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Average Imaging Programmer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An imaging programmer in United Kingdom earns about 58,200 GBP a year. That's 16% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 26,500 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 91,700 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an imaging programmer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
58,200 GBP
4,850 GBP per month
Lowest reported
26,500 GBP
2,208 GBP per month
Highest reported
91,700 GBP
7,641 GBP per month

A typical imaging programmer working in United Kingdom brings home around 4,850 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 26,500 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 91,700 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior imaging programmer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the imaging programmer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How imaging programmer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all imaging programmers in United Kingdom earn less than 64,900 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 42,000 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 86,100 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of imaging programmers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 26,500 GBP. The highest stretch to 91,700 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

26,500
Low
64,900
Median
91,700
High
42,000
25th
86,100
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Imaging programmer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an imaging programmer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical imaging programmer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    31,400 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +26% from previous
    39,700 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +51% from previous
    60,100 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +20% from previous
    71,900 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +11% from previous
    79,800 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    86,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 51%. That is the point at which a imaging programmer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Imaging programmer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving imaging programmer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average imaging programmer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    33,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +65% from previous
    55,700 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +66% from previous
    92,300 GBP

Imaging programmer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male imaging programmers in United Kingdom earn an average of 61,400 GBP a year, while female imaging programmers earn around 55,300 GBP. That works out to a 11% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Imaging Programmer gender pay gap

10%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 61,400 GBP
Women 55,300 GBP

Pay raises for an imaging programmer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 11% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Imaging programmer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

61%

61% of imaging programmers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an imaging programmer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 39% of imaging programmers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Imaging programmer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Imaging programmer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Imaging programmer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Manchester
  • Glasgow
  • Leeds
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Bristol
  • Kingston upon Hull
  • Belfast
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion121,800 GBP130,500 GBP54,500-191,100 GBP
ScotlandRegion88,000 GBP83,000 GBP46,400-134,700 GBP
ManchesterCity73,100 GBP69,400 GBP35,600-108,200 GBP
GlasgowCity72,700 GBP73,500 GBP36,600-114,600 GBP
LeedsCity72,400 GBP70,500 GBP33,000-111,700 GBP
BirminghamCity71,800 GBP78,200 GBP33,600-114,600 GBP
SomersetCity71,200 GBP69,200 GBP35,300-109,700 GBP
BristolCity68,900 GBP72,400 GBP30,300-107,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity67,800 GBP64,200 GBP37,200-105,200 GBP
BelfastCity67,800 GBP72,700 GBP30,200-109,000 GBP
PortsmouthCity67,000 GBP68,500 GBP30,700-105,200 GBP
NottinghamCity66,900 GBP62,300 GBP35,100-103,600 GBP
CoventryCity66,400 GBP63,500 GBP33,300-102,700 GBP
LondonCity66,400 GBP74,100 GBP32,900-107,700 GBP
NewcastleCity66,400 GBP69,800 GBP33,300-105,800 GBP
LiverpoolCity66,200 GBP69,100 GBP32,900-105,800 GBP
SheffieldCity66,100 GBP71,700 GBP30,200-109,000 GBP
BradfordCity66,100 GBP65,500 GBP33,600-103,600 GBP
LeicesterCity65,700 GBP72,000 GBP29,400-107,700 GBP
EdinburghCity64,900 GBP61,700 GBP35,500-97,300 GBP
CardiffCity64,800 GBP66,100 GBP33,200-103,600 GBP
BrightonCity64,500 GBP66,900 GBP30,200-97,900 GBP
SwanseaCity64,200 GBP65,900 GBP31,700-103,600 GBP
DerbyCity63,500 GBP67,800 GBP32,200-100,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity63,400 GBP68,300 GBP31,200-102,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity63,000 GBP61,400 GBP30,700-95,100 GBP
PooleCity62,600 GBP63,400 GBP32,900-99,900 GBP
NorwichCity62,500 GBP67,600 GBP29,000-98,800 GBP
DerryCity62,100 GBP58,500 GBP30,200-92,100 GBP
OxfordCity62,100 GBP63,700 GBP30,700-95,400 GBP
YorkCity61,700 GBP58,800 GBP32,600-96,000 GBP
HartlepoolCity61,300 GBP65,100 GBP29,600-98,100 GBP
PlymouthCity60,600 GBP59,200 GBP31,700-93,100 GBP
AberdeenCity60,600 GBP63,500 GBP30,800-97,600 GBP
PeterboroughCity59,800 GBP64,400 GBP26,300-96,400 GBP
NewportCity59,800 GBP64,100 GBP27,300-92,500 GBP
ChesterCity59,500 GBP65,500 GBP26,200-93,900 GBP
DundeeCity59,500 GBP65,500 GBP26,200-93,900 GBP
LincolnCity59,100 GBP58,600 GBP32,900-92,100 GBP
WinchesterCity58,600 GBP58,400 GBP26,400-89,200 GBP
StirlingCity58,500 GBP59,500 GBP27,200-89,400 GBP
ArmaghCity58,500 GBP60,000 GBP27,700-92,100 GBP
NewryCity58,200 GBP64,900 GBP26,500-91,700 GBP
ExeterCity58,200 GBP55,500 GBP30,800-90,000 GBP
CambridgeCity58,100 GBP55,700 GBP29,300-86,100 GBP
InvernessCity57,900 GBP63,200 GBP24,800-92,000 GBP
LisburnCity57,800 GBP60,400 GBP26,400-91,700 GBP
CanterburyCity57,400 GBP60,900 GBP27,200-88,700 GBP
SalisburyCity57,200 GBP56,900 GBP26,500-86,800 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion57,200 GBP58,700 GBP27,400-88,000 GBP
AbingdonCity57,100 GBP54,100 GBP31,200-86,800 GBP
GloucesterCity56,800 GBP57,400 GBP29,600-90,600 GBP
DurhamCity55,200 GBP58,800 GBP24,200-90,000 GBP
WakefieldCity55,100 GBP58,500 GBP23,600-86,300 GBP
RiponCity54,900 GBP52,300 GBP27,700-85,400 GBP
WalesRegion54,600 GBP58,100 GBP28,800-86,300 GBP
WellsCity54,500 GBP54,100 GBP27,400-87,300 GBP
St DavidsCity54,100 GBP52,300 GBP27,700-83,700 GBP
BangorCity54,100 GBP52,000 GBP29,600-83,700 GBP
KirkwallCity53,800 GBP53,600 GBP26,900-83,300 GBP
TruroCity53,300 GBP55,600 GBP26,600-83,400 GBP
StromnessCity51,500 GBP57,100 GBP22,400-83,800 GBP
StrontianCity51,100 GBP48,500 GBP25,800-79,600 GBP

Imaging Programmer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an imaging programmer make per month in United Kingdom?

    An imaging programmer in United Kingdom earns about 4,850 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 58,200 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an imaging programmer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level imaging programmers in United Kingdom start near 26,500 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 91,700 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 42,000 and 86,100 GBP.

  • Is the median imaging programmer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 64,900 GBP, higher than the average of 58,200 GBP. Half of imaging programmers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for imaging programmers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an imaging programmer in United Kingdom earn around 11% more than women on average (61,400 vs 55,300 GBP a year).

  • Do imaging programmers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 61% of imaging programmers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do imaging programmers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an imaging programmer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do imaging programmers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An imaging programmer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 11% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.