Job Market Research›United Kingdom›Social Policy & Social Work
Check the job market before you choose the course.Real jobs and pay for your field, and how to stay on to work.
How it works
The jobs Social Policy & Social Work leads to, added together. Each label compares Social Policy & Social Work with the other UK fields.
The jobs Social Policy & Social Work courses most often lead to in the UK, and how each one is doing.
| Job | Share | Average pay ONS | Entry pay ONS | Growth to 2035 DfE | Jobs / month ONSvs last year | Employer-sponsored visa Home Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Youth and community workers | £32,654 | £27,248 | +10% | 2,288-6.1% | Non sponsorable | |
| 2.Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c. | £58,341 | £44,939 | +12.2% | 590-10.8% | Sponsorable | |
| 3.Social and humanities scientists | £39,899 | £29,963 | +11.1% | 830-0.5% | Sponsorable | |
| 4.Social workers | £44,550 | £39,517 | +12.2% | 3,077-22.4% | Sponsorable | |
| 5.Business and related research professionals | £41,128 | £34,995 | +12.2% | 1,664-14.3% | Sponsorable | |
| 6.Social services managers and directors | £48,549 | £38,696 | +9.6% | 391-12.2% | Sponsorable | |
| 7.Child and early years officers | £31,001 | £26,220 | +10% | 1,438-5% | Non sponsorable | |
| 8.Welfare and housing associate professionals n.e.c. | £30,087 | £26,107 | +10% | 3,963-10.3% | Non sponsorable |
Share: how common each job is among Social Policy & Social Work destinations. Entry pay: lower-quartile pay, a guide to starting salaries. Jobs / month: new job adverts over the last three months of ONS data. Swipe the table sideways for more.
Master's graduates who studied Social Policy & Social Work or a related Sociology, social policy and anthropology subject, one year after graduating, working in the UK. Earnings are published for Sociology, social policy and anthropology as a whole.
International graduates earned 3% less than UK graduates of the same subject a year after graduating. Based on 665 graduates of English universities who were working in the UK. Graduates who left the UK are not included.
How international students stay to work in the UK after studying Social Policy & Social Work.
A master's or a PhD from a UK university.
to live and work in the UK after a master's. 3 years after a PhD. No job offer needed.
To stay after your Graduate visa ends, an employer sponsors you for a Skilled Worker visa. As a new graduate, the job must pay at least £33,400, or 70% of that job's usual salary if that is higher.
Typical pay for the same jobs (in US dollars in brackets, at June 2026 exchange rates), projected growth, and post-study work after a master's.
83 UK universities offer 251 postgraduate courses in Social Policy & Social Work. The highest ranked:
International students who finished a master's in Sociology, social policy and anthropology earned a median £30,400 one year after graduating (tax year 2023–24), and £44,300 five years after graduating. Across all workers in these jobs, typical pay is £42,700 and starting pay about £34,600.
Employers posted about 1,627 job adverts a month for these jobs between May and August 2026, 11.6% fewer than a year earlier. Employment in these jobs is projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
Yes, for 18 months on the Graduate visa (applications from 1 January 2027). To stay longer, 71% of these jobs can be sponsored for a Skilled Worker visa, at a minimum of £33,400 a year for a new graduate.
Every figure comes from an official UK source. Tap a source tag next to any number for its details.
Indicative figures from official UK sources. They describe groups of graduates and workers, not what any individual will earn or be offered. Visa rules change — check GOV.UK before you decide.