Browse roles you have never heard of

What could biology, chemistry and maths lead to?

Careers that build on what you're already studying.

Pick your degree

Choose a degree subject to see the careers it can lead to.

42 careers

Finance & risk

Accountant

Manages financial reporting, audit, or tax, a structured, chartered path that trains science graduates from scratch.

Any degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£32,000 (while training)
Research & laboratory science

Biochemist

Studies the chemistry of living organisms, from enzymes to metabolism, in research, pharma or diagnostics.

BiochemistryChemistryBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Data, tech & analytics

Biomedical data scientist

Applies statistics and machine learning to biological and clinical data, bridging lab research and computation.

Biomedical ScienceData ScienceBioinformatics
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000
Operations, quality & compliance

Clinical coding specialist

Translates medical records into standardised codes used for billing, funding and national statistics.

Any degreeLife SciencesComputer Science
Route in
No specific degree needed. Entry is via NHS trainee coder posts and the National Clinical Coding Qualification.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£30,000
Policy, law & advocacy

Clinical negligence claims analyst

Assesses medical malpractice claims for insurers or law firms, needing clinical literacy without clinical training.

LawBiomedical ScienceNursing
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£30,000
Allied health professions

Clinical perfusionist

Operates the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery, a niche, highly technical operating theatre role.

Biomedical ScienceBiologyPhysiologyAdult Nursing
Route in
Science or nursing degree, then the NHS Clinical Perfusion Science MSc training post.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000 (trainee)
Pharma & life sciences

Clinical research associate

Monitors clinical trial sites to ensure they're run properly and ethically, a common entry point into pharma.

Life SciencesBiomedical ScienceNursing
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000
Pharma & life sciences

Clinical trial coordinator

Runs the day-to-day logistics of clinical studies, ensuring patient safety, data quality and regulatory compliance.

Any science degreeBiomedical SciencePharmacy
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£30,000
Pharma & life sciences

Clinical trial project manager

Runs the operational side of trials: timelines, sites, budgets and regulatory milestones.

Life SciencesBiomedical ScienceBusiness
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000
Data, tech & analytics

Digital health product manager

Leads development of health apps, wearables, or diagnostic software, sitting between tech and clinical need.

Any science degreeComputer ScienceBusiness
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£32,000–£42,000
Healthcare & clinical practice

Genetic counsellor

Helps patients understand inherited conditions and genetic test results, blending biology, psychology and patient support.

GeneticsBiologyBiomedical SciencePsychology
Route in
Relevant degree, then the Genomic Counselling MSc or the NHS Scientist Training Programme.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Research & laboratory science

Geneticist / genomic scientist

Studies genes and inherited conditions, increasingly in NHS genomic medicine labs and research.

GeneticsBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000
Data, tech & analytics

Genomics data analyst

Works with genetic sequencing data for diagnostics or research, a fast-growing field as genomic medicine expands.

GeneticsBioinformaticsBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000
Communication & education

Grant writer / research funding officer

Writes and manages funding applications for research institutions or health charities.

Any science degreeEnglish
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£25,000–£31,000
Data, tech & analytics

Health data analyst

Turns NHS and public health data into insight that shapes policy and services, no clinical training required.

Data ScienceStatisticsPublic HealthBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£25,000–£32,000
Consulting & strategy

Health innovation manager

Helps hospitals or health systems adopt new technologies and treatments, bridging research and real-world use.

Any science degreeComputer ScienceBusiness
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000
Finance & risk

Health insurance underwriter

Assesses risk for health insurance products, often overlapping with actuarial work but more health-specific.

MathsStatisticsEconomicsBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£25,000–£32,000
Commercial

Health tech account manager

Manages relationships between health tech companies and the hospitals/clinics using their products.

Any degreeBusinessLife Sciences
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000 (plus commission)
Consulting & strategy

Healthcare consultant

Works with hospitals, pharma and government to solve operational and strategic problems in health systems.

Any science degreeEconomicsBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£32,000–£45,000
Research & laboratory science

Immunologist

Studies the immune system, from vaccine development to autoimmune disease research.

ImmunologyBiomedical ScienceBiology
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Finance & risk

Investment banking analyst

Advises companies on raising capital and mergers, recruits heavily from science degrees for their analytical rigour.

Any numerate degree, e.g. Economics, Maths, Statistics, Finance
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£50,000–£65,000 (plus bonus)
Research & laboratory science

Life sciences research scientist

Designs and runs experiments to answer biological questions in universities, institutes or industry.

