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Radiographer salary in the UK: Pay guide for people relocating.
- rajeteng
- Jan 10, 2024
- 4 min read
Who is a medical diagnostic radiographer?
Medical diagnostic radiographer’s are extremely important personnel in any hospital setting, and we often pride ourselves as the “eyes of medicine”. The reason why is not far-fetched; radiographer’s use a wide range of imaging equipment to visualise inside a patient’s body and determine the possible cause of illnesses.
Radiographers are referred to as radiology technologists in certain regions, and they capture medical images with a lot of skill and precision to be used in patient’s diagnosis and treatment.
Modalities in Radiography
Radiographers proficiently operate various imaging imaging modalities or a combination thereof as part of their skill set. These include;
Plain film X-ray
Fluoroscopy
Computed Tomography
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Angiography
Ultrasound
Mammography
Career pathway for Radiographers in UK
The typical career pathway builds up from practitioner to enhanced practitioner, then to advanced practitioner, and to consultant practitioner radiographer. Read more about this here
Usually, newly qualified radiographers in the UK start at band 5, then progress to band 6, band 7, and band 8.
With increase in experience, some radiographers eventually branch out into
management, teaching, research, sales and marketing.
Also, with increased experience as a UK radiographer, you could choose to specialise in any particular aspect of radiography, such as mammography, ultrasound, CT, MRI, and interventional radiography.
You could also specialise based on a group of patients, such as being a paediatric radiographer.
As you advance in your career, you could also choose to take on more managerial responsibilities and help to develop career frameworks and service development pathways.
Responsibilities of a radiographer
Radiographers work as a team with different medical professionals such as radiologists, surgeons, nurses, anaesthetists, departmental assistants, medical receptionists, and others. They're responsibilities include;
1. Communicating effectively with patients to explain procedures, address concerns, and ensure cooperation during imaging examinations.
2. Supporting and reassuring patients especially those who may have
learning difficulties, may be anxious, or may be in pain.
3. Radiographers are trained to operate and manoeuvre imaging equipment such as x-ray and mammography machines.
4. They follow established protocols to make sure patients are properly positioned and the right radiographic techniques are employed to obtain clear and diagnostic images.
5. They are responsible for performing radiographic examinations as requested by the referring physician.
6. They are responsible for adhering to radiation safety guidelines so that exposure towards patients, staff and themselves is minimised.
7. They are responsible for their ongoing continuous professional development to enhance professional skills.
8. They are responsible for the routine maintenance of their machines and must report any faults to the relevant team as soon as it’s noticed.
9. They are responsible for demonstrating high professionalism in practice, maintaining integrity and upholding high ethical stands in practice.
10. They are responsible for participating in training and supervision of radiography students and other imaging support staff.
Salary
How much do radiographers earn in the UK?
The following is a breakdown of an NHS radiographer’s annual salary, a radiographer’s salary per hour, and a radiographer’s take home pay in UK.
A radiographer’s starting salary in the UK in 2024 is;
Band 5 - £28,407 per year (£14.53 per hour, £1,799 take home pay*).
Band 6 –£35,392 per year (£18.10 per hour, £2,110 take home pay*).
Band 7 - £43,742 per year (£22.37 per hour, £2,528 take home pay*).
After 2 years
Band 5 - £30,639 per year (£15.67 per hour, £1,871 take home pay*).
Band 6 –£37,350 per year (£19.10 per hour, £2,208 take home pay*).
Band 7 - £45,996 per year (£23.52 per hour, £2,641 take home pay*).
After 5 years
Band 5 - £34,581 per year (£17.69 per hour, £2,069 take home pay*).
Band 6 –£42,618 per year (£21.80 per hour, £2,472 take home pay*).
Band 7 - £50,056 per year (£25.60 per hour, £2,838 take home pay*).
Qualifications and Professional registrations
Radiographers are expected to hold a Bachelor’s degree in Radiography. A Bachelors degree in the UK usually takes about 3 years to complete but in countries like Nigeria, a Bachelor’s degree takes 5 years to complete.
Nigerian radiographers go on to complete a one year compulsory internship phase and a one year National youth service programme (NYSC), during which time they are able to gather more experience on the job as qualified radiographers.
To practice as a radiographer in the UK you have to be statutorily registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). This is the regulatory body for radiographers and other allied health professions in the UK.
After registration, a unique number is assigned to you and confirmation of registration is sent to you. You are able to show employers this number to evidence full registration with HCPC and eligibility to practice in the UK.
How to become a radiographer in the UK: Alternative routes
Apart from the straight-forward process obtaining a University bachelor’s degree in radiography, there are some other alternative routes that people in different circumstances could explore.
If you have a background in another science or health care related course and would like to transition to becoming a radiographer, there are some post graduate accelerated courses available which you may be eligible to apply for.
These usually last for about 2 years, after which you can apply to be a band 5 radiographer. These courses are subject to meeting certain eligibility criteria, so it’s worth checking with individual institutions to be certain.
Also, some people start their professional journey as radiology assistants (band 2/3), after which they apply to start the assistant practitioner (band 4) training in the university.
Then with a bridging course of about 6 months, and with the support of their employer, they could study to become qualified radiographers (band 5).
Qualified radiographers in the UK are encouraged to register with the Society of Radiographers (SOR) as members.
Employers
The majority of employment for radiographers in the UK is by the National health service (NHS). There are other opportunities in private clinics and hospitals which can be explored.
Some radiographers branch out into academics, teaching undergraduate or post graduate courses in the university. Some specialise in research and progress onto working for research establishments.
Some radiographers eventually pursue a career in sales and marketing as clinical application specialists.
Some radiographers branch into veterinary medicine, some work with customs and immigration, and some move into the armed forces.
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Really interesting read.
Thanks