Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale (SOC 7132) 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.
Sales supervisors oversee operations and directly supervise and coordinate the activities of sales and related workers in retail and wholesale establishments.
No minimum academic qualifications are required although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades or A levels/H grades along with relevant work experience. Vocational qualifications in Retail Operations are available at levels 1 and 2, and apprenticeships may be available in some areas. Professional qualifications are relevant in some areas of selling and may be an advantage.
UK market salary · ASHE 2025
How visa salary requirements compare to what employers pay.
Most sales supervisors - retail and wholesale in the UK earn between £26,260 and £32,916 in basic pay, with experienced professionals in the top 10% earning above £39,416. For Skilled Worker visa holders, the minimum salary (going rate) for this role is £33,400 (SOC 7132), sitting at the 76th percentile of what UK employers pay and £4,384 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.
SOC 7132 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:
Not under SOC 7132. Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale 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 7132 covers a range of sales supervisors - retail and wholesale roles, including: Sales supervisors - retail and wholesale. 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 7132 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.