One current example is a relevant non-STEM PhD: the published option requires, among other conditions, at least £37,500 and at least 90% of the relevant going rate.
Skilled Worker · salary and going rate
UK Skilled Worker Salary and Going Rate
A focused guide to checking the Skilled Worker salary threshold, your occupation going rate, working-hours calculation and the salary rules that may apply to your case.
Skilled Worker salary is not checked against one number alone. You first need to identify the salary rule that applies to the case, then compare the proposed pay with the applicable threshold and the going rate for the occupation code.
This guide is limited to salary calculation. Sponsorship, overall eligibility, English, fees, application process, work rights and dependants remain on the main Skilled Worker guide.
Standard rule
Start with two figures: £41,700 and your occupation going rate
£41,700
published standard salary threshold
Going rate
rate attached to the occupation code
For a case subject to the standard salary rule, GOV.UK currently says you will usually need to be paid at least the higher of £41,700 per year and the going rate for the work you will be doing.
That means a salary above £41,700 is not automatically enough. If the occupation going rate is higher, that higher figure can become the relevant salary requirement.
The calculation starts with the occupation code, not the job title
Each occupation code has its own going rate. Confirm the applicable code and use the official rate table before calculating the salary requirement.
Two jobs with similar titles may not produce the same salary result if they fall under different occupation codes or salary rules.
Working hours
The going rate is normally based on 37.5 hours and is pro-rated
The general going-rate tables express annual salaries normally based on a 37.5-hour working week. For another working pattern, the going rate is adjusted using the weekly hours stated by the sponsor.
Annual going rate × sponsored weekly hours ÷ 37.5
Do not assume the general £41,700 salary threshold is automatically reduced because you work fewer hours. The pro-rating rule described here applies to the going rate.
Defined salary options
70%, 80% and 90% are not discounts you can simply choose
The rules permit reduced percentages of the going rate in defined circumstances, but each salary option has its own conditions and can also carry an annual salary floor.
A relevant STEM PhD can, where the applicable conditions are met, use an option based on at least £33,400 and 80% of the going rate.
Certain new entrants and other specifically defined cases may use a 70% option, subject to the conditions for that category and the applicable salary floor.
The existence of a reduced option does not mean every applicant can use it. The applicable salary option must be established first.
Healthcare and education use different salary mechanics
For specified healthcare or education jobs, GOV.UK applies different salary rules and going rates based on national pay scales.
Do not automatically apply the general 37.5-hour table to these occupations. Use the official table that corresponds to the role, pay band and part of the UK where applicable.
A practical order for checking the salary
Do not start with the salary. Start by correctly identifying the code for the sponsored job.
Determine whether the standard rule or a specific permitted salary option applies.
Use the official table for the relevant occupation code and salary option.
Pro-rate the going rate using the sponsored weekly hours where the applicable table and rules require it.
The case must satisfy the combination of annual threshold, going rate or percentage of the going rate that applies to that salary option.
Common salary-checking mistakes
- Checking only £41,700 and ignoring a higher occupation going rate.
- Searching by job title without confirming the occupation code.
- Automatically pro-rating the general salary threshold because the role is part-time.
- Using 70%, 80% or 90% without establishing eligibility for that salary option.
- Using the general table for a healthcare or education role governed by specific pay scales.
Need the complete Skilled Worker visa framework?
The main guide keeps the full eligibility, sponsorship, occupation, English, fees, process, work and dependant rules.
View the main Skilled Worker guide →Official sources used
The salary mechanics in this guide are grounded in the five verified GOV.UK and Home Office sources attached to this SEO object.
Skilled Worker visa: Your job UK Government Skilled Worker visa: going rates for eligible occupation codes UK Visas and Immigration Skilled Worker visa: When you can be paid less UK Government Skilled Worker visa: If you work in healthcare or education UK Government Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Worker UK Home OfficeCheck the complete route for your case
EYM uses the existing Skilled Worker assessment flow. This page does not create a second assessment route.
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Salary rules depend on the occupation code, working hours, salary option, applicant circumstances and, in some cases, transitional rules. This guide does not replace checking the specific case.