Medtech Talent Trends 2025

Insights on medtech hiring challenges, skills shortages, and workforce strategies to close the medical device talent gap.

The medical device industry stands at a transformative crossroads. From AI-enabled diagnostics and digital health platforms to the next generation of minimally invasive technologies, innovation is redefining what’s possible in healthcare. Yet, as the pace of progress accelerates, one challenge looms larger than ever: the demand for specialised talent is outpacing supply.

To better understand how companies are navigating this tightening talent landscape, Skills Alliance conducted a survey across our global medtech network. The results reveal not only where the greatest hiring pressures lie, but also how forward-thinking organisations are adapting their workforce strategies to stay ahead.

The Hardest Roles to Fill

When asked which medical device roles are proving most difficult to hire, respondents pointed most often to Clinical and Post-Market functions (38%), followed by Regulatory Affairs (29%), R&D/Engineering (18%), and Quality Assurance (16%).

These findings echo a growing industry reality: as devices become more complex and regulation intensifies, companies need professionals who can bridge science, technology, and compliance. Regulatory specialists, for instance, are under immense pressure to interpret evolving MDR and FDA frameworks while enabling speed to market. Similarly