Radiography career path and progression opportunities

If you’re a diagnostic or therapeutic radiographer wanting to know more about the career path ahead of you, we’ve outlined everything you would want to know about your potential next steps.

Here at Pulse, we’re dedicated to supporting you with your radiography career progression. When it’s time to take on a new challenge, we’ll always be on hand to understand exactly what you want and need from your next role, providing you with access to more permanent and locum opportunities than you would find anywhere else.

Radiography career path and progression

The radiography career path for diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers are relatively similar, with both offering you opportunities to work as an advanced practitioner and consultant. We’ve outlined the typical path and progression options that a radiographer like yourself will tend to have.

Working as a general radiographer

After completing a BSc in Diagnostic Radiography, Therapeutic Radiography or Radiotherapy and Oncology, radiographers will often start working immediately at a practitioner level within the NHS or private sector. Many radiographers will take on a rotational post during this time so that they can develop their skills and gain experience in several different environments.

Specialising in a particular area

After working as a Band 5 practitioner for a couple of years, most radiographers will progress to Band 6 and Band 7 levels. As you gain more experience, you’ll then typically move into an advanced practitioner or senior radiographer role.

A few years after becoming fully qualified, radiographers will often also choose to specialise in a particular area. This will involve either training while working or taking a Postgraduate course.

Diagnostic radiographers will typically specialise in one of the following areas:

• CT scanning
• MRI scanning
• Mammography
• Cardiac/Cath lab radiography
• Ultrasound

Meanwhile, therapeutic radiographers will often have the option to specialise in:

• Specific treatment types
• New, emerging technologies
• Different types of cancer
• Certain patient groups

During this time, there will also be opportunities for you to take on more supervision and managerial responsibilities.

Becoming a consultant radiographer

A common career move in radiography is to then become a consultant radiographer. Consultant radiographers are highly experienced and highly skilled professionals. They typically hold master’s level qualifications and are either working towards or have doctoral qualifications. A consultant radiographer’s role is made up of four areas:

• Expert clinical practice
• Strategic and enabling leadership
• Learning, developing and improving across the system
• Research and innovation

As a consultant radiographer, you’ll move between these responsibilities, focusing on certain areas of your role at certain times, depending on your work and priorities.

Alternative careers for radiographers

If you’re thinking about trying another career path or something a little bit different, there are alternative careers for radiographers that you can explore.

Application specialist

After gaining experience, you have the option to work as an application specialist for a medical imaging supplier. Having a working knowledge of radiography technology is essential for this role, with your main responsibility being to provide training to those using imaging equipment.

Research radiographers

Another alternative radiographer career path to go down is within research radiography. Here, your duties will typically include developing research images, facilitating studies and reviewing evidence. Within this type of role, you can work in a variety of places, including clinical, academic or business settings.

Progress your career as a locum radiographer

Many radiographers find that working as a locum can be a valuable step to take during their careers. Giving you the option to work within different radiography settings and fields, locum roles provide you with the opportunity to better understand how you want to progress. It allows you to gain experience in areas that align with your interests and work towards strengthening your skillset.

Radiography career progression opportunities with Pulse

We know that when it comes to taking the next step forward, it’s not just about getting a new job, it’s about making the right choice for your radiography career.

Register your interest in radiography vacancies and or search and apply for radiography job today. Our dedicated consultants will always be on hand to help and support your career development.