Social and humanities scientists (SOC 2115) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £40,400 per year. It is also on the Immigration Salary List, which can reduce the salary threshold. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Social and humanities scientists study and analyse human behaviour and the origin, structure and characteristics of language undertake research in areas such as sociology, economics, politics, archaeology, history, philosophy, literature, the arts organise the collection of qualitative and quantitative information and perform subsequent analyses.
Entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification but is possible with other academic qualifications and/or relevant experience. Postgraduate qualifications may be required for some jobs.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most social and humanities scientists in the UK earn between £29,744 and ~£46,592 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £40,400 (SOC 2115), sitting above the 90th percentile of what UK employers pay and £2,232 above the median. Since this falls below the general salary threshold, sponsors must pay at least £41,700.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring social and humanities scientists, so you only apply where a visa is actually on the table.
Browse licensed sponsorsYour employer must pay whichever is higher: the going rate for SOC 2115 (£40,400) or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
New entrants and ISL roles may qualify for a lower rate. See the New entrant & discount rates section below.
Your sponsor issues a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS), a reference number the Home Office uses to check the job offer, salary, and duties line up with an eligible SOC code.
Submit the Skilled Worker visa application online within 3 months of your CoS assignment date. You'll also book a biometric appointment and pay the immigration health surcharge.
Apply on gov.ukTravel to the UK before your CoS start date and begin working for the sponsor named on the certificate.
If you're under 26, switching from a Student visa, or a recent UK graduate, your employer can pay the new entrant rate of £28,000 (70% of the going rate) for up to four years.
Because Social and humanities scientists (SOC 2115) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers may apply a 20% discount to the standard going rate.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (211xx):
Yes. Social and humanities scientists roles fall under SOC 2115 (Higher Skilled), so they qualify for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer will need a sponsor licence and must pay at least the going rate for this occupation. It's on the Immigration Salary List too, so a reduced salary threshold may apply.
The going rate for Social and humanities scientists (SOC 2115) is £40,400 (£20.72 per hour). Immigration salary list rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 2115 covers a range of social and humanities scientists roles, including: Anthropologists, Archaeologists, Behavioural scientists, Epidemiologists, Genealogists, Geographic information systems (GIS) analysts, and 4 more. Keep in mind that the Home Office matches jobs by duties rather than title alone. Two roles with the same title can fall under different SOC codes depending on the actual work involved.
Because Social and humanities scientists (SOC 2115) is on the Immigration Salary List, employers can sponsor workers at a salary 20% below the standard going rate. This discount replaced the old Shortage Occupation List concession in April 2024.
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, or switching from a Student visa, you count as a "new entrant" and your employer only needs to pay 70% of the going rate (with an absolute floor of £33,400/year — the new-entrant minimum cannot go below that). For Social and humanities scientists, that works out to £28,000. The discount lasts up to four years.
We list Social and humanities scientists roles from companies with a Home Office sponsor licence. Scroll down to see what's currently open, or search our full jobs database for more visa-sponsored positions across the UK.
This information is provided as guidance only and should not be treated as legal advice. Eligibility criteria and salary thresholds are based on the latest published government data. Always verify with the official UK government guidance or seek professional immigration advice.