Annual Salary
£35,000 to £69,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Pathologists work in hospitals and laboratories on different areas of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
2.4% more Pathologist jobs in 2027.
Depending on your area, as a pathologist you could:
You can find out more about what you'll do as a pathologist from the Royal College of Pathologists.
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital or in a laboratory.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through a university course.
You can take either a medical doctor route or clinical scientist route to become a pathologist.
Medical doctor route
To become a pathologist through the medical doctor route, you'll need to complete:
There's a lot of competition for places on medical degrees. Most universities will expect you to have done some paid or voluntary work experience in healthcare.
Science degrees
If you already have a first class or 2:
Entry tests
When you apply for a course in medicine, you may be asked to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).
It tests the skills you'll need on the course, like critical thinking, problem solving, data analysis, communication and scientific knowledge.
Clinical scientist route
To become a pathologist through the clinical scientist route, you'll need to complete:a degree or master's in a science subject like biology, chemistry, clinical or biomedical science which takes 3 to 4 years; the Scientist Training Programme which is work based, takes 3 years and leads to a master's degree; the pathology speciality of the Higher Specialist Scientist Training Programme which takes 5 years
You'll usually need:
To become a veterinary pathologist, you'll need to train as a vet.
You can find out more about a career in pathology from the Royal College of Pathologists and Health Careers.
With experience you could:lead a team or manage a department; apply for senior or consultant roles if you're on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register; move into teaching and training students, trainee doctors and other healthcare professionals
You'll need: