Skilled Worker Salary Thresholds in 2026: The Real Figures for 15 Graduate Jobs

In October 2026 a sponsored Skilled Worker job must pay at least £41,700 or the going rate for its occupation code, whichever is higher, but most graduates qualify as new entrants and need only £33,400 or 70% of the going rate, whichever is higher. A graduate software developer (SOC code 2134) therefore needs £38,300, not £33,400. The table below gives the gov.uk figures for 15 common graduate jobs, checked on 7 October 2026, plus who counts as a new entrant and the pay-period rule that has applied since 8 April 2026.

The two headline numbers

The gov.uk Skilled Worker eligibility page sets the standard minimum as whichever is highest of £41,700 a year and the going rate for the type of work. The page on being paid less says new entrants can be paid 70% of the going rate, as long as the salary is at least £33,400.

These figures come from the July 2025 rule change, HC 997, which replaced £38,700 with £41,700 and £30,960 with £33,400 for certificates of sponsorship assigned on or after 22 July 2025.

That matters because some websites still claim the threshold is "£38,700 and £30,960 from April 2026". It is not. Those were the figures that applied from April 2024 until July 2025. If an offer clears £38,700 but not £41,700, and you are not a new entrant, it does not qualify.

Going rates and new-entrant rates for 15 graduate jobs

The figures below come from two gov.uk tables, both last updated 22 July 2025 and still current on 7 October 2026: the going rates for eligible occupation codes and the minimum salary if you are under 26, studying or training. Every code listed is "Higher Skilled" in the eligible occupations table. All figures assume a 37.5-hour week.

The new-entrant figures are gov.uk's own rounded numbers, so a few are not exactly 70% of the going rate. Where 70% would fall below £33,400, the floor applies, which is why four rows show £33,400.

Ignore the "lower going rate" column. The gov.uk going rates table has a second column of lower figures (for example £40,000 for software developers). Those apply to some Health and Care visa jobs and to people who got their first Skilled Worker certificate before 4 April 2024 and have held the visa continuously since. A graduate getting a first certificate in 2026 uses the standard column.

The occupation code decides more than the job title

Your employer chooses the SOC code when it assigns your certificate, and it has to match the duties you will actually do. The same job title can sit under different codes with very different rates. A "business analyst" in a consulting team is usually 2431 (going rate £50,200). An "IT business analyst" designing systems is 2133 (£54,900). For a new entrant, that is the difference between £35,100 and £38,400.

This is why a graduate offer can clear one bar and miss another. Our existing guide on why licensed employers still can't sponsor some schemes works through examples like this. If you are unsure of your code, ask HR which code they plan to use, then check the figures yourself.

Some employers have already done this calculation and said no. In our graduate visa sponsorship tracker, Grant Thornton, BDO, Buzzacott and the Civil Service Fast Stream all state on their own pages that their trainee or starting salaries do not meet the Skilled Worker thresholds.

Who counts as a new entrant

Under Appendix Skilled Worker (rule SW 12.2), you can be paid the new-entrant rate if at least one of these applies:

• you are under 26 on the date you apply
• your most recent visa is a Student visa for a UK bachelor's degree or higher, you have finished the course (or will within 3 months), and any expired Student visa ended less than 2 years ago
• your most recent visa is a Graduate visa, and if it has expired, it ended less than 2 years ago
• you are working towards a recognised qualification in a UK regulated profession, or towards full registration or chartered status in the job
• you are in a postdoctoral role in certain science or higher education codes

The 4-year cap. Rule SW 12.3 says granting the visa must not take your combined time as a Skilled Worker, Graduate and Tier 2 migrant past 4 years. If you used a full 2-year Graduate visa, you have about 2 years left at the new-entrant rate. With an 18-month Graduate visa (for applications from 1 January 2027), you have about two and a half. After that, you would normally need to meet the full rate in the last column to stay on the route.

What counts as salary, and the per-pay-period rule

Basic pay only. Rule SW 14.2 excludes overtime, shift pay and bonuses (even guaranteed ones), employer pension contributions, allowances such as cost of living allowances, benefits in kind and one-off payments such as golden hellos. A scheme advertising "£36,000 plus a £3,000 joining bonus" is a £36,000 job for visa purposes.

Hours change the figure. Going rates are based on a 37.5-hour week and are pro-rated to the hours your employer states (SW 14.4). A new-entrant software developer contracted for 40 hours needs £54,700 × 40 ÷ 37.5 × 70%, which is about £40,843, not £38,300.

Every pay period counts. Since 8 April 2026, rule SW 14.3B says pay in each pay period must cover the going rate for every hour worked in that period. Across any 3-month period, a monthly-paid worker must also receive at least a quarter of the required annual salary. This applies to applications using certificates assigned on or after 8 April 2026. In practice, a salary that only meets the threshold when averaged over the year, for example through a heavy end-of-year payment, no longer works.

A quick way to use the table

1. Find the likely code for the job and read across to the new-entrant minimum.
2. Adjust for hours if the contract is not 37.5 hours a week.
3. Compare basic salary only, leaving out bonuses and allowances.
4. Check the employer can sponsor on the sponsor licence check, then look at how it treats graduate schemes on its sector page in our tracker. Our guide on how to check a UK sponsor licence explains what the register shows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Skilled Worker salary threshold in 2026? The general threshold is £41,700 a year or the occupation's going rate, whichever is higher. New entrants, including most recent graduates, need at least £33,400 or 70% of the going rate, whichever is higher. These figures have applied since 22 July 2025 and were unchanged on gov.uk on 7 October 2026.

Is the Skilled Worker threshold £38,700 from April 2026? No. £38,700 (and £30,960 for new entrants) applied from April 2024 until 22 July 2025, when they were replaced by £41,700 and £33,400. Pages quoting £38,700 as a 2026 figure are out of date.

Do I count as a new entrant if I switch from a Graduate visa? Yes, if the Graduate visa is your most recent visa and, if it has expired, it ended less than 2 years before you apply. Your combined time on Skilled Worker and Graduate visas cannot go past 4 years at the new-entrant rate.

Does London weighting or a bonus count towards the salary threshold? Bonuses never count. Allowances such as cost of living allowances do not count either. If London pay is built into your guaranteed basic salary, it counts. If it is paid as a separate allowance, it does not.

What is the going rate for a graduate software developer? For SOC code 2134 the going rate is £54,700 for a 37.5-hour week, so a new entrant needs at least £38,300. Someone who is not a new entrant needs £54,700.