for this group |
| Job on the Immigration Salary List | 100% (no discount) | £33,400 |
For young workers and postdoctoral roles there is a limit: the total time spent in the UK on these terms, including time on the Graduate visa, cannot exceed four years. After that, the standard threshold applies at extension. For jobs on the Immigration Salary List, the minimum is reduced to £33,400, but the full going rate still applies, and some entries are on the list only for certain parts of the UK or types of work.
Eligibility for a reduced threshold must be supported by documents: a degree certificate, details of previous visas, date of birth. Imperial & Legal checks in advance which group you may qualify for and how this will affect your future extension: a discount that helps today may require a noticeable pay rise a few years later.
Transitional rules for current visa holders
If your first Tier 2 or Skilled Worker CoS was assigned before 4 April 2024 and you have held this visa continuously since then, more favourable requirements apply when you extend or change jobs. You need a salary of at least the higher of £31,300 or the lower going rate for your SOC code. These terms apply only to applications made before 4 April 2030, as stated on the GOV.UK page for those with a CoS before 4 April 2024.
Discounts are also available to this group, for young workers, PhD holders and postdoctoral roles, but with a minimum of £25,000 (£28,200 for a PhD in another subject). For jobs on the Immigration Salary List, you need at least £25,000 or the full going rate, whichever is higher.
A separate rule covers medium-skilled roles (below RQF 6). Since 22 July 2025, new CoS are generally assigned only for higher-skilled roles. However, if you were granted your visa under the rules in force before that date and have held it continuously since, you can extend in a medium-skilled role. The Home Office states clearly that this concession is not indefinite and will be reviewed.
Transitional rules depend on the exact date of your first CoS, continuity of status and any change of employer, so it is best to check whether they apply before a new employer assigns the certificate. Imperial & Legal reconstructs your visa history and confirms which terms you are entitled to rely on.
Pay period: how pay is checked across each pay cycle
Since 8 April 2026, the Home Office checks not only the annual salary but also how it is paid during the year. The requirement was introduced by Statement of Changes HC 1691 and applies to applications based on a CoS assigned on or after 8 April 2026. The worker must be paid at least monthly (or as often as the contract specifies), and pay for each pay period must equal or exceed the going rate for every hour worked.
In addition, the Home Office checks totals over rolling periods:
- if paid monthly, total pay over any three months must be at least a quarter of the required annual salary;
- if paid more often than monthly, total pay over any 12 weeks must be at least 12/52 of the annual salary;
- for irregular working patterns, total pay over any 17 weeks must be at least 17/52 of the annual salary, and the sponsor confirms the pattern on the CoS.
For the worker, this means pay can fluctuate slightly but must not drop below the required level over a sustained period. If pay in a particular period is lower because of permitted deductions, the sponsor must confirm this on the CoS or in a change of circumstances notification. Imperial & Legal checks how payment terms are set out in the contract and the CoS, so that the payment schedule does not become grounds for concern.
Salary when extending your visa and applying for ILR
Salary requirements are checked again at every extension and when applying for settlement. If the going rate for your occupation has risen, the new rates do not affect your current visa, but they apply to the next application. A salary that was sufficient three years ago may therefore fall short by the time you extend.
For ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) on the Skilled Worker route, you usually need a salary of at least the higher of £41,700 or the standard going rate. For jobs on the Immigration Salary List, the minimum is £33,400 or the standard going rate, and for those whose first CoS was assigned before 4 April 2024, it is £31,300 or the lower going rate. The current conditions are on the GOV.UK page on ILR salary requirements.
Imperial & Legal models in advance what your threshold will be on the date of extension and ILR, and helps agree a schedule of pay rises with the employer. Such planning is especially important for those currently using the discount for young workers: the four-year limit will end before ILR becomes available.
What Imperial & Legal checks in your Skilled Worker job offer
- Whether the role matches the chosen SOC code and skill level
- The amount of guaranteed basic pay, excluding bonuses and allowances
- Weekly working hours and the going rate pro-rated to your pattern
- The hourly rate against the £17.13 floor and the minimum wage
- Eligibility for a reduced threshold and how long it is available
- Payment frequency and its compliance with the pay period rules
- The salary threshold you will need at extension and for ILR
How Imperial & Legal supports clients
Support is structured so that salary questions are resolved before the employer assigns the certificate of sponsorship. Correcting the salary on a CoS that has already been assigned is harder than agreeing it in advance. Below are the five stages that an Imperial & Legal client usually goes through.
Consultation and review of the job offer
SOC code selection and threshold calculation
Agreeing terms and assigning the CoS
Preparing and submitting the application
Visa extension and the transition to ILR
Salary calculation examples
To show how the rules work together, here are several typical situations. The calculations use the rates from the official Home Office table and illustrate the logic; they are not a substitute for checking an individual case.
- Programmer (SOC 2134), full-time, 37.5 hours. The going rate is £54,700, which is above the £41,700 general threshold. The minimum salary is £54,700 a year.
- Tester (SOC 2136), full-time. The going rate is £41,200, which is below the general threshold. The minimum salary is £41,700 a year.
- Tester (SOC 2136), 30 hours a week. The pro-rated going rate is £32,960, but the general threshold is measured against actual pay and is not reduced. The minimum salary is still £41,700 a year.
