
Medical Technology Jobs Salary Calculator 2025: Pinpoint Your True Worth in Seconds
Why yesterday’s salary guide is already obsolete for UK med‑tech professionals
Ask a Biomedical Engineer debugging ECG firmware at 2 a.m., a Regulatory Affairs Specialist deciphering post‑Brexit UKCA routes, or a Field Service Engineer racing between NHS Trusts to install endoscopy towers: “Am I earning what I deserve?” The answer mutates every quarter. EU MDR compliance deadlines squeeze regulatory talent, AI‑powered diagnostics attract Silicon‑Valley cash to Cambridge, & the NHS rolls out virtual wards, spiking demand for connected‑device integration. A salary survey printed in 2024 is now a relic—unaware of the AI‑as‑a‑medical‑device (AIaMD) explosion, the North‑East orthopaedic implant boom, or the MHRA’s new Software & AI roadmap.
To kill guesswork, MedicalTechnologyJobs.co.uk distilled a transparent, three‑factor formula that estimates a realistic 2025 UK salary in under a minute. Feed in your discipline, region, & seniority; out pops a defensible benchmark—no stale averages, no vague “competitive” ranges. This article explains the formula, unpacks the forces pushing med‑tech pay ever higher, & sets out five tangible actions to boost your market value in the next ninety days.
Why dynamic benchmarking beats static tables
Medical devices iterate through design‑locks, verification gates & regulatory audits—salary intelligence must iterate too. Static PDFs freeze a single survey window—often Q1—then decay while the sector accelerates. Three recent shocks prove why printed guides misprice talent:
AIaMD gold rush – Start‑ups building radiology triage tools & cardiology risk engines raised £1 billion collectively in 2024. They paid Data‑Driven Device Engineers £10‑£20k above median overnight.
Post‑Brexit regulation divergence – UKCA marking overlap with CE certification created a dual‑route headache. Regulatory Specialists who master both frameworks jump two pay bands in months.
Remote patient monitoring surge – The NHS Long‑Term Plan funded at‑home vitals platforms, pushing up salaries for Connected‑Device Software Engineers fluent in Bluetooth Low Energy, cybersecurity & clinical usability standards.
A living formula refreshed quarterly captures these jolts & respects context—because a Graduate QA Technician in Swansea should never share a headline figure with a Director of Regulatory Strategy in Shoreditch.
The three‑factor med‑tech salary equation
Estimated 2025 salary = Role base × Regional multiplier × Seniority uplift
Here’s how each lever is set.
1. Role base salary (median UK adverts, Jan–Jun 2025)
• Biomedical Engineer — £52,000
• Medical Device Design Engineer — £58,000
• Medical Device Software Engineer — £70,000
• Quality Assurance / Quality Engineer — £50,000
• Regulatory Affairs Specialist — £62,000
• Field Service Engineer (Med‑Tech) — £45,000
• Clinical Scientist (Medical Devices) — £60,000
• Med‑Tech Product Manager — £80,000
• AI Medical Device Engineer — £78,000
• Regulatory & Quality Manager — £90,000
These medians blend live postings on MedicalTechnologyJobs.co.uk, leading recruiter reports, & public filings. We refresh them every quarter to remain current.
2. Regional multiplier (cost‑of‑talent meets cost‑of‑living)
London & M4 MedTech corridor — 1.20
South‑East & Cambridge–Oxford biomedical cluster — 1.10
South‑West (Bristol–Bath health‑tech hub) — 1.00
Midlands (Coventry‑Nottingham medical‑device triangle) — 0.95
North‑West, North‑East, Scotland, Wales — 0.90
Northern Ireland — 0.85
Fully remote (UK contract) — 1.00 unless employer pegs to HQ scale
3. Seniority uplift (impact & sign‑off ladder)
Graduate / Entry — 0.70
Junior — 0.80
Senior — 1.25
Lead — 1.40
Principal / Head — 1.60
Director / VP — 2.00
Multiply the three numbers & you have a personalised salary anchor ready for CV headlines, LinkedIn negotiations, or HR forms.
Worked examples (baseline cash before bonus, car allowance, or stock)
• Graduate QA Engineer, Belfast → £50k × 0.85 × 0.70 ≈ £30k
• Senior Medical Device Software Engineer, Manchester hybrid → £70k × 0.90 × 1.25 ≈ £78.8k
• Director‑level Regulatory & Quality Manager, London → £90k × 1.20 × 2.00 ≈ £216k
If your payslip lags behind these baselines, you now hold data‑driven leverage to request a raise or explore fresh roles on MedicalTechnologyJobs.co.uk.
Six forces driving UK med‑tech pay higher in 2025
1. AIaMD regulatory clarity unleashes budgets
The MHRA’s Software & AI as a Medical Device change programme established guidance for adaptive algorithms, unlocking stalled procurement. AI Device Engineers blending ISO 13485 savvy with PyTorch earn premiums of fifteen percent over generic ML roles.
2. Dual CE‑UKCA compliance crunch
Firms must maintain conformity across diverging EU MDR & UKCA pathways. Regulatory Affairs Specialists mastering both sets of guidance jump two pay grades, with seniors clearing £100k outside London.
3. Digital‑first NHS accelerates connected‑device demand
Virtual wards & at‑home diagnostics shift device footprints away from hospital walls. Engineers fluent in BLE cybersecurity, IEC 62304 software lifecycle & UI‑accessibility regulations rapidly breach the £75k median.
4. Additive‑manufactured implants move to mass‑production
Titanium lattice hip cups & PEKK cranial plates hit mainstream, driving premiums for Design Engineers who speak DfAM & ISO ASTM 52920 validation.
