The UK Skilled Worker visa has a general salary threshold: £38,700 per year. That number appears in almost every headline about the visa, and it is what most applicants check when they receive a job offer.
The problem is that £38,700 is a floor, not a target. It tells you the minimum that applies across all eligible occupations. It does not tell you the minimum that applies to your specific job.
Every eligible occupation on the Skilled Worker list also has a going rate — an occupation-specific salary floor derived from Office for National Statistics earnings data. Your salary must meet whichever is higher: the general threshold or the going rate for your SOC code.
For a significant number of professional roles, the going rate is above £38,700. That means applicants who received a salary offer at exactly the general threshold — and assumed they were fine — are actually below the minimum required for their occupation.
What is a SOC code?
SOC stands for Standard Occupational Classification. It is a numerical code that categorises jobs by the type of work performed. The UK Skilled Worker scheme is built on SOC codes — every eligible occupation has one, and each code has its own associated going rate.
When your employer assigns you a Certificate of Sponsorship, they specify the SOC code for your role. The Home Office uses that code to determine which going rate applies to your application.
If the SOC code on your CoS does not match the work you are actually doing, that is a problem. And if your salary meets the general threshold but falls below the going rate for your assigned SOC code, your application will fail on salary grounds.
How the calculation works
The effective salary minimum for most applicants is:
max(going rate for your SOC code, £38,700)
If the going rate is £44,100 (as it is for programmers and software development professionals under SOC 2136), then £44,100 is your floor — not £38,700.
If the going rate is £38,700 or below (as it is for some civil engineering and architecture codes), then the general threshold applies and you only need to reach £38,700.
New entrant route
There is one exception to the above. If you qualify as a new entrant, a lower rate applies.
You are a new entrant if you are switching from a Student or Graduate visa within two years of completing your degree, or if you are under 26 at the time of application.
The new entrant threshold is 70% of the going rate for your occupation, with an absolute floor of £23,200.
For a role with a going rate of £44,100, the new entrant minimum would be £30,870 — significantly lower than the standard requirement. This route exists specifically to allow recent graduates to enter roles at entry-level salaries before they reach the going rate.
The new entrant threshold is based on the going rate for your occupation, not 70% of £38,700. For roles where the going rate is substantially above the general threshold, the new entrant calculation can make a significant difference to what you need to earn.
Common cases where the going rate catches people out
Technology roles
Software developers, IT business analysts, and systems architects all have going rates above the general threshold. An applicant offered £40,000 as a software developer might assume they comfortably exceed £38,700. In practice, the going rate for that SOC code means £40,000 may not be sufficient.
Healthcare roles on the standard route
Many healthcare roles appear on the Immigration Salary List and can be sponsored at lower rates through the Health & Care Worker route. But for healthcare professionals applying on the standard route — for example, those working for non-NHS employers — the standard going rate applies, and it is often higher than applicants expect.
Finance and consulting
Management consultants and chartered accountants have going rates at or above the general threshold. Applicants in these fields sometimes negotiate salaries that appear competitive in their home market but fall below the UK going rate for their occupation.
The role of the Immigration Salary List
The Shortage Occupation List, which previously allowed employers to pay below the going rate for hard-to-fill roles, was abolished in April 2024. It was replaced by the Immigration Salary List (ISL).
The ISL is different. Roles on the list do not receive a salary discount from the standard going rate. The list simply identifies occupations where sponsors have greater flexibility around which SOC code they assign to a role. The salary threshold for ISL roles is the same as for any other eligible occupation.
What to check before you accept an offer
If you are in the UK job market and know you will need a Skilled Worker visa, the salary threshold question should be settled before you negotiate.
Find out which SOC code your employer is planning to use for your role. That code is not optional — your employer must select the code that matches your actual duties. Ask them directly, or look at the eligible occupations list on gov.uk.
Once you know the SOC code, look up the going rate. Compare it to your offered salary. If the offer is below the going rate — even if it is above £38,700 — you will need to renegotiate before your employer can issue a CoS.
If you qualify as a new entrant, calculate 70% of the going rate and confirm your offer meets that minimum instead.
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Run a free assessmentWhat happens if the salary is on the borderline
If your salary is close to but not clearly above the going rate, there are two things to address.
First, verify the going rate you are using is current. The MAC reviews going rates periodically, and the figures in this article are based on the April 2024 update. Rates do change.
Second, confirm with your employer that the CoS will state the same salary as your offer letter. The CoS and the offer must be consistent — and both must meet the going rate for the assigned SOC code.
If your salary genuinely falls below the going rate for your role, you have two realistic options: renegotiate the salary with your employer, or explore whether the new entrant route applies to your situation.
The Skilled Worker visa is, in most respects, a formula. Meeting the formula precisely — with the right SOC code, the right salary, and the right documentation — is the preparation task.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Salary thresholds, going rates, and SOC code eligibility are reviewed by the Migration Advisory Committee and updated by the Home Office periodically. Always verify current requirements on gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa or consult a regulated immigration adviser (OISC) or solicitor.
