SOC 2020 · 5231
Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians
Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations from
Skilled Worker
Shortage list only
Below the usual skill level, but listed.
Salary floor
£41,700
The general threshold, £41,700, is the higher of the two.
Shortage lists
Temporary Shortage List
Listed roles carry their own restrictions — check GOV.UK.
Shortage list conditions
Temporary Shortage List: all jobs in this code. Certificate of sponsorship must be issued before 31 Dec 2026.
Shortage-list jobs are below the usual skill level, so employers face restrictions such as no dependants and no salary discount. Check GOV.UK for the current conditions.
Salary the job must pay
A Skilled Worker job must pay at least the higher of the general threshold and the going rate for its occupation code.
Going rate (standard)
£35,500
General threshold
£41,700
Visa thresholds from
Minimum for this role
£41,700
Home Office going rates from
New entrants and some other cases can use 70% of the going rate, £33,400, subject to the lower general threshold of £33,400.
What this occupation actually pays
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, full-time gross annual pay.
- UK pay for this occupation
- Going rate£35,500
- General threshold£41,700
View these figures as a table
| Percentile | Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | £24,685 |
| 25th | £30,000 |
| 50th | £37,458 |
| 75th | £44,594 |
| 90th | £52,670 |
| Going rate | £35,500 |
| General threshold | £41,700 |
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | £24,685 | £30,000 | £37,458 | £44,594 | £52,670 |
| East 2025 | — | — | £38,120 | — | — |
| East Midlands 2025 | — | — | £34,745 | — | — |
| London 2025 | — | — | £45,117 | — | — |
| North East 2025 | — | — |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians diagnose, maintain, repair and test mechanical, electrical and electronic systems in light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, motorcycles and specialist vehicles.
Typical tasks
visually checks, test drives or uses test equipment to diagnose engine and mechanical faults
removes, dismantles, repairs and replaces defective parts and prepares new parts using appropriate tools
reassembles, tests, adjusts and tunes the appropriate parts, systems or entire engine
carries out routine maintenance checks on oil and air filters, brakes and other vehicle parts/systems
diagnoses faults in electrical/electronic circuitry, removes faulty components and fits replacements
checks condition of electrical/electronic systems and carries out servicing tasks
installs additional electrical amenities such as radio/CD players, aerials
repairs and services air conditioning, heating and engine-cooling systems
perform repairs, tests and maintenance to roadside vehicles
Entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades or an equivalent qualification. Training is undertaken Off and on-the-job. Apprenticeships at NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 are available and take three to four years to complete.