A SOC (Standard Occupation Classification) code is a four-digit code the UK government assigns to every type of job. For Skilled Worker sponsorship, the SOC code of your role determines whether it's eligible at all, and sets the minimum "going rate" salary the employer must pay you for that specific occupation.
Job titles vary between employers, but every sponsored role has to be mapped to one official SOC code. Two people with the same job title at different companies could sit under different SOC codes if their actual duties differ — and the code, not the title, is what the Home Office checks against the eligible occupations list and the salary going rate.
Skilled Worker sponsorship has two salary tests, and the employer must meet the higher of the two: a single general salary threshold that applies across most eligible occupations, and a going rate specific to that SOC code, based on national pay data for that occupation. A role with a high general-threshold salary can still fail sponsorship eligibility if it falls under a SOC code whose going rate is even higher — this is why the same salary can be enough to sponsor one occupation but not another.
Sponsorly maps each live job listing to a SOC code and checks the listed (or estimated) salary against that occupation's published going rate, so a match reflects whether the specific role is realistically sponsorable — not just whether the employer holds a licence in general.
Last updated 28 September 2026. Immigration rules and salary thresholds change periodically — always check GOV.UK for the current figures before relying on any number here.