Going Rate
The "going rate" is the minimum annual salary a UK employer must pay a sponsored Skilled Worker for a specific occupation — calculated from official earnings data and set per SOC code in the Home Office's immigration rules.
In This Article
- What is the going rate?
- How is the going rate calculated?
- General threshold vs going rate
- Going rate examples by occupation (2025/2026)
- Discounts on the going rate
- 2025/2026 updates
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Frequently asked questions
- Related terms
What is the Going Rate?
When a UK employer sponsors a worker on the Skilled Worker route, the salary offered must meet two minimum thresholds simultaneously:
- The general threshold: a floor that applies to most Skilled Worker roles.
- The going rate: a per-occupation minimum specific to the worker's SOC code.
The worker must be paid whichever of these two is higher. In many technical and professional roles, the going rate exceeds the general threshold, making it the binding constraint.
How is the Going Rate Calculated?
The going rates are derived from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which the Office for National Statistics publishes each year. They were last updated in July 2025, using the 2024 data. For most Skilled Worker jobs the going rate is the median ASHE figure for the occupation, which is the middle value rather than the lower end. The Immigration Rules also set a floor of £17.13 an hour: where the median would be lower, the going rate is that hourly figure instead.
A second, lower table uses the 25th percentile of ASHE earnings instead, with a floor of £12.82 an hour. It applies to a few smaller groups. One is people applying for a Health and Care Worker visa in certain occupations. Another is workers who got their certificate of sponsorship for their first Tier 2 or Skilled Worker visa before 4 April 2024 and have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since. They use it when they extend or update their visa, and GOV.UK says these lower requirements apply only to applications made before 4 April 2030. Prison officers (code 3314) who are extending or switching to a Skilled Worker visa use it too. GOV.UK's going rates table has a "standard rate" column and a "lower rate" column for these groups.
The rates are tied to real market data, not arbitrary government figures. The practical effect is that sponsored workers can't be undercut on pay versus domestic hires doing the same job.
General Threshold vs Going Rate
| Threshold | Current rate |
|---|---|
| General threshold (most roles) | £41,700/year (since 22 July 2025) |
| Lowest standard going rate | £17.13/hour (about £33,400 a year for a 37.5-hour week) |
| Going rate | Varies by SOC code |
The worker must earn the higher of the general threshold or their SOC code's going rate.
Example: A software developer (SOC 2134) has a going rate of £54,700, above £41,700. The employer must pay the developer-specific rate, not just the £41,700 floor.
Example: An IT tester (SOC 2136) has a going rate of £41,200, below £41,700. The employer must still pay at least £41,700, unless a discount below applies.
Going Rate Examples by Occupation
| Role | SOC Code | Standard going rate |
|---|---|---|
| Software developer | 2134 | £54,700/year |
| Civil engineer | 2121 | £50,400/year |
| Financial analyst | 2422 | £45,800/year |
| HR manager | 1136 | £52,900/year |
| IT tester | 2136 | £41,200/year |
These are the standard going rates from GOV.UK's going rates table, for a 37.5-hour week. Nurses and some other healthcare and education jobs are not in that table: their going rates follow national pay scales. For the current, authoritative going rate for any SOC code, and whether it qualifies for Skilled Worker sponsorship at all, check our UK visa occupation eligibility pages, which track the Home Office Appendix Skilled Occupations as it's updated.
Discounts on the Going Rate
Some workers can be paid less than the standard figures, but never below a fixed floor:
- Immigration Salary List (ISL) jobs need at least £33,400 a year instead of £41,700, but must still be paid at least the standard going rate. The list replaced the Shortage Occupation List in April 2024.
- Under 26, studying, a recent graduate or in professional training: 70% of the going rate, with at least £33,400. See the new entrant rate.
- A relevant PhD, in a job that qualifies for the PhD discount: 80% of the going rate with a STEM subject, with at least £33,400, or 90% with any other subject, with at least £37,500.
- A postdoctoral position in certain science and higher education jobs: 70% of the going rate, with at least £33,400.
Workers who use the lower going rate (see above) have their own, lower floors. People applying for a Health and Care Worker visa in those occupations need the higher of £31,300 and the lower going rate. The workers who first got a certificate before 4 April 2024 need the same when they extend or update their visa. The discounts above also have lower floors for these groups: £25,000, or £28,200 for a PhD in a subject outside science, technology, engineering and maths.
See Immigration Salary List for the current list of qualifying occupations.
2025/2026 Updates
The rules changed on 22 July 2025, and GOV.UK updated its going rates table the same day, using 2024 ASHE data. The general threshold was £38,700 before then and is now £41,700. Most jobs now also have to be skilled to RQF level 6 or above.
Which column of the going rates table applies depends on who you are. Use the "lower rate" column if you are applying for a Health and Care Worker visa in one of those occupations. Use it too if you got your first certificate of sponsorship before 4 April 2024 and have held a Skilled Worker visa continuously since. GOV.UK tells this second group that their salary must still rise in line with the updated going rates each time they apply. Most other applicants use the standard rate.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Rates change. Always check the current Appendix Skilled Occupations rather than relying on older HR guidance or last year's offer letter.
Don't confuse the going rate with a market rate. The going rate is a legal minimum, not a benchmark for what the role is worth. And check the hours. Only pay for the first 48 hours a week counts towards fixed thresholds such as £41,700. For the going rate, all the weekly hours the employer states count, and the going rate is scaled to them.
Going rates are annual figures for a 37.5-hour week. They must be pro-rated for other working patterns, based on the weekly hours the employer states, so a longer week raises the going rate and a shorter week lowers it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the going rate apply to existing employees being sponsored for the first time?
Yes, every time. It doesn't matter if you've worked there for years. The going rate check kicks in whenever a Certificate of Sponsorship is assigned.
Can employers include bonuses or overtime to meet the going rate?
No. Only guaranteed basic pay counts, plus any guaranteed payment that is treated exactly like basic pay for tax, pension and National Insurance. Overtime, shift pay and bonus pay are excluded, even if they are guaranteed.
What happens if the employer pays below the going rate?
The visa gets refused. If the underpayment is discovered after the visa was already granted, expect a compliance investigation and possible curtailment of the worker's leave.
Are NHS doctors and nurses subject to the same going rates?
They're on a separate track. NHS staff use the Health and Care Worker route, and their going rates align with national pay frameworks like Agenda for Change and medical/dental terms. For nurses, allied health professionals and the other band-paid codes, NHS pay bands and the visa salary rules lists the Home Office going rate for every band and nation beside the live Agenda for Change scale.
Related Terms
Check salary thresholds for your target role. Search jobs by SOC code