Understanding the Minimum Salary for Skilled Worker Visa UK

If you are applying for a Skilled Worker visa, one of the most important requirements is meeting the minimum salary threshold. The rules can seem complex because they involve two separate tests: a general annual minimum and an occupation-specific ‘going rate’. This article explains how those thresholds work, how they differ by region and seniority, and how to convert between hourly and annual pay.

The Two Salary Thresholds

The Home Office sets two salary requirements for most Skilled Worker visa applications. You must be paid the higher of:

• General threshold: £41,700 per year (as of July 2025). This is a fixed annual amount that is never pro-rated, regardless of how many hours you work.
• Occupation-specific going rate: the median full-time annual earnings for your specific occupation code, based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). This rate is calculated for a 37.5-hour working week and must be pro-rated if your contracted hours are different.

For example, if your job’s going rate is £45,000 per year but your offered salary is £42,000, you would not meet the usual salary requirements – even though £42,000 is above the general threshold. The going rate takes priority when it is higher.

Some roles have different rules. Prison officers, for instance, can use a lower going rate of £31,300 per year. Healthcare and education jobs follow national pay scales (e.g., NHS pay bands or teacher pay scales) rather than the standard ASHE-based rates.

Hourly to Annual Conversion for Visa Purposes

To check whether an hourly rate meets the thresholds, you need to convert it to an annual figure. The standard method used by employers and HMRC is:

Annual salary = hourly rate × hours per week × 52 weeks

For example, if you are offered £20 per hour for a 37.5-hour week:

£20 × 37.5 × 52 = £39,000 per year

This is below the £41,700 general threshold, so you would need a higher hourly rate or more hours to qualify – unless the occupation-specific going rate is lower than £39,000.

Remember: the general threshold is never pro-rated. Even if you work part-time, you must still be paid at least £41,700 per year (unless you qualify for a lower going rate). The occupation-specific rate, however, is pro-rated. So if the going rate for your job is £45,000 for 37.5 hours, and you work 30 hours, the pro-rated minimum would be:

£45,000 × (30 ÷ 37.5) = £36,000 per year

But you would still need to meet the £41,700 general threshold, so the actual minimum would be £41,700.

Regional Differences: London Weighting

One common question is whether the minimum salary is higher in London. The Migration Advisory Committee’s review of salary requirements (published January 2026) shows that including London in the ASHE data raises the overall median salary by about 5.6%. However, for most individual occupations, the difference is small – typically under £3,000 per year. Only a handful of roles, such as chief executives and financial managers, see a London premium exceeding £10,000.

Because the occupation-specific thresholds are based on UK-wide medians, they already reflect London wages to some extent. If you are applying for a job outside London, you may find it easier to meet the going rate for roles where London pay pulls the median up. For most occupations, though, the difference is negligible.

For healthcare and education, national pay scales apply regardless of region (with London weighting added as a separate allowance). For example, a qualified teacher in England outside London starts at £32,916 per year (2026/27), while the same role in inner London attracts a higher pay band.

Seniority and Occupation-Specific Rates

The occupation-specific going rate is set at the median (50th percentile) of full-time annual earnings for that occupation code. This means that more senior or specialised roles have higher going rates. For instance, a financial manager’s median salary is significantly higher than that of a junior accountant. If you are applying for a senior position, your salary must reflect the market rate for that level.

The going rates are updated annually using the latest ASHE data. The most recent update (July 2025) uses 2024 ASHE figures. You can find the full list of going rates for eligible occupation codes on GOV.UK.

Practical Tips for Job Seekers

• Use our hourly to salary calculator to convert your offered rate into an annual figure and compare it against the thresholds.
• Check the specific going rate for your occupation code – it may be higher or lower than the general threshold.
• If you work in healthcare or education, refer to the relevant national pay scales rather than the standard going rates.
• Remember that the general threshold of £41,700 is a hard minimum for most applicants. Even if the going rate is lower, you must still be paid at least £41,700 (unless you qualify for a specific discount, such as for new entrants or certain shortage occupations).
• For part-time roles, the general threshold still applies in full – you cannot pro-rate it.

Summary

The minimum salary for a Skilled Worker visa is not a single number. It depends on your job’s occupation code, your weekly hours, and whether you work in a sector with its own pay scales. The general threshold of £41,700 provides a baseline, but the occupation-specific going rate often sets a higher bar. Regional differences are modest for most roles, but London weighting can affect a few high-paying occupations. Always check the latest official guidance and use reliable conversion tools to ensure your offer meets the requirements.

For more detailed salary data and comparisons, visit our salary data page or read related salary articles.