SOC 2020 · 2472
Sponsoring archivists, conservators and curators
Figures verified against GOV.UK Appendix Skilled Occupations (source revised 1 July 2026) on 9 July 2026. Rules change — confirm against the live appendix before making an offer.
Salary requirements at a glance
| Going rate | £33,400/year (£17.13/hour) |
| New-entrant rate (option E, 70%) | £33,400/year — with a £33,400 floor |
| General threshold (all occupations) | £41,700/year |
| Basis | Annual figures on a 37.5-hour week — pro-rate for other hours, with a £17.13/hour floor on standard rates. |
You must pay the higher of the general threshold and the occupation's going rate (new-entrant discounts can apply). Since 8 April 2026 salary is also tested per pay period and per hour worked, not just annually.
The rules that changed in 2025–26
- 22 July 2025 — RQF 6: new Skilled Worker roles must be degree-level; sub-degree occupations are sponsorable only via the Temporary Shortage List or Immigration Salary List (interim TSL due to expire 31 December 2026).
- 8 April 2026 — SW 14.3B: salary is now tested per pay period, for every hour worked — an annually compliant figure can still breach in a heavy month. Standard going rates carry a £17.13/hour floor (£12.82/hour for occupations on the 25th-percentile table).
- 1 July 2026: going rates were revised — the figures on this page come from that revision. Re-check any worker within a few thousand pounds of a threshold.
Check a salary against this code
Compares an annual offer against the verified thresholds above, pro-rated to weekly hours. It does not test the per-pay-period and hourly rules that apply since 8 April 2026, or transitional and discount cases.
Going rates assume 37.5h and pro-rate.
Compares annual figures against the verified thresholds above — per-pay-period rules and exceptions are not applied. Whatever the number says, verify against GOV.UK and take advice before making an offer.
Sponsoring for this role: what you'll need on file
- A Certificate of Sponsorship with this SOC code and the offered salary.
- Right-to-work evidence from before day one, plus diarised follow-up checks.
- Recruitment evidence — adverts, shortlists, interview notes — kept per Appendix D.
- A job description that matches the CoS duties (role drift is reportable).
- Salary evidence (payslips) showing the CoS amount is actually paid.
SponsorFort keeps all of that organised per worker, scores the gaps, and tracks every reporting deadline that follows.
Related occupation guides
Sponsoring people on this code already?
See how your records would hold up to a visit — ten questions, two minutes, free.
Take the audit-readiness checkThis is guidance based on published Home Office sponsor guidance, not legal advice. For advice on your specific situation, consult a regulated immigration adviser or solicitor.