Check whether a job and salary meet the Skilled Worker visa salary rules for a new application. Rules and going rates come straight from the official GOV.UK tables.
How the salary rules work
For a new Skilled Worker application you must usually be paid the higher of a general threshold and the going rate for your occupation:
- Standard: £41,700 or the going rate.
- New entrant or postdoc: £33,400 or 70% of the going rate.
- STEM PhD relevant to the job: £33,400 or 80% of the going rate.
- Non-STEM PhD relevant to the job: £37,500 or 90% of the going rate.
- Immigration Salary List job: £33,400 or the full going rate.
Going rates are based on a 37.5-hour week and are adjusted for your hours. Only guaranteed basic pay counts, not allowances or overtime. Healthcare and education jobs use national pay scales, and extensions or people who held Skilled Worker permission before 22 July 2025 can have different rules.
For information only, not immigration advice. Figures from the official Appendix Skilled Occupations and Immigration Salary List, checked 22 October 2026. Always confirm with your sponsor and GOV.UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa in 2026?
For most new applicants it is £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job, whichever is higher. New entrants, people with a relevant PhD and jobs on the Immigration Salary List can qualify on lower thresholds (£33,400 or £37,500).
What is a going rate?
Each occupation (SOC 2020 code) has a going rate set in Appendix Skilled Occupations. It is based on a 37.5-hour week and is adjusted for your contracted hours.
Do allowances and overtime count towards the salary?
No. Only guaranteed basic gross pay counts. Allowances, bonuses and overtime are not included.