General radiography
Band 3
Diagnostic radiographer Band 3 jobs in the UK
Trainee assistant practitioner · 1–2 years on AP training programme
General/plain-film radiographers cover A&E, theatres, wards and outpatients — the largest part of the diagnostic workforce.
Pay & typical settings
- Pay band
- £24,625 – £25,674 (2025/26 AfC)
- Typical experience
- 1–2 years on AP training programme
- Where these roles sit
- Emergency departments · Theatres · Wards · Outpatient X-ray
What the person spec usually requires
- Working towards FdSc / foundation degree in healthcare science (imaging)
- Performing protocolled plain-film exams under supervision
- Patient ID, consent and pause-and-check ownership
- IR(ME)R operator under a named scheme of work
Core General radiography skills panels score
- Plain film technique
- Mobile & theatre imaging
- IR(ME)R justification awareness
- Trauma positioning
How to get shortlisted
- Evidence of academic capacity (recent GCSE/A-level/Access study)
- Care experience plus exposure to imaging
- Examples of following SOPs precisely under pressure
- Commitment to completing the apprenticeship
The route into General radiography
Entry is via a BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography or the degree apprenticeship, leading directly to a Band 5 post.
Score your application against this person spec
Paste the trust's person spec and your draft — the Shortlisting Coach scores you criterion-by-criterion and tells you exactly what to add. Free run every day, no signup needed.