BiologyBiomedical ScienceBiochemistry
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Consulting & strategy

Management consultant

Solves strategic and operational problems for organisations across every sector, not just healthcare.

Any degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£35,000–£50,000
Commercial

Medical device sales specialist

Combines technical product knowledge with client-facing sales, less saturated than pharma sales.

Any science degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000 (plus commission)
Science & society

Medical illustrator

Creates accurate visualisations of anatomy, surgery and medical education materials, a rare science-meets-art career.

IllustrationAnatomical ScienceBiomedical Science
Route in
An art or bioscience degree, then a Medical Art / Medical Illustration MSc.
Starting salary (UK)
£24,000–£30,000
Finance & risk

Medical risk assessor

Evaluates health-related risk for life and critical illness insurance, more clinically grounded than general actuarial work.

Biomedical ScienceStatisticsActuarial Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£33,000
Pharma & life sciences

Medical science liaison

Bridges pharma companies and doctors, translating research into clinical relevance, well-paid and little-known.

PharmacyPharmacologyBiomedical ScienceLife Sciences
Route in
A science degree plus strong therapy-area knowledge; many enter after a PhD, PharmD or clinical role.
Starting salary (UK)
£45,000–£55,000 (post-PhD/experience)
Pharma & life sciences

Medical writer

Turns clinical trial data into regulatory documents, journal articles, or patient materials for pharma companies.

Life SciencesBiomedical ScienceEnglish
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000
Research & laboratory science

Microbiologist

Investigates bacteria, viruses and fungi in labs, hospitals, public health and food safety.

MicrobiologyBiomedical ScienceBiology
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Science & society

Patent attorney

Helps inventors protect new technology and drugs through intellectual property law, a well-paid blend of science and law.

Any science degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£40,000 (trainee)
Pharma & life sciences

Pharmacologist

Researches how drugs interact with the body, developing and testing new treatments before they reach patients.

PharmacologyBiomedical ScienceBiochemistry
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£33,000
Healthcare & clinical practice

Physician associate

Works alongside doctors to diagnose, manage and treat patients, a rapidly growing clinical role that does not require medical school.

Biomedical ScienceBiologyPhysiologyAdult Nursing
Route in
A bioscience or health degree, then the 2-year Physician Associate Studies MSc/PGDip.
Starting salary (UK)
£34,000–£41,000
Operations, quality & compliance

Process and operations analyst

Uses data and process mapping to improve how organisations, including hospitals, run day to day.

Any numerate degree, e.g. Economics, Maths, Statistics, Finance
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£26,000–£32,000
Commercial

Product manager (general tech)

Leads development of a product from concept to launch, valued for structured problem-solving over a specific degree.

Any degree
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£32,000–£42,000
Communication & education

Public engagement officer

Designs events, exhibitions and campaigns that help the public understand and connect with scientific research.

Any science degreeScience Communication
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Public & global health

Public health officer

Designs and runs programmes that improve population-level health outcomes.

Public HealthBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£35,000 (NHS Band 6)
Finance & risk

Risk manager

Identifies and manages financial, operational, or regulatory risk for an organisation, a broad, structured path that welcomes analytical science graduates.

Any numerate degree, e.g. Economics, Maths, Statistics, Finance
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000
Communication & education

Science communicator / health journalist

Translates complex health research for the public, through outlets, charities, or government bodies.

Any science degreeScience CommunicationJournalism
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Communication & education

Science journalist / editor

Reports, edits or commissions science stories for newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, websites and publishers.

Any science degreeJournalismScience Communication
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£22,000–£28,000
Communication & education

Science teacher / lecturer

Inspires the next generation of scientists in schools, colleges or universities, a route that keeps you close to the subject.

Any science degreeEducation
Route in
Science degree plus a PGCE or salaried teacher training route; lecturing usually needs a PhD.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£34,000
Engineering

Tissue engineer

Works on growing or engineering biological tissue for research or regenerative medicine.

Biomedical EngineeringBiotechnologyBiomedical Science
Route in
Degree routes listed above; entry paths vary by employer.
Starting salary (UK)
£28,000–£34,000
Pharma & life sciences

Translational scientist

Works on moving lab research toward real clinical application, between pure research and product development.

Biomedical ScienceBiochemistryBiologyPharmacology
Route in
Science degree, then research experience or a PhD.
Starting salary (UK)
£30,000–£38,000