Our data · updated 12 Nov 2026
All 61 UK and German AI job ads that state pay clear the visa minimum.
The UK Skilled Worker visa needs £41,700 a year, the EU Blue Card €50,700 and the Dutch kennismigrant permit €5,942 a month if you're 30 or over. We checked the UK and German AI job ads that state pay against them. Pay is rarely what stops an AI applicant, but most ads don't state it, and there are catches.
2026 minimums
- UK · Skilled Worker visa
- £41,700 a year
- Netherlands · Highly skilled migrant
- €5,942 a month (30+)
- Germany · EU Blue Card
- €50,700 a year
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Stated pay against each minimum
Grey bars are the visa minimums; dark bars are what open ads say, using the bottom of each range for the lowest and the middle of each range for the median. Only ads that state a yearly figure in the local currency count.
UK · Skilled Worker
- General threshold£41,700
- Lowest stated pay£50k
- Median stated pay£165k
44 of 423 UK ads state yearly pay. The median is 4.0× the threshold.
Germany · EU Blue Card
- Shortage and graduate minimum€46k
- General minimum€50,700
- Lowest stated pay€58k
- Median stated pay€105k
17 of 125 German ads state yearly pay. The median is 2.1× the minimum.
Netherlands · kennismigrant
- Recent graduates€37k a year
- Under 30€52k a year
- 30 or older€71k a year
Monthly criteria × 12, before holiday allowance. Only 1 of 70 Dutch ads state pay, too few to compare.
Where pay can still trip you up
- 1
UK: the going rate can be higher
The job must pay £41,700 or the going rate for its occupation code, whichever is higher. The employer picks the code. Ask which one, then look up its rate on GOV.UK.
- 2
Netherlands: age, and no holiday pay
The criterion depends on your age when the permit is applied for, and holiday allowance doesn't count. €5,942 a month is about €77,000 a year including it.
- 3
Germany: you have to qualify too
A Blue Card needs a recognised degree, or for IT jobs, enough experience. Pay over the minimum isn't enough on its own. Check your degree in the anabin database early.
Reference
The 2026 thresholds
Gross pay before tax. The Dutch and German figures change every January, and the UK's when the Home Office changes the rules, so check the source before you rely on a figure.
| Country | Route | Minimum | Lower rate | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | Skilled Worker visa | £41,700 a year | £33,400 (under 26, recent graduates) | GOV.UK |
| Netherlands | Highly skilled migrant | €5,942 a month (30+) | €4,357 under 30; €3,122 graduates | IND |
| Germany | EU Blue Card | €50,700 a year | €45,934.20 (shortage jobs, graduates) | Arbeitsagentur |
How we counted
We check the job boards of the AI employers we track every day. An AI model reads each ad and records any pay it states. Here we keep the ads that give a yearly range in pounds (UK) or euros (roles only in Germany), and compare the bottom of each range with the general minimum. Monthly, daily or equity-only pay is left out.
UK and Dutch roles are only at employers on the UK sponsor register or the IND register. Germany has no register, so any employer can hire on a Blue Card.
Ads that state pay skew towards companies that publish salary bands, often well-funded ones, so pay across all ads is probably lower than these figures. See what else ads say in what AI job ads say about visa sponsorship.
Questions
Visa salary thresholds: common questions
- What is the Skilled Worker visa salary threshold in 2026?
- £41,700 a year, or the going rate for the job's occupation code if that's higher. Some people, including those under 26 and recent graduates, can be paid 70% of the going rate, but at least £33,400. Check GOV.UK for your case.
- What salary do you need for a Dutch highly skilled migrant (kennismigrant) permit in 2026?
- At least €5,942 gross a month if you're 30 or older, or €4,357 if you're under 30, not counting holiday allowance. A lower criterion of €3,122 applies to some recent graduates. The employer must be an IND recognised sponsor. The amounts change every 1 January.
- What is the EU Blue Card minimum salary in Germany in 2026?
- €50,700 gross a year, or €45,934.20 for shortage occupations (which include IT and engineering) and graduates in their first three years. You also need a recognised degree, or for IT jobs, enough experience.
- Do AI jobs pay enough for a work visa?
- Usually, by a wide margin. All 61 UK and German AI job ads that state pay clear the general minimum, as of 12 Nov 2026. But only about 11% of ads state pay, and the UK going rate or your age in the Netherlands can raise the bar, so check the offer.
- Does a pay range that clears the threshold mean the role offers sponsorship?
- No. Pay is only one condition. The employer has to be willing to sponsor you for that role, and in the UK and the Netherlands it has to be on the official register. Ask early in the process.
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