Salary by Profession in the UK: Compare Jobs, Regions and Pay Levels

How Much Do Radiographers Earn in the UK? — 2026 Salary Guide

Complete guide to radiographer salaries in the UK for 2026. Diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, NHS bands, CT/MRI, sonographers, private sector, locum rates, and career progression.

· · Last reviewed: · 4 min read

Salary and income data is based on ONS and other official UK statistical sources. Figures are averages and may not reflect your individual circumstances.

Radiography is a rewarding healthcare career with excellent job security and specialist progression opportunities. Here’s the complete breakdown of what diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers earn.

For a broader comparison across occupations and pay bands, see our Salary by Profession hub.

NHS Radiographer Pay Bands (2026/27)

Diagnostic Radiography

BandRoleSalary Range
Band 5Newly qualified radiographer£32,073-£39,043
Band 6Senior/specialist radiographer£39,959-£48,117
Band 7Advanced practitioner/team lead£49,387-£56,515
Band 8aConsultant practitioner/service lead£57,528-£64,750
Band 8bService manager£66,582-£77,368
Band 8cHead of imaging/clinical director£79,504-£91,609

Therapeutic Radiography

BandRoleSalary Range
Band 5Newly qualified therapeutic radiographer£32,073-£39,043
Band 6Senior therapeutic radiographer£39,959-£48,117
Band 7Advanced/specialist therapeutic£49,387-£56,515
Band 8aLead therapeutic radiographer£57,528-£64,750
Band 8b+Service manager/consultant£66,582-£91,609

Specialist Radiography Pay

Sonography/Ultrasound

LevelNHS BandSalary
Sonographer in trainingBand 6£39,959-£48,117
Qualified sonographerBand 7£49,387-£56,515
Advanced sonographerBand 8a£57,528-£64,750
Consultant sonographerBand 8b£66,582-£77,368
Private (employed)N/A£50,000-£75,000
Private (self-employed)Session-based£60,000-£100,000+

CT and MRI

SpecialismTypical BandSalary
CT radiographerBand 5-6£32,073-£48,117
CT specialistBand 7£49,387-£56,515
MRI radiographerBand 5-6£32,073-£48,117
MRI specialistBand 7£49,387-£56,515
CT/MRI superintendentBand 7-8a£49,387-£64,750

Interventional Radiography

LevelBandSalary
Interventional radiographerBand 6£39,959-£48,117
Advanced interventionalBand 7£49,387-£56,515
Lead interventionalBand 8a£57,528-£64,750

Reporting Radiographers

LevelBandSalary
Reporting radiographerBand 7£49,387-£56,515
Advanced reportingBand 8a£57,528-£64,750
Consultant reportingBand 8b£66,582-£77,368

Mammography

LevelBandSalary
MammographerBand 6£39,959-£48,117
Advanced mammographerBand 7£49,387-£56,515
Breast screening leadBand 8a£57,528-£64,750

Private Sector Radiography

Private Hospitals

LevelSalary
Radiographer£32,000-£42,000
Senior radiographer£40,000-£50,000
Specialist (CT/MRI/sono)£48,000-£62,000
Imaging manager£55,000-£75,000

Major Private Employers

EmployerTypical Range
Spire Healthcare£32,000-£55,000
Nuffield Health£32,000-£52,000
HCA Healthcare£35,000-£60,000
Circle Health£32,000-£55,000
Alliance Medical£34,000-£55,000
InHealth£32,000-£52,000

Self-Employed Sonographer Rates

SettingSession Rate
NHS bank (locum)£35-£50/hour
Private clinic (obstetric)£50-£100/scan
Private clinic (MSK/general)£60-£120/scan
Own business£80-£150/scan

Locum/Agency Radiography

Band EquivalentHourly RateDaily Rate
Band 5£22-£30£175-£240
Band 6£28-£38£225-£300
Band 7£35-£48£280-£385
Band 8a£42-£55£335-£440
Sonographer£40-£60£320-£480
MRI/CT specialist£32-£45£260-£360

Locum Premium

Locums typically earn 30-50% more than permanent staff but without:

  • NHS pension (worth ~20% of salary)
  • Paid annual leave
  • Sick pay
  • Job security
  • CPD funding

NHS Pay Enhancements

EnhancementDetails
High Cost Area (Inner London)+£5,794-£8,746/year
High Cost Area (Outer London)+£4,870-£6,137/year
High Cost Area (Fringe)+£1,346-£2,270/year
Unsocial hours (nights/weekends)Time plus 30-60%
On-callVaries by trust
Bank holidayEnhanced rates

Regional Pay Comparison

RegionBand 6 Salary
Inner London£44,338-£51,962
Outer London£41,338-£48,762
Fringe (South East)£38,838-£46,462
Rest of England£39,959-£48,117
ScotlandSimilar to England
WalesSimilar to England
Northern IrelandComparable scales

How to Become a Radiographer

Qualification Routes

RouteDurationEntry
BSc Diagnostic Radiography3 yearsA-levels (sciences preferred)
BSc Therapeutic Radiography3 yearsA-levels (sciences preferred)
PgDip Radiography2 yearsRelevant degree
Degree apprenticeship3-4 yearsGCSE/A-levels

Post-Qualification Specialism

SpecialismTraining Route
SonographyPgCert/PgDip (1-2 years)
CTIn-house + short courses
MRIIn-house + PgCert
MammographySCoR accredited course
ReportingMSc (2-3 years part-time)
InterventionalIn-house + courses

Registration Requirements

RequirementDetails
HCPC registrationMandatory (£106/year)
Approved degreeFrom SCoR/HCPC approved programme
DBS checkRequired for employment
SCoR membershipRecommended (£190/year)

NHS Pension

Key Features

FeatureDetails
SchemeNHS Pension Scheme (2015)
TypeCareer Average (CARE)
Accrual rate1/54 per year
Normal pension ageState Pension Age
Employee contribution9.3-12.5%
Employer contribution~20.6%

Example Pensions

ScenarioAnnual Pension
Band 6, 30 years at average £42,000~£23,300
Band 7, 25 years at average £50,000~£23,100

Career Progression

Diagnostic Radiography Pathway

StageYearsBandSalary
Newly qualified0-2Band 5£32,073-£39,043
Senior radiographer2-5Band 6£39,959-£48,117
Specialist/team lead5-10Band 7£49,387-£56,515
Advanced practitioner8-15Band 8a£57,528-£64,750
Service manager12+Band 8b-8c£66,582-£91,609

Sonography Pathway

StageYearsBandSalary
Radiographer0-3Band 5-6£32,073-£48,117
Sonography training3-5Band 6£39,959-£48,117
Qualified sonographer5+Band 7£49,387-£56,515
Advanced sonographer10+Band 8a£57,528-£64,750

Demand and Job Security

FactorStatus
Staff shortagesSignificant (good for job security)
NHS vacanciesHigh in most trusts
Locum demandVery strong
Private sector growthExpanding
Sonographer shortageCritical

Summary

RoleSalary Range
NHS Band 5 (new grad)£32,073-£39,043
NHS Band 6 (senior)£39,959-£48,117
NHS Band 7 (specialist)£49,387-£56,515
NHS Band 8a (advanced)£57,528-£64,750
Sonographer (Band 7)£49,387-£56,515
Private sector£32,000-£62,000
Locum (daily)£225-£480
Self-employed sonographer£60,000-£100,000+

Sources

  1. NHS Employers — Pay scales 2026/27
  2. ONS — Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings