Radiographer Salary And Pay Guide

"The average Radiographer salary in the UK is somewhere in the region of £35,000 to £40,000 a year."

This salary guide aims to answer all the key questions related to radiography salaries in the UK.

Radiographers have a unique position within healthcare. Using cutting-edge technology like CT and MRI scanners, they take images of the insides of patients to help understand conditions and diagnose them.

It’s often referred to as diagnostic radiography.

Their work is instrumental in detecting life-threatening ailments, and the tools they use are evolving all the time.

But what sort of salaries can Radiographers expect to earn throughout their careers?

How can they boost their earnings?

And is there a big difference between pay in the private and public sectors?

What Is The Average Salary For A Radiographer?

The average Radiographer salary in the UK is somewhere in the region of £35,000 to £40,000 a year, according to the latest data.

The majority of Radiographers work within the NHS, and this amount roughly reflects someone earning a Band 6 salary.

It’s a mid-range salary, applicable to someone with several years of experience.

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What Is The Starting Salary For A Radiographer?

The typical starting salary for a UK Radiographer job is £24,907 – which is a Band 5 salary.

Your pay increases incrementally within each banding for every year of service.

The vast majority of Radiographers start their careers in the NHS, but in the unlikely event that you begin your career in the private sector, your starting salary is likely to be very similar.

What’s The Most You Can Earn As A Radiographer?

If you are able to gain lots of experience and qualifications and progress to either advanced practitioner or management level, you could earn a Band 7 salary or beyond.

Band 7 salaries currently start at £38,890, while a Band 8a salary starts at £51,668 a year.

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How Do You Increase Your Earnings As A Radiographer?

Your first route to career progression is by becoming more specialised.

There are many different areas of diagnostic radiography you can specialise in, from breast screening and MRI scanning to medical ultrasound or trauma.

You could also choose to build your specialism around a particular type of patient, such as children or stroke patients.

Once you develop this field of expertise, you can become an advanced practitioner or perhaps even a consultant, which comes with more responsibility and better pay.

Otherwise, you can use your skills and experience to move into different areas. These could include teaching, research or service management.

In many cases, these routes could ultimately lead to increased pay.

But fundamentally, the skills and experience you build are the key to increasing your long-term earning potential.

Are Salaries For Radiographers Higher In The Private Sector?

Radiographers’ skills are also in demand within private hospitals throughout the UK.

However, data on private sector salaries for Radiographers is scarce. Salaries are typically benchmarked against NHS pay, and anecdotally, people often say private salaries are a bit higher.

However, private sector benefits packages are rarely as good as those in the NHS.

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How Much Do Locum Radiographers Earn?

There are plenty of locum or agency opportunities for qualified Radiographers in the UK too.

On average, data suggests Locum Radiographers earn somewhere around £25 to £30 an hour on average.

This roughly equates to an annual salary of more than £50,000 year, assuming you could find locum positions all year round.

Therefore, locum rates compare favourably with average rates in permanent positions.

Nonetheless, agency pay should always be taken with a pinch of salt. High rates of pay occur because of staff shortages, which aren’t guaranteed in every location throughout the year.

And as a locum worker you have none of the benefits of a full-time member of staff – including sick pay and holiday pay.