Quality control and planning engineers (SOC 2481, also written as job code 2481) qualifies for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. Your employer must pay at least the going rate of £41,300 per year. Scroll down for salary benchmarks, the visa rules, and live jobs from licensed sponsors.
Not sure if SOC 2481 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 2481Quality control and planning engineers plan production schedules, work sequences, and manufacturing and processing procedures to ensure accuracy, quality and reliability.
Quality control and planning engineers usually possess an accredited university degree. After qualifying, periods of appropriate training and experience are required before membership of a chartered engineering institution is achieved. Incorporated engineers possess an accredited university degree, BTEC/SQA award or an apprenticeship leading to an NVQ/SVQ at level 4. All routes are followed by periods of appropriate training and relevant experience.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most quality control and planning engineers in the UK earn between £35,620 and £52,676 in basic pay. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £41,300 (SOC 2481), sitting at the 43rd percentile of what UK employers pay and £2,276 below 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.
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 quality control and planning engineers, 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 2481 (£41,300) 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 £33,400 per year for up to 4 years.
Continuously sponsored as a Skilled Worker since before 4 April 2024? Lower thresholds apply: £34,100 standard, or £25,000 as a new entrant.
Other Skilled Worker-eligible roles in the same SOC minor group (248xx):
Yes. Quality control and planning engineers roles fall under SOC 2481 (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 2481, SOC code 2481 and occupation code 2481 all refer to the same thing: the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 2020) unit group covering quality control and planning engineers. 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 Quality control and planning engineers (SOC 2481) is £41,700 (£21.38 per hour). Standard minimum applies. Your employer must pay whichever is higher: this going rate or the general Skilled Worker threshold of £41,700 per year.
SOC 2481 covers a range of quality control and planning engineers roles, including: Garment technologists, Planning engineers, Quality control engineers, Quality control and planning engineers 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 Quality control and planning engineers (SOC 2481) the new entrant minimum is £33,400 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 Quality control and planning engineers 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.