Clinical engineer
Clinical engineers design, develop and maintain medical equipment used to diagnose illness and treat patients.
Typical Salary
£25,000 – £72,000
per year
Working Hours
37–40
hours per week
Day-to-day tasks
As a clinical engineer, you could:
- develop artificial limbs, using advanced materials
- build and test medical aids, like heart valves, hearing implants and speech synthesizers
- design equipment to help doctors use new techniques, for example optical instruments for keyhole surgery
- manage medical equipment, such as scanners, imaging machines and monitoring systems
- carry out quality assurance checks to make sure equipment is working correctly and safely
- work closely with other medical professionals and technical staff
Skills needed
- knowledge of engineering science and technology
- maths knowledge
- knowledge of computer operating systems, hardware and software
- design skills and knowledge
- complex problem-solving skills
- knowledge of biology
- knowledge of physics
- excellent verbal communication skills
- to be able to use a computer and the main software packages confidently
How to get into this role
You can get into this job through:
- a university course
- an apprenticeship
- an NHS training programme for non-graduates
Career progression
With experience, you could become a senior engineer, specialising in particular clinical areas, or move into:
- project management
- medical research and development
- university teaching
You could register for chartered engineer status (CEng), which recognises your experience and expertise. This could help when applying for jobs as a consultant clinical engineer.
You can also work in the private sector as a clinical engineer for commercial companies, that develop new medical devices and instruments.