Skilled Worker salary thresholds: what you must pay.
A sponsored Skilled Worker must be paid at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for their job, whichever is higher, unless a lower option applies. Here is every threshold, the hourly floor, and the costs of sponsoring.
Sponsored pay
What the rules set
£41,700
A year, most jobs
£17.13
An hour, at least
£525
A certificate
- Option A · Most jobs Salary at least £41,700 100%
- Option E · A new entrant Salary at least £33,400 70%
- A permitted cut in pay Reported within 10 working days 10 days
- Pay tested each period Going rate, hourly floor, threshold Checked
The rule
The worker must be paid the highest of:
- the general salary threshold for their option, a yearly figure;
- the going rate for their occupation code, or the share of it their option allows;
- an hourly floor of £17.13 an hour (options A to E).
They must also be paid at least the National Minimum Wage.
The thresholds, option by option
| Option | Salary at least | Going rate |
|---|---|---|
| A · Most jobs | £41,700 | 100% |
| B · A PhD relevant to the job | £37,500 | 90% |
| C · A STEM PhD relevant to the job | £33,400 | 80% |
| D · A job on the Immigration Salary List | £33,400 | 100% |
| E · A new entrant (under 26, studying, a recent graduate or in professional training) | £33,400 | 70% |
Health and education jobs paid on national pay scales use those scales as their going rate (option K).
Workers first sponsored before 4 April 2024
A worker granted Skilled Worker permission under the rules before 4 April 2024, with permission ever since, can be assessed on lower thresholds, with going rates at the 25th percentile and an hourly floor of £12.82. This applies to applications made before 4 April 2030.
| Option | Salary at least | Going rate |
|---|---|---|
| F · Most jobs | £31,300 | 100% |
| G · A PhD relevant to the job | £28,200 | 90% |
| H · A STEM PhD relevant to the job | £25,000 | 80% |
| I · A job on the Immigration Salary List | £25,000 | 100% |
| J · A new entrant | £25,000 | 70% |
Hours, and what counts as salary
- Going rates are for a 37.5-hour week, so the going rate a worker needs is pro-rated to the weekly hours on their certificate: 30 hours on a £60,000 going rate needs £48,000.
- Only pay for up to 48 hours a week counts towards the general threshold, however long someone works.
- The salary on the certificate is guaranteed basic gross pay. An allowance such as London weighting counts only if it is guaranteed, paid for the whole of the job and part of the basic pay; bonuses and overtime never count.
- Pay must meet the going rate for every hour worked in each pay period.
If pay or hours change
- A permitted cut in pay must be reported through the sponsor management system within 10 working days.
- If the new salary no longer meets the requirements, you must stop sponsoring the worker and tell the Home Office.
- Paying less than the certificate says, when the cut isn’t permitted, can cost you your licence.
The sponsor’s costs
- A certificate of sponsorship for a Skilled Worker costs £525.
- The Immigration Skills Charge is £480 for the first 12 months and £240 for each further 6 months for a small or charitable sponsor, and £1,320 and £660 for a medium or large one.
Keeping pay above the line
- Check the going rate for the exact occupation code before assigning the certificate.
- Re-check when pay, hours or the job changes, and when new thresholds are announced.
- Keep the evidence of each payment for the worker’s file.
Sources
- Sponsor a Skilled Worker (Home Office guidance, April 2026), sections SK5 to SK7
- Skilled Worker visa: your job and when you can be paid less (GOV.UK)
- Sponsor guidance Part 2 (certificates and the Immigration Skills Charge)
This guide is general information, not immigration advice. For a particular worker, ask a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor.
Sponsored pay, tested every period.
KivoHR checks each sponsored worker’s pay against the going rate, the hourly floor and the general threshold.