Radiographer pay in the NHS

Both diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers are typically paid from band 5 of Agenda for Change, according to Health Careers. In England from 1 April 2026 that is £32,073, rising to £39,043 at the top of band 5. Health Careers gives no salary figures for either role, so the bands below come from the NHS Employers 2026/27 pay scales.

Bands 5 to 7 in England

Band	Entry	Middle	Top
5	£32,073	£34,592	£39,043
6	£39,959	£42,170	£48,117
7	£49,387	£51,932	£56,515

Band 5 has two years on the entry point and two on the middle point, and bands 6 and 7 have two years on entry and three on the middle point. The band 5 guide and the pay progression guide cover the rules. Health Careers does not say which bands go with which radiography jobs, so read the band on each advert alongside the job description.

What higher pay depends on

Health Careers says diagnostic radiographers can specialise in areas such as CT scanning, sonography training, or working with children, stroke or cancer patients. They can also move into research, teaching, or leading a radiography team, which includes managing budgets, staff and equipment. Therapeutic radiographers can specialise in certain cancers, work with children, or work with emerging technologies such as proton beam therapy, and they have the same research, teaching and management options.

Both roles have annual Continuing Professional Development check-ins. Higher pay generally comes from moving to a post on a higher band, which means applying for a new job. The wider band tables are in the Agenda for Change pay bands guide.

London and extra pay

London trusts add a high cost area supplement. Band 5 entry is £38,488 in inner London, £36,943 in outer London and £33,677 in the fringe area, and band 6 entry is £47,951 in inner London. The high cost area supplement guide explains how it works.

The standard week is about 37.5 hours, with flexible working across a seven-day period, and 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays. Under the NHS terms and conditions, staff on bands 4 to 9 are paid 30% extra for Saturdays and weekday hours from 8pm to 6am, and 60% extra on Sundays and public holidays. Imaging departments and emergency scanning services run across the week, while radiotherapy treatment is scheduled, so the weekend and night share varies by post. On the band 5 entry rate of £16.40 an hour, a night or Saturday hour pays about £21.32 and a Sunday hour about £26.24. Enhancements are based on basic salary and exclude the London supplement.

Routes in and funding

You need an approved degree or master’s in diagnostic or therapeutic radiography, then registration with the Health and Care Professions Council before you practise. Undergraduate degrees take three to four years full time or up to six part time, and some postgraduate courses take two years. A degree apprenticeship is the other route. Typical entry is two or three A levels including physics, chemistry or biology, plus five GCSEs at grades 4 to 9 including English, maths and science.

Funding differs slightly in the two Health Careers pages. The diagnostic page says you could get £6,000 a year, and possibly more, not repayable. The therapeutic page refers to £5,000 and £1,000 annual payments for eligible students. Check the current NHS Business Services Authority information before you apply. The diagnostic radiographer and therapeutic radiographer profiles cover the roles, and the HCPC registration guide covers registration.

If you are working as a support worker in imaging, the radiography assistant profile covers that role.

Take-home pay

In the NHS Pension Scheme in England and Wales, a radiographer on £32,073 pays 8.3% of pensionable pay, one on £39,043 pays 9.8%, and one on £56,515 pays 10.7%. Income tax, National Insurance and any student loan come off as well. The take-home pay calculator works out the monthly figure for each point. The figures here are for England. Scotland has a separate scale, set out for bands 5 to 7 in the nurse pay guide.