Land a UK Job: Top Five UK Jobs in Demand

You can land a UK job as an immigrant abroad by applying for one of these in-demand positions.

For skilled workers who wish to move to the UK and work there, being qualified for any one of these jobs means that it is much easier for you to get employment, followed by a UK Skilled Worker visa.

What are UK shortage occupations?

A ‘shortage occupation’ is a skilled job where there is a shortage of workers in the UK.

If your job is on the shortage occupation list, you can

• be paid 80% of the job’s usual going rate
• pay a lower fee for your visa

The UK’s Home Office publishes and regularly updates its official list of the professions for which there are not enough candidates within the UK. This is referred to as the Shortage Occupation List (SOL).

For such jobs, preference is given to migrant workers who can fill those positions. It is much easier for you to get such jobs since there are not enough UK citizens or permanent residents available for them.

The SOL contains many different job types for eligible migrant workers. These positions include:

• Health services
• Public health managers and directors
• Medical practitioners
• Psychologists
• Pharmacists
• Physiotherapists
• Speech and language therapists
• Biological scientists and biochemists
• Civil engineers
• Mechanical engineers
• Electrical engineers
• Electronics engineers
• IT business analysts, architects and systems designers
• Programmers and software development professionals
• Web design and development professionals
• Veterinarians
• Artists
• Arts officers, producers and directors
• Graphic designers
• Senior care workers
• Social and humanities scientists – only archaeologists
• Secondary education teaching professionals – only teachers in maths, physics, science (where an element of physics will be taught), computer science and modern foreign language
• Social workers

What are the most in-demand jobs in the UK?

Here are the top five occupations that are experiencing high demand in the UK.

1. Project Manager

There are currently in the region of 27,000 project management vacancies in the UK. Part of the reason that project managers are in such high demand is that they are required across all industry sectors. Project manager jobs allow immigrants to acquire Skilled Worker visas in the UK. They exist in different sectors, including:

• Construction project managers
• IT project managers
• Business and financial project management professionals
• Projects Manager (advertising)

In addition, there are other related jobs that are also in high demand, including project coordinators and project administrators. If you have PRINCE II or APM PMQ qualifications, be assured you will be in high demand in the UK.

2. Software engineer

Those with strong software development skills continue to be in hot demand in the UK. There are currently around 15,000 vacancies in the UK for software engineers, and this occupation is also listed on the SOL.

The average pay for software engineers is £55,000 and the vacancies on offer are spread across the country, meaning that you will have the pick of places to live in the UK.

3. Operations Manager

Operations managers play a key role in keeping businesses ticking over, whether they provide services, manufacture products, or deal with shipping and transport.  There are currently around 14,000 vacancies in the UK for operations managers of different types, including

• Technical ops managers
• Head of operations
• Operations planners
• Global operations managers

The base salary for operations managers is around £42,500 but can easily rise to double this for senior operations directors. Operations manager positions are one of the eligible Skilled Worker visa occupations, hence a great option for prospective migrant workers coming to the UK.

4. Business analyst

Business Analyst positions are among the most sought-after in the United Kingdom, yet it is still listed as a shortage occupation!

The UK currently has about 10,000 vacancies for Business Analyst roles, and over 6,000 specifically for IT Business Analysts.

Here is an example of a place where you can apply.

5. Nurse

It should come as little surprise that there is a huge demand for nurses in the UK.

The position of Nurse is among the shortage occupations in the UK, and as of November 2020, there were around 36,000 vacancies across the UK.

According to NHS Digital, in the second quarter of 2020/21, nearly 10% of all full-time nursing roles in the UK were vacant.

If you have nursing qualifications, you will be in considerable demand in the UK.

In addition, you will be eligible for the UK’s Health and Care Worker visa. With this visa, your application will be fast-tracked, and you will not need to pay the immigration healthcare surcharge – meaning you can access the NHS at no cost, whereas it is normally £624 per person every year.

What is a UK Skilled Worker visa?

A UK Skilled Worker visa allows you to come to or stay in the UK to do an eligible job with an approved employer.

To qualify for a Skilled Worker visa, you must

• work for a UK employer that’s been approved by the Home Office
• have a ‘certificate of sponsorship’ from your employer with information about the role you’ve been offered in the UK
• do a job that’s on the list of eligible occupations
• be paid a minimum salary – how much depends on the type of work you do

All of the above-posted jobs are eligible occupations for a UK Skilled Worker visa. Discover more about salary requirements here.

You must have a confirmed job offer before you apply for your visa, and usually you will need to prove your knowledge of English as well. You can only do this by taking a recognised English test like IELTS.

The Skilled Worker visa can last for up to 5 years before you need to extend it. Then, you will need to apply to extend or update it. You can extend it as many times as you like as long as you still meet the eligibility requirements.

After five years, you will be able to apply for an ‘indefinite leave to remain’, which grants you the right to remain in the UK as long as you like.

Find out more about the UK Skilled Worker visa.