SOC 2020 · 6135
Care workers and home carers
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
Immigration Salary List
Listed roles carry their own restrictions — check GOV.UK.
Shortage list conditions
Immigration Salary List: all jobs, except jobs with a working location in England are only eligible in this SOC 2020 occupation code where the sponsor holds registration with the Care Quality Commission and is currently carrying on a regulated activity. Eligibility for Skilled Worker applicants to be sponsored in this SOC 2020 occupation code is restricted, as set out in SW 6.1B of Appendix Skilled Worker. Private households or individuals (other than sole traders sponsoring someone to work for their business) cannot sponsor Skilled Worker applicants. Listed until 22 Jul 2028.
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)
£33,400
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£33,400
- General threshold£41,700
View these figures as a table
| Percentile | Pay |
|---|---|
| 10th | £17,938 |
| 25th | £22,798 |
| 50th | £27,468 |
| 75th | £32,493 |
| 90th | £38,265 |
| Going rate | £33,400 |
| General threshold | £41,700 |
| Region | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK 2025 | £17,938 | £22,798 | £27,468 | £32,493 | £38,265 |
| East 2025 | — | — | £27,775 | — | — |
| East Midlands 2025 | — | — | £26,864 | — | — |
| London 2025 | — | — | £28,413 | — | — |
| North East 2025 | — | — | £26,029 |
Job titles in this code
What the work involves
Care workers and home carers attend to the personal needs and comforts of children, the elderly, the infirm and others with care and support needs (‘service users’) within residential care establishments, day care establishments or in their own homes.
Typical tasks
assists and enables service users to dress, undress, wash, use the toilet and bathe
serves meals to service users at table or in bed, and assists with feeding if required
assists with service users’ overall comfort and wellbeing
provides interest and activities to stimulate and engage the service user
helps with daily activities such as letter writing, paying bills, collecting benefits
undertakes light cleaning and domestic duties including meal preparation as required
monitors service users’ conditions by taking temperature, pulse, respiration and weight, and contributes to record keeping
liaises with professional staff in carrying out care plans etc.
Entry routes and qualifications
There are no formal academic entry requirements. In most cases workers will be required to register with the appropriate statutory body which involves satisfying the registration criteria. This would normally include holding or working towards the appropriate qualification for the job. Entrants must typically be 18 years old and have experience of working in a care environment. Both Off and on-the-job training is available. A wide range of qualifications including NVQs/SVQs covering various aspects of care are available. Background checks including a DBS check are likely to be required.