8144 Weighers, graders and sorters: SOC 2020 occupation code

In short

ONS unit group 8144, in minor group 814 (Assemblers and routine operatives) and major group 8 (Process, plant and machine operatives).
Appendix Skilled Occupations (figures as at 3 August 2026, re-checked 26 October 2026): Not on the list: Table 6.
Going rate as the tables print it:

What the ONS says

Description

Weighers, graders and sorters weigh, grade and sort materials, goods and products.

Typical entry routes

There are no formal academic entry requirements. Training is typically received on-the-job, supplemented by short courses relating to the specific material or product being considered.

Tasks

examines hide, skins, leather, fabric, wool, rags, scrap metal, tobacco pipe bowls, fish, fibres, ceramics, produce and other goods
assesses product quality visually and by touch, and grades according to weight, thickness, colour and other quality criteria
ascertains material(s) required from order card, recipe, or specification and weighs and measures prescribed quantities accordingly
uses balances, springs, weighing platforms, automatic scales and weighbridges to check the weight of goods, products and loaded vehicles
records and calculates gross and net weight, checks delivery notes and prepares documents and labels for identification purposes
operates machines to measure lengths of rolls of material and irregularly shaped materials such as leather or sheepskin

Related job titles

Grader (food products mfr)
Metal sorter
Selector (ceramics mfr)
Weighbridge clerk
Weighbridge operator

What the Appendix Skilled Occupations says

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

Table 6: SOC 2020 occupation codes which are not eligible for the Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility or Scale-up routes

SOC 2020 occupation code

8144 Weighers, graders and sorters

Examples of related job titles (non-exhaustive)

Grader (food products mfr)
Metal sorter
Selector (ceramics mfr)
Weighbridge clerk
Weighbridge operator

Other unit groups in minor group 814

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.

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