Guides
Skilled Worker Salary Thresholds Explained
How the standard Skilled Worker salary rule, going rates, tradeable-points discounts, the Immigration Salary List, and the Temporary Shortage List interact.
The Skilled Worker salary test is not one universal number. For most new applicants, the starting rule is straightforward: the salary must be at least £41,700 a year and the full going rate for the occupation code. In other words, the higher figure controls.
That standard rule is only the starting point. The Immigration Rules contain alternative salary options for some applicants, including qualifying new entrants and people with relevant PhDs. Certain health, care, education, transitional, and prison-service cases have separate rules. This is why checking only £41,700—or only the going rate—can produce the wrong answer.
The standard rule: Option A
Under Option A in Appendix Skilled Worker, the salary must equal or exceed both:
- £41,700 per year, and
- 100% of the going rate for the correct SOC 2020 occupation code.
For example, if a role pays £42,000 but its going rate is £45,000, it does not meet Option A. If the going rate is £39,000 but the role pays £40,000, it still does not meet Option A because the £41,700 general threshold is higher.
The occupation code must match the job's real duties, not simply the closest convenient title. Going rates can also be based on a stated working week, so use the official table and the hours on the Certificate of Sponsorship rather than comparing headline annual figures in isolation.
When a lower threshold or percentage can apply
The rules use several alternative “tradeable points” options. As verified on 3 August 2026, the main options for applicants who are not relying on special transitional provisions are:
| Option | Who it can cover | Annual salary floor | Required going-rate percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Standard case | £41,700 | 100% |
| B | Relevant non-STEM PhD | £37,500 | 90% |
| C | Relevant STEM PhD | £33,400 | 80% |
| D | Job on the Immigration Salary List | £33,400 | 100% |
| E | Qualifying new entrant | £33,400 | 70% |
Meeting the annual figure is not enough on its own: the applicant must also meet the required percentage of the going rate and every eligibility condition for that option. Not every occupation qualifies for every discount. The GOV.UK guide on when a Skilled Worker can be paid less explains the public-facing criteria, while Appendix Skilled Worker is the controlling source.
New entrant example
Suppose a qualifying new entrant's occupation has a standard going rate of £45,000. Seventy per cent is £31,500, but Option E also has a £33,400 annual floor. The higher applicable figure is therefore £33,400. This example only illustrates the calculation; the person and occupation must still satisfy all Option E conditions, including the limit on time spent under a new-entrant concession.
What the Immigration Salary List changes
The Immigration Salary List is relevant in two distinct ways:
- It can make a listed medium-skilled job eligible for Skilled Worker sponsorship.
- Under Option D, it replaces the £41,700 standard floor with £33,400, but still requires 100% of the occupation's going rate.
So an Immigration Salary List entry does not automatically make £33,400 sufficient. If the going rate is £38,000, an Option D applicant must meet £38,000. If it is £50,000, they must meet £50,000.
An applicant might separately qualify under another option—for example, the new-entrant or relevant-PhD route—and that option can use a lower percentage of the going rate. That reduction comes from the applicant satisfying that separate option, not merely from the job appearing on the Immigration Salary List.
What the Temporary Shortage List changes
The Temporary Shortage List primarily affects occupation eligibility, not the salary formula. It allows certain medium-skilled occupations to qualify where they otherwise would not. Being on the list does not create its own reduced annual threshold or going-rate percentage.
The applicant must still qualify under an available salary option. For many new cases this means Option A, although an applicant who independently satisfies the conditions for Option B, C, D, or E may use that option where the rules allow it.
Under the rules verified on 3 August 2026, a Temporary Shortage List occupation is included only where the Certificate of Sponsorship is issued before 31 December 2026. Do not assume that a current entry or deadline will remain unchanged; check the live Appendix Skilled Worker before acting.
Important exceptions that need a separate check
The table above is not the whole system. In particular:
- Some listed healthcare and education occupations use national pay scales and a separate salary option.
- Options F to J use lower thresholds for defined Health and Care ASHE salary jobs and certain people with continuous Skilled Worker permission dating from before 4 April 2024.
- Prison service officers have specific transitional provisions and deadlines.
- Salary calculations can exclude some allowances and can depend on weekly hours, occupation-specific rules, and the date the Certificate of Sponsorship was assigned.
If any of those circumstances apply, go directly to the relevant section of Appendix Skilled Worker rather than substituting a number from this summary.
A reliable way to check a job offer
- Get the proposed four-digit SOC 2020 code from the employer and confirm that it fits the actual duties.
- Check that the occupation is eligible in the official Skilled Occupations tables, including any job-type or regional restriction.
- Find the correct going rate and confirm the working-hours basis used by the table.
- Identify the salary option the applicant genuinely qualifies for—do not assume a discount from age, qualification, or list membership alone.
- Compare the applicable annual floor with the required percentage of the going rate. Both must be met.
- Recheck the live rules immediately before the employer assigns the Certificate of Sponsorship and before the visa application is submitted.
Sources and verification
This guide was checked against the following primary sources on 3 August 2026:
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker
- GOV.UK: Skilled Worker visa — your job
- GOV.UK: when you can be paid less
- Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations
This is general information, not immigration advice. Salary thresholds, occupation tables, list membership, deadlines, and individual eligibility can change. Confirm the current rules for the exact applicant, job, occupation code, hours, and Certificate of Sponsorship date on GOV.UK or with a regulated immigration adviser.