Medical and dental technicians (SOC 3213) does not currently qualify for UK Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. It is classified as medium skilled and would need to be added to the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage Occupation List before employers could sponsor for it. There are closely related roles that do qualify, listed further down.
Medical and dental technicians operate, calibrate and maintain cardiographic and encephalographic testing equipment, assist in the conduct of post mortems, give simple dental treatments, fit artificial limbs and hearing aids, and undertake a wide range of related medical and dental tasks.
Entrants usually possess GCSEs/S grades, BTEC/SQA awards, an Intermediate GNVQ/GSVQ level II or A levels/H grades. Training may last up to five years depending upon the field and method of study. Professional qualifications and NVQs/SVQs at level 3 are available in some areas.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most medical and dental technicians in the UK earn between £26,364 and £33,748 in basic pay.
All figures are before tax. Calculate your take-home pay.
SOC 3213 is classified as medium skilled but does not currently appear on the Immigration Salary List or Temporary Shortage List, so it's not currently eligible for new sponsorship.
If you're interested in this field, you have a few options:
SOC 3213 doesn't qualify, but these related occupations do:
Not under SOC 3213. Medical and dental technicians is classified as Medium Skilled, which doesn't meet the requirements for Skilled Worker sponsorship right now. That said, some closely related occupation codes in the same field are eligible, so have a look at the related codes section on this page.
SOC 3213 covers a range of medical and dental technicians roles, including: Cardiac technicians, Dental hygienists, Dental technicians, Hearing aid dispensers, Hearing screeners, Nursing associates, and 2 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.
SOC 3213 itself doesn't qualify, but that doesn't mean you're out of options. The most common workaround is finding a closely related role that falls under an eligible SOC code. We've listed any eligible alternatives further up this page. It's also worth looking into visa routes that aren't tied to a specific occupation, like the Global Talent visa, Graduate visa, or High Potential Individual visa.
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.