- Programmer (SOC 2134) under 26 after a Graduate visa. 70% of £54,700 is £38,290, which is above the £33,400 minimum. The minimum salary is £38,290 a year, for no more than four years in total.
- Programmer (SOC 2134) with a first CoS before 4 April 2024, extending. The lower going rate is £40,000, which is above £31,300. The minimum salary is £40,000 a year.
Even in these simple examples, the final minimum varies by almost £16,000 depending on age, working pattern and visa history. In practice, questions about the structure of pay and the occupation code are added on top. Imperial & Legal has supported similar situations before; below are some stories of clients whose work visas were handled with the firm’s involvement.
Client stories on work visas
Obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship and UK Skilled Worker Visa
Aigul is from Kazakhstan. She is an experienced pharmacist with a medical degree who finds a perfect job in the United Kingdom and wants to relocate...
Obtaining a UK Skilled Worker Visa after Graduation
Mansur is from Iran. He studies at a university in the United Kingdom and after graduation, considers staying here for good. After completing his university degree, Mansur could stay and...
Reapplying for a UK Skilled Worker Visa after Refusal due to Inaccurate Paperwork
Adel studied at a British university on a UK Student visa. She found a job after graduating. Her future employer was ready to sponsor her so that she...
Obtaining UK Skilled Worker Visa after Your Employer Changes Their Sponsorship Licence
Li Qian is an experienced chef. He had been working in one of the well-known restaurants in West London for a year. Then the owner decided to set up a...
Obtaining Sponsorship Licence for Pharmaceutical Company To Employ Foreign Specialist
A foreign specialist cannot come to the UK to look for a job; there is no such visa. But they can apply for a work visa after getting employed by a...
In each of these stories, the employer and the applicant found that a work visa requires precision in the details. One client described how her contact with Imperial & Legal began.
I got a degree in Astana, my hometown, and spent several years working in my field. As time went by, I realised I wanted to build a career in Europe. I started looking for vacancies and found a perfect one in a UK company. However, my future employer did not have a clue about how to obtain a UK visa for a foreign specialist. To make things even more complicated, I wanted to bring my husband with me. I was advised to get in touch with Imperial & Legal.
Many employers hiring a specialist from abroad for the first time face similar questions: how to state the salary on the CoS, which occupation code to choose and what to do if terms have already been agreed with the candidate.
Common salary calculation mistakes
Most salary problems on the Skilled Worker route arise not from low pay but from an incorrect calculation. These are the mistakes Imperial & Legal sees most often:
- Wrong SOC code. The employer chooses a code from the job title rather than the duties, and the going rate turns out to be higher than the stated salary.
- Bonuses and allowances in the figure. The CoS shows a “package” including guaranteed bonuses or an accommodation allowance, although these do not count for the visa.
- Part-time work without recalculation. The going rate is pro-rated to hours, but it is forgotten that the £41,700 general threshold is not reduced.
- Discount without grounds. A reduced threshold is applied without checking age, graduate status or the four-year limit.
- Outdated rate. The calculation uses last year’s going rates table or the rules in force before 22 July 2025.
- Pay cut after the visa is granted. The employer reduces pay and does not notify the Home Office within 10 working days, as the rules require.
Any of these mistakes can lead to a visa refusal and, for the employer, to a review of its sponsor licence. They are easiest to fix at the offer stage, before the salary is entered on the CoS. If you are unsure about your calculation, it makes sense to show the documents to a specialist before applying.
Imperial & Legal support
Your Skilled Worker salary and visa, checked by specialists
SOC code check
Matching the duties of the role with SOC 2020 descriptions
Salary threshold maths
Going rate, pro-rating by hours and available discounts
Offer and CoS review
What will count towards salary for the visa and what will not
Application and extension
Documents, the application and transitional rule deadlines
What sponsoring employers need to know
The employer is responsible for ensuring that the salary on the CoS meets the rules and that the worker actually receives it throughout the sponsorship. The Home Office checks the figures with HMRC, and paying less than declared can lead to action up to and including revocation of the sponsor licence.
A pay cut is allowed temporarily during parental leave, sick leave and in certain other cases listed in the guidance. In other situations, the sponsor must first check whether a new CoS and a new application are needed. Even if no new application is required, the sponsor must notify the Home Office through the sponsorship management system within 10 working days. If the worker is absent without pay, or on reduced pay, for more than four weeks in a calendar year, sponsorship must normally stop unless one of the exceptions applies.
Imperial & Legal advises companies on sponsor duties, helps set up pay monitoring and prepares the necessary notifications. This reduces the risk to the licence and to each employee’s visa. The costs of hiring should also be considered: fees, the Immigration Skills Charge and the healthcare surcharge are covered in detail in the Imperial & Legal guide to UK visa fees.
Why it pays to check your visa salary in advance
Skilled Worker salary requirements are made up of several independent tests: the £41,700 general threshold, the going rate for the SOC code, the hourly minimum, the structure of pay and, since April 2026, payment by pay period. On top of these come reduced thresholds and transitional rules that depend on your age, qualifications and visa history. A mistake in any of these can cost a refusal and lost time.
The most reliable approach is to check the calculation before the employer assigns the certificate of sponsorship and to plan your salary for extension and ILR in advance. Imperial & Legal can support you through the whole journey, from reviewing the offer to applying for permanent status.
