Management consultants and business analysts (SOC 2431, also written as job code 2431) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £50,200 per year. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Not sure if SOC 2431 applies to your situation?
The answer above is the general rule. Your case can be different if you already hold a visa and are extending or switching, if you were sponsored before a rule change, or depending on your salary. Our AI assistant can explain the full rules from gov.uk guidance.
Ask AI about SOC 2431Management consultants and business analysts advise industrial, commercial and other establishments on a variety of management and business-related matters to assist in the formulation of financial and business policies in order to maximise growth or improve business performance.
Entry is most common with a degree or equivalent qualification but is possible with other academic qualifications. Professional qualifications are available and will be a requirement in some areas.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
Plus £1,593 – £8,524 in bonus & commission
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most management consultants and business analysts in the UK earn between £40,196 and £71,188 in basic pay, with experienced professionals in the top 10% earning above £89,440. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £50,200 (SOC 2431), sitting at the 43rd percentile of what UK employers pay and £3,620 below the median.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
Comparing with an offer back home? Try the UK vs home country calculator.
Browse our register of UK companies with an active sponsor licence. Filter by industry, size, sponsor rating, and whether they're currently hiring management consultants and business analysts, 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 2431 (£50,200) 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 £35,100 per year for up to 4 years.
Continuously sponsored as a Skilled Worker since before 4 April 2024? Lower thresholds apply: £36,000 standard, or £25,200 as a new entrant.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (243xx):
Yes. Management consultants and business analysts roles fall under SOC 2431 (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.
Job code 2431, SOC code 2431 and occupation code 2431 all refer to the same thing: the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) unit group covering management consultants and business analysts. The Home Office uses this 4-digit code on a Certificate of Sponsorship to check Skilled Worker visa eligibility and to set the going rate salary threshold for the role.
The going rate for Management consultants and business analysts (SOC 2431) is £50,200 (£25.74 per hour). Occupation rate applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 2431 covers a range of management consultants and business analysts roles, including: Business analysts and consultants, Management advisers and consultants, Risk analysts, Management consultants and business analysts not elsewhere classified.. 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.
Yes. If you're under 26, a recent graduate, a PhD student, or switching from a Student or Graduate visa, you count as a "new entrant". For Management consultants and business analysts (SOC 2431) the new entrant minimum is £35,100 per year, based on the Home Office's published lower going rate and the £33,400 new entrant threshold. The discount lasts up to 4 years in total.
We list Management consultants and business analysts 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.