Annual Salary
£30,000 to £45,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Social care or Therapy or go back to all job sectors
Medical illustrators produce photographs, videos and graphical images for use in healthcare.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: on call; on a rota
There will be
4.3% more Medical illustrator jobs in 2029.
Your tasks will depend on your specialism. As part of your day-to-day tasks, you may:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a photographic studio or in an NHS or private hospital.
You can get into this job through:
To get into any of the branches of medical illustration you'll need a degree in a relevant subject like:
You can apply for a trainee position as a medical illustrator in a healthcare setting once you finish your degree.
As a trainee you could gain a postgraduate qualification in specialisms like:
You'll usually need:
You can apply to do a postgraduate qualification if you're already working in healthcare and you have a relevant degree.
Medical illustration is a small and specialised field, and there's a lot of competition for vacancies. You'll improve your job prospects if you also have relevant work experience.
Contact your local university hospital or NHS trust's medical photography department to arrange a visit or some work shadowing.
You can join the Institute of Medical Illustrators for professional recognition, training opportunities and to make industry contacts.
You'll find more advice on careers and training in medical illustration through the Institute of Medical Illustrators and Health Careers.
With experience, you could progress to a management role. With further study, you could also move into research or teaching.
You'll need: