2434 Business and related research professionals

In short

• ONS unit group 2434, in minor group 243 (Business, research and administrative professionals) and major group 2 (Professional occupations).
• Appendix Skilled Occupations (figures as at 3 August 2026, re-checked 26 October 2026): On the list: Table 1, Table 2.
• Going rate as the tables print it:
  • Table 1, Going rate (SW – options A and D): £38,800 (£19.90 per hour)
  • Table 2, Going rate (SW – options F and I, GBM and SCU): £31,500 (£16.15 per hour)

What the ONS says

Description

Business and related research professionals carry out a variety of research activities for the broadcast and print media, for the police and armed forces intelligence services, for national security agencies and in other non-scientific areas.

Typical entry routes

Entrants usually possess a degree or equivalent qualification. Training is usually provided on-the-job, or support may be given for postgraduate study. Professional qualifications are available in some areas.

Tasks

• liaises with production team to generate and develop ideas for film, television and radio programmes
• research sources for accurate factual material, finds suitable contributors to programmes or print features and deals with any copyright issues
• briefs presenters, scriptwriters or journalists as required via verbal or written reports
• provides administrative support for programme development such as booking facilities
• provides support to criminal intelligence or to military or other security operations by gathering and verifying intelligence data and sources
• presents findings in the required format, via written reports or presentations
• researches images for clients in a wide range of media using specialist picture libraries and archives, museums, galleries etc., or commissions new images
• liaises with client on the appropriate image/s to be used
• deals with copyright issues and negotiates fees
• liaises with client to understand their market research needs, establishes an appropriate quantitative and qualitative market research methodology and prepares proposals outlining programmes of work and details of costs
• manages and directs research, collates and interprets findings and presents results to clients
• discusses possible changes that need to be made in terms of design, price, packaging, marketing and promotion etc. in light of market research with appropriate departments

Related job titles

• Crime analyst
• Fellow (research)
• Games researcher (broadcasting)
• Inventor
• Digital marketing analyst
• Market research analyst
• Social media analyst

What the Appendix Skilled Occupations says

The Appendix lists this code in the tables below, with the tables’ own caption and the row as printed. Read the full table, and any condition in it, on GOV.UK.

Table 1: Eligible SOC 2020 occupation codes and related going rates based on median Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data

SOC 2020 occupation code

2434 Business and related research professionals

Examples of related job titles (non-exclusive)

• Intelligence analysts
• Researchers in media and entertainment
• Business and related research professionals not elsewhere classified

Going rate (SW – options A and D)

£38,800 (£19.90 per hour)

90% of going rate (SW – option B)

£35,000 (£17.95 per hour)

80% of going rate (SW – option C)

£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)

70% of going rate (SW – option E)

£33,400 (£17.13 per hour)

Eligible for PhD points (SW)?

Yes

Table 2: Eligible SOC 2020 occupation codes and related going rates based on 25th percentile Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) data

SOC 2020 occupation code

2434 Business and related research professionals

Equivalent SOC 2010 occupation code(s)

2426, 3319, 3543

Examples of related job titles (non-exclusive)

• Intelligence analysts
• Researchers in media and entertainment
• Business and related research professionals not elsewhere classified

Going rate (SW – options F and I, GBM and SCU)

£31,500 (£16.15 per hour)

90% of going rate (SW – option G)

£28,400 (£14.56 per hour)

80% of going rate (SW – option H)

£25,200 (£12.92 per hour)

70% of going rate (SW – option J, GTR)

£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)

Eligible for PhD points (SW)?

Yes

Other unit groups in minor group 243

• 2431 Management consultants and business analysts
• 2432 Marketing and commercial managers
• 2433 Actuaries, economists and statisticians
• 2435 Professional/chartered company secretaries
• 2439 Business, research and administrative professionals n.e.c.

Sources

Occupation text: Office for National Statistics, SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (file dated 27 August 2026, version V13). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Open Government Licence v3.0. Tables: Home Office, Immigration Rules Appendix Skilled Occupations on GOV.UK, page updated 3 August 2026; re-checked against the page updated 8 October 2026 on 26 October 2026, tables unchanged.

All 412 occupation codes

SponsorFlow provides compliance software and record-keeping tools. It is not a law firm or an immigration adviser and does not give legal or immigration advice, which are regulated activities (Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, section 84). This page describes what the published Home Office guidance and the Immigration Rules say, with the paragraph for each point, so you can read the source yourself. Guidance versions and figures are those in force on the date shown; the Home Office changes them, so check the current version before you rely on any of it.