Sponsor records · Official guidance · Checked 22 September 2026
Skilled Worker salary thresholds and going rates (2026)
A sponsored salary has to clear two separate tests, not one: the salary option that applies to the worker, and the going rate for the occupation code. Since 8 April 2026 it also has to clear them in each pay period rather than mainly across a year, which changes the evidence you need to hold. Figures checked 22 September 2026.
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Threshold reference
Which salary option applies?
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| Option | Threshold | Who it applies to | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Option A | £41,700 a year | The general threshold, in force since 22 July 2025 | SW 4.2 |
| Option B | £37,500 a year | Applicant holds a PhD relevant to the job | SW 9.1–9.4 |
| Option C | £33,400 a year | Applicant holds a PhD in a STEM subject | SW 10.1–10.3 |
| Option D | £33,400 a year | Job is on the Immigration Salary List | SW 11.1–11.3 |
| Option E | £33,400 a year | New entrant, including applicants under 26 | SW 12.1–12.2 |
| Options F to J | £31,300, £28,200 or £25,000 a year | Health and care roles on the relevant ASHE list, or continuous Skilled Worker permission held since before April 2024 | SW 4.2(b) |
| Option K | £25,000 a year | Specified health and education roles | SW 13.1–13.3 |
Checked 22 September 2026 against Appendix Skilled Worker. Which option a worker falls under depends on facts about that worker and that role, and the transitional options carry conditions this table does not reproduce. Read the rule, and take advice on any individual case rather than selecting an option from this summary.
The two tests
Clearing the threshold is not enough on its own
Both tests apply at the same time, and the higher figure governs.
1
1. The salary option
Identify which option applies to the worker and the role, and the cash figure that comes with it. This is the floor set by the route, not by the occupation.
2
2. The going rate for the occupation
Every option also requires the going rate for the relevant SOC 2020 occupation code, published in Appendix Skilled Occupations (SW 8.1, and again within the individual options). Going rates derive from median earnings and are revised, so the version you relied on matters.
3
3. Whichever is higher
SW 14.1 requires both to be met, so the effective minimum is the higher of the two. A role can clear £41,700 comfortably and still fail because its going rate is above that.
4
4. In each pay period
SW 14.3B assesses salary per pay period: the salary paid in each pay period must equal or exceed the going rate for every hour worked in that pay period. Hours are part of the test, not a footnote to it.
What the pay-period rule asks of a record
One annual figure is no longer the evidence
Before April 2026 an annual salary line was close to sufficient. It is not now.
Soteriaa does not compute salary compliance and makes no determination that a salary is sufficient. It can hold the certificate figure, the pay-period records, the hours and the going-rate reference you used, show which workers have no evidence attached, and put that in a generated pack. The arithmetic and the judgement remain yours, or your adviser’s. For the history of what changed and when, use the running record.
- Hold the salary stated on the certificate of sponsorship, and the pay actually made in each period.
- Hold the hours worked in each period, because the going rate is tested against hours.
- Record which going-rate version and occupation code you relied on, and when you checked it.
- Re-check when hours, duties, pay frequency or the occupation code change — any of those can move the answer.
Where the official action happens
Reports, applications and payments are completed in the Home Office systems, not in Soteriaa. A record tracker can hold the dates, the evidence and the follow-up task, and show you what has no record against it. It does not file a report, does not become the official system because the names overlap, and does not confirm that what you filed was correct or in time. The responsible person remains the one named on your licence.
How to use this page
This is a dated, manually checked summary of published official sources, not a live feed and not a complete statement of immigration law. Figures, deadlines and paragraph references were correct against the sources cited on 22 September 2026 and change without notice. Always open the primary source before acting, and refer questions about an individual worker to a solicitor or a regulated immigration adviser. Soteriaa sells document and record-tracking software and makes no compliance determination. Soteriaa provides document and workflow tools, not legal assistance or compliance advice. It helps organise records, evidence and deadlines; it does not determine compliance, certify records or submit official reports on your behalf. You review the information and remain responsible for required checks and submissions.