The UK Skilled Worker salary rules, in plain English.
What you actually have to be paid to be sponsored, and how the going rate changes it. Every figure below is linked to gov.uk. Last verified 27 June 2026.
The four salary routes
You must meet whichever is higher: the cash floor for your route, or the stated share of your job's going rate. The most favourable route you qualify for is the one that applies.
| Route | Minimum salary | Going rate | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | £41,700 | 100% | The standard route, for most experienced hires. |
| New entrant | £33,400 | 70% | Under 26, a recent graduate, a student, or in professional training. |
| STEM PhD | £33,400 | 80% | You hold a STEM PhD relevant to the job. |
| Non-STEM PhD | £37,500 | 90% | You hold a relevant PhD outside STEM. |
Figures from gov.uk: when you can be paid less and your job.
The £25,000 absolute floor
No Skilled Worker can be sponsored below £25,000 a year, whatever their route or going rate (raised from £23,200 on 9 April 2025). A role below this cannot support a visa even if the employer holds a sponsor licence.
How the going rate works
Each job has a going rate set by its occupation code, based on the median UK salary for that work. Your salary must clear both the cash floor and your route's share of that going rate, so the real minimum is often higher than the headline figure. Always check the going rate for the specific role.
A sponsor licence is necessary, not sufficient
The employer must hold a licence on the Register of Licensed Sponsors, and that register is the first filter. But a licensed employer can still decline to sponsor your role, and many only sponsor senior posts, so confirm they sponsor at your level early.
Switching from inside the UK
If you are moving from another visa (a Graduate visa, say), the switch must usually be submitted from inside the UK before your current visa expires, so the real deadline is earlier than the expiry date. Work it back with the deadline calculator.
Plain-English summary, not legal advice. Rules and figures change; confirm the current position on gov.uk and with UKVI or a qualified adviser before you rely on them. Last verified 27 June 2026.
Sources
Related: Graduate to Skilled Worker switch guide · the Graduate Route is shrinking to 18 months · the proposed 5 to 10 year settlement change
See which roles actually clear your threshold
Prometrix checks every match against the sponsor register and tells you whether the salary clears your visa threshold, so you only spend time where a visa is genuinely possible.