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Laboratory technicians

Occupation · SOC 2020 3111 · United Kingdom

SOC 2020 code
3111
Going rate (Table 1, options A and D)
£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)
On the Immigration Salary List
Yes
Sponsored work visas 2025, minor group 311
725
Going rate£33,400 Table 1
Year by year
Data as at Immigration Rules, 11 Nov 2025
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Going rates

Minimum salaries by table of Appendix Skilled Occupations (per year, 37.5-hour week). Which table applies depends on the route and option.

TableGoing ratePhD points
Table 1a£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)Yes
Table 2aa£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)Yes

Example job titles (non-exclusive)

  • Biological laboratory technicians
  • Chemical laboratory technicians
  • Health physics monitors
  • Laboratory food technicians
  • Medical laboratory technicians
  • Laboratory technicians not elsewhere classified
Source: Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List (GOV.UK)Data as at 11 Nov 2025

Immigration Salary List

This occupation is on the Immigration Salary List (lower salary threshold and fee).

CriteriaEnglandScotlandWalesNorthern Ireland
3111 Laboratory technicians – only jobs requiring 3 or more years’ related on-the-job experience. This experience must not have been gained through working illegally.YesYesYesYes
Source: Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List (GOV.UK)Data as at 11 Nov 2025

Sponsored work visas, minor group 311

Home Office grants for SOC 2020 minor group 311 (Science, Engineering and Production Technicians); unit-group detail is published only for part of the data.

Visas granted by year (minor group)

5641,128202120222023202420252026
5641,128202120222023202420252026
Data table
2021263
2022700
20231,128
20241,014
2025725
2026221
By route
  1. Skilled Worker3,236
  2. Creative Worker347
  3. Government Authorised Exchange (previously Tier 5)306
  4. Health and Care Worker91
  5. Creative and Sporting (previously Tier 5)35
  6. Senior or Specialist Worker (Global Business Mobility)15
By nationality, unit group 3111 (where published)
  1. India38
  2. United States10
  3. France7
  4. Italy6
  5. Philippines4
  6. China3
  7. Spain3
  8. Iran3
  9. South Africa3
  10. Czechia3
Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics (year ending June 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0Data as at Jun 2026

Compared with other occupations

The going rate for Laboratory technicians (Table 1 where listed) is £25,000 a year, #229 highest of 277 eligible occupations and 16.7% below the median going rate of £30,000.

Going rate (Table 1 where listed)
£25,000
Median going rate, all occupations
£30,000
Rank (highest first)
229 of 277
Occupations on the Immigration Salary List
25
Going rate (Table 1), this and related occupations, £ a year
  1. Laboratory technicians25,000
  2. Electrical and electronics technicians30,800
  3. Engineering technicians34,700
  4. Building and civil engineering technicians27,900
  5. Quality assurance technicians26,500
  6. Planning, process and production technicians28,700
  7. Science, engineering and production technicians not elsewhere classified28,000
  8. CAD, drawing and architectural technicians28,700
  9. IT operations technicians27,700
  10. IT user support technicians27,700
  11. Database administrators and web content technicians29,200
Source: Immigration Rules, Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List (GOV.UK)Data as at 11 Nov 2025

Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more