Clinical engineering
Clinical engineering staff check and maintain medical equipment to make sure it is safe to use and operating correctly.
Hospitals and NHS staff in the community rely on an increasingly wide range of medical equipment to provide excellent care to patients, so your role is vitally important.
Life as a clinical engineer
You’ll need a background in electronic or mechanical engineering and the confidence and willingness to take a hands-on approach.
You’ll enjoy a varied and exciting role maintaining and ensuring the safety of a wide range of medical equipment. This could range from simple devices such as nebulisers to sophisticated and life-saving equipment like radiotherapy linear accelerators.
With experience, you can develop your role and gain greater responsibility to modify and construct equipment.
You will be responsible for managing medical equipment through its life cycle, ensuring that parts are replaced, guaranteeing that machines are always safe to use.
A typical day may include:
- testing new equipment
- introducing equipment and devices into service
- advising on the correct use of equipment
- addressing patient safety issues
- safely disposing of old devices
Hollie Owen
Apprentice medical engineer
Read Hollie's storyIt makes me feel good knowing that the equipment I fixed will go and help a patient get the treatment they need.

How much can I earn?
You’ll be employed on a national pay and conditions system called Agenda for Change (AfC). Below are examples of the pay band you’ll be on, depending on your role within neurophysiology:
- healthcare science assistant – B2/3
- healthcare science associate – B4
- healthcare science practitioner – B5
- Cclinical scientist – B6/7/8a
- consultant clinical scientist – B8a-d
How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- flexible and part-time working
- high income early in your career
- work anywhere in the world
- excellent pension scheme
- good holiday entitlement
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
How to become a clinical engineer
Starting your career in clinical engineering might be easier than you think. You could undertake study at university or find an apprenticeship that takes you straight into a job.
There are a wide variety of entry levels into clinical engineering such as assistant or level 2 apprenticeships, associate practitioner roles, level 4 apprenticeships.
There are also Bachelor degrees/degree apprenticeships, Master’s degrees and Higher Specialist Scientist Training.
See ‘How to become a healthcare science professional’ for details.
Must-have skills
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, patients and their families
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients
Entry requirements
There are several different ways to start your career in clinical engineering, depending on your experience and qualifications.
Apprenticeship
You could look for an entry level job/level 2 apprenticeship – typically GCSEs 9-4/A-C in maths, English and a science. If an apprenticeship feels right for you, you’ll need 5 GCSEs at 9-4/A-C (or equivalent) including maths, English and science or Level 2 Diploma in Healthcare Science to start a level 4 apprenticeship.
Associate practitioner
An associate practitioner role is another route to a career in clinical engineering. You’ll likely require foundation degree, or equivalent experience with training and experience to NVQ level 3.
Degree-level qualification
A level 6 apprenticeship or degree course require relevant level 3 qualifications, for example three A-levels (including at least one science subject) or an Access to higher education course.
Post-graduate
To start the NHS Scientist Training Programme, you’ll need a 1st or 2:1 in relevant first degree or relevant higher degree and 2:2 in a relevant subject.
Higher Specialist Scientist Training is available for registered clinical scientists with relevant MSc or specialist diploma.
Where a career in clinical engineering can take you
Working in clinical engineering can lead to registration as a Clinical Scientist. You can then move into senior and consultant Clinical Scientist roles, through the Higher Specialist Scientist Training (HSST) programme.
It can also lead to careers in academia, research, industry, management and leadership and training.
-
Specialist Medical Engineer
Rotherham, S60 2UD
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Band 5 Medical Engineer
Sutton Coldfield, B75 7RR
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Principal Engineer - Medical Gas, Asbestos & Lifts
London, WC1N 3JH
- Salary :
- £72921.00 to £83362.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medical Engineering Technician (Home Ventilation & Community)
317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary, NE1 4LP
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialist Clinical Engineering Technician
Darlington, DL3 6HX
- Salary :
- £46078.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- CDD Services (Synchronicity Care Ltd)
-
Clinical Engineering Business Administrator
Aylesbury, HP21 8AL
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Vulnerability Management Engineer
Whitley Bay, NE25 0QJ
- Salary :
- £47810.00 to £54710.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Craftsman (Electrical Engineering)
PLYMOUTH, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
IT Operations Engineer
Crowborough, TN6 1XP
- Salary :
- £24826.00 to £30673.50
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Horder Healthcare
-
Junior Electrical Engineer
Gateshead, NE96SX
- Salary :
- £42597.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- QE Facilities
-
Principal Engineer - Electrical
London, WC1N 3JH
- Salary :
- £72921.00 to £83362.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
-
Craftsman (Mechanical Engineering)
Plymouth, PL6 8DH
- Salary :
- £27485.00 to £30162.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
-
IT Infrastructure Engineer
Hull, HU3 4AE
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- City Health Care Partnership CIC
-
Plumbing and Heating Engineer
Abergavenny, NP7 7EG
- Salary :
- £31516.00 to £38364.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Aneurin Bevan University Health Board
-
IT Service Desk Engineer
East Grinstead, RH19 3DZ
- Salary :
- £26530.00 to £29114.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Digital Network & Telecoms Engineer
Bury St Edmunds, IP29 4RR
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
-
Maintenance Engineer Electrical Technician
Poole, BH15 2JB
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Security Systems CCTV Engineer
Scarborough, YO12 6QL
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- York Teaching Hospital Facilities Management (LLP)
-
CAD and Information Technical Engineer
Reading, RG1 5AN
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
-
Vehicle Technician/Fleet Engineer - Nursling
Southampton, SO16 0YU
- Salary :
- £39150.31 to £45805.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- South Central Fleet Services Ltd
-
Vehicle Technician/Fleet Engineer - Aylesbury
Aylesbury, HP20 1BH
- Salary :
- £39150.31 to £45805.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- South Central Fleet Services Ltd
-
Vehicle Technician/Fleet Engineer - Didcot
Didcot, OX11 8RY
- Salary :
- £39150.31 to £45805.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- South Central Fleet Services Ltd
-
Senior Mathematical Modeller / Research Software Engineer
Birmingham, London, Leeds, Liverpool., E14 4PU
- Salary :
- £40661.00 to £50472.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- UK Health Security Agency
-
Medical and Clinical Administrator
Telford, TF3 4NF
- Salary :
- £24937.00 to £26598.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
-
Patient Services Advisor (Clinical Coder/ Medical Summariser)
Halifax, HX1 2ES
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Boulevard and Horne Street Practice
-
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Clinical Effectiveness
Bath, BA1 3QE
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
-
Medical Secretary
Sleaford, NG34 7HD
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Sleaford Medical Group
-
Medical Administrator
Wilmslow, SK9 1PA
- Salary :
- £12.42 to £12.92
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Kenmore Medical Centre
-
Medical Receptionist
Liverpool, L21 9HA
- Salary :
- £24367.00 to £24367.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Primary Care 24
-
Medical Secretary
Ipswich, IP9 2QS
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Primary Care Careers
-
Medical Receptionist
Wigan, WN2 2QG
- Salary :
- £12.51
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Pennygate Medical Centre
-
Medical Receptionist
Bolton, BL6 5PY
- Salary :
- £12.21
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Pike View Medical Centre
-
Medical Receptionist
Hawarden, CH5 3PA
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Stables Medical Practice
-
Medical Receptionist
Shrewsbury, SY4 5AF
- Salary :
- £12.21 to £12.44
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Wem and Prees Medical Practice
Showing 6 of 34 results