5. Cybersecurity becomes patient safety
Ransomware against radiology networks woke regulators. Security‑cleared Device Software Engineers who implement SBOMs, secure bootloaders & IEC 81001‑5‑1 processes command mid‑nineties salaries.
6. Sustainability regulations reshape materials choice
EU green‑deal standards & NHS Net‑Zero by 2040 targets force eco‑design. Polymer Scientists who cut life‑cycle carbon footprints get pulled into product‑strategy boards, raising pay to Principal level quickly.
Role‑by‑role narrative deep dive
Biomedical Engineer – about £52k mid‑level
Bridges physiology & engineering, supports device trials, & analyses failure modes. Adding clinical evidence generation lifts pay into the mid‑fifties.
Medical Device Design Engineer – around £58k
Translates user needs into CAD, manages risk files, & shepherds design reviews. Mastery of DfAM for implants pushes offers towards £70k.
Medical Device Software Engineer – ~£70k
Codes IEC 62304‑compliant firmware, builds mobile companion apps, & integrates cybersecurity by design. FDA‑SaMD submissions experience nudges base above £80k.
Quality Assurance / Quality Engineer – ~£50k
Owns CAPAs, internal audits, & supplier quality. Green‑belt Lean Six Sigma certification bumps salaries by five‑to‑ten percent.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist – ~£62k
Authorises technical files, liaises with notified bodies, & monitors vigilance. Dual EU MDR‑UKCA mastery pushes pay past £75k.
Field Service Engineer (Med‑Tech) – ~£45k
Installs & maintains imaging systems, trains clinicians, & logs compliance. London weighting or shift premiums add significant extras.
Clinical Scientist (Medical Devices) – ~£60k
Runs usability studies, analyses clinical data, & guides post‑market surveillance. Expertise in AI device performance lifts offers into the mid‑sixties.
Med‑Tech Product Manager – ~£80k
Aligns engineers, clinicians & commercial teams; navigates reimbursement & procurement. Proven launch of AI device doubles share options.
AI Medical Device Engineer – ~£78k
Fine‑tunes vision models, writes clinical evaluation plans & manages continuous‑learning pipelines. Scarcity & hype drive six‑figure packages.
Regulatory & Quality Manager – ~£90k
Leads QMS strategy, budgets audits, & signs off design transfers. Stock & annual bonus often add twenty percent.
Regional multipliers in practice
London’s 1.20 multiplier endures, powered by global device majors in Euston & venture‑backed diagnostics scale‑ups. Yet Cambridge’s life‑science campus, Oxford’s AI‑medicine corridor, & Glasgow’s digital‑health cluster post roles at or near 1.10 & 1.00 multipliers, leveraging hybrid models to lure talent. Northern Ireland sits at 0.85 but Belfast’s emerging orthopaedic‑implant supply chain could narrow the gap. Always weigh pension matches, RSUs, car allowances & on‑call pay alongside the headline multiplier.
Seniority — how one promotion can double your pay
Med‑tech risk is existential: one software bug can harm patients & bankrupt a company. When you become signatory for design dossiers, risk‑management files or clinical‑evidence plans, you cross a liability threshold—salary follows. Keep a dossier of accomplishments: faster 510(k) clearances, audit non‑conformities resolved, adverse events prevented. Link each metric to the lift factors above & advocate for your grade jump with numbers, not anecdotes.
Five practical moves to raise your salary within ninety days
1. Earn a high‑impact credential
RAPS RAC (EU/US), BSI ISO 13485 Lead Auditor, or Certified Cybersecurity for Medical Devices—all drive immediate recruiter interest & internal banding.
2. Publish a clinical‑evaluation white paper
Turn study findings into a MedTech Innovation article; public credibility bumps pay & negotiating power.
3. Automate a pain‑point
Script risk‑file updates or build a dashboard linking CAPA status to product family. Time saved translates into leverage at review.
4. Contribute to open standards
Draft language for IEC 81001‑5‑1 cybersecurity tech‑spec or join the BSI committee for AI Health Software. Standards authorship accelerates Principal‑grade progression.
5. Speak at a conference
Present at MedTech Innovation Expo or Flow Summit on UKCA vs MDR divergence. Thought leadership nudges you towards Director titles.
Frequently asked questions
Does the formula apply to contractors?
Multiply the figure by about 1.3 for an inside‑IR35 day‑rate baseline. Outside‑IR35 MDR remediation contracts often exceed £900 per day.
How often do you refresh medians?
Quarterly. We scrape new adverts, cross‑check recruiter reports & adjust each figure so you never negotiate on stale data.
Does the estimate include bonuses, car or stock?
No. Treat it as baseline cash. Add company car, shift pay, RSUs & incentive bonus on top.
My exact title isn’t listed—what should I choose?
Map to the nearest discipline. A Usability & Human‑Factors Engineer aligns with Medical Device Design Engineer plus five‑per‑cent for scarcity.
I’m relocating from Glasgow to Cambridge—should pay rise?
Yes. Multiplier jumps from 0.90 to 1.10. Plug both numbers into the formula with your role & seniority to quantify uplift before talks.
Call to action
Calculate your 2025 salary right now: role base × region × seniority. Compare the number with your current package. Spot a gap? Browse live vacancies on MedicalTechnologyJobs.co.uk, upload your CV, set personalised alerts, & enter your next negotiation or appraisal armed with real data.
Closing thoughts — Apply device‑quality rigour to your own career
You validate every firmware change, run exhaustive risk analyses & document traceability—but many med‑tech professionals neglect the metric that powers life outside the lab: salary. Treat compensation like any critical‑to‑quality requirement. Measure it using the three‑factor formula, iterate quarterly, invest in high‑value skills, & watch your market value scale alongside the UK’s thriving medical‑technology sector.