Career directory
What each job actually involves, the routes in — apprenticeship or degree — and typical starting pay in the UK.
Design, build and maintain the applications and systems people use every day, working in small teams with regular code reviews.
Routes in: Degree apprenticeship, graduate scheme, bootcamp plus a portfolio, or a computing degree.
Typical start: £26,000–£38,000
Monitor systems for threats, investigate incidents and help organisations stay resilient against attacks.
Routes in: Level 4 cyber apprenticeship, graduate scheme, or a computing/cyber degree.
Typical start: £25,000–£35,000
Turn messy data into clear answers with SQL, spreadsheets and dashboards so teams can make better decisions.
Routes in: Data analyst apprenticeship, graduate scheme, or any numerate degree plus SQL skills.
Typical start: £24,000–£33,000
Build and deploy models that make predictions or generate content, and keep them accurate in production.
Routes in: Usually a maths, physics, computing or data degree, then a graduate scheme.
Typical start: £32,000–£45,000
Design, test and improve physical products and machinery — from vehicles and manufacturing lines to medical devices.
Routes in: Engineering apprenticeship (Level 3–6) or a mechanical engineering degree.
Typical start: £26,000–£34,000
Work on circuits, power systems and control hardware that keep everything from grids to robots running.
Routes in: Engineering apprenticeship or an electrical/electronic engineering degree.
Typical start: £26,000–£35,000
Plan and deliver the built environment — bridges, railways, water networks and housing — with plenty of site work.
Routes in: Civil engineering degree or a degree apprenticeship with a contractor or consultancy.
Typical start: £26,000–£32,000
Run experiments and analyses in research, pharma or food science, recording results to strict standards.
Routes in: Lab technician apprenticeship or a biology, chemistry or biomedical science degree.
Typical start: £22,000–£30,000
Coordinate the studies that prove new medicines work, managing data, documents and study sites.
Routes in: Life sciences degree, or an entry level clinical research assistant role.
Typical start: £24,000–£30,000
Assess how projects affect land, air and water, and advise clients on staying within environmental rules.
Routes in: Environmental science or geography degree, or an environmental practitioner apprenticeship.
Typical start: £23,000–£29,000
Install, maintain and monitor wind, solar and heat pump systems — hands-on work with a climate purpose.
Routes in: Level 3 engineering or electrical apprenticeship, often with on-the-job training.
Typical start: £24,000–£32,000
Use statistics to price risk for insurers and pension funds, studying towards actuarial exams alongside work.
Routes in: Maths, stats, physics or economics degree, or an actuarial apprenticeship.
Typical start: £28,000–£35,000
Solve open problems in labs and industry, from materials and optics to quantum and space technology.
Routes in: Physics or engineering degree; many roles expect a Master's or PhD later.
Typical start: £28,000–£36,000
Deliver hands-on patient care alongside registered nurses, with a clear route into full nursing registration.
Routes in: Nursing associate apprenticeship (Level 5) — no degree needed to start.
Typical start: £25,000–£28,000
Analyse patient samples in NHS and private labs so clinicians can diagnose and monitor disease.
Routes in: IBMS-accredited biomedical science degree, or a healthcare science apprenticeship.
Typical start: £25,000–£31,000
Use X-ray, CT and MRI imaging to help diagnose patients — a mix of technology and direct patient contact.
Routes in: Radiography degree or a degree apprenticeship with an NHS trust.
Typical start: £29,000–£31,000
Answer a few questions and our free AI career advisor will match you to four STEM careers with the routes to get there.
Get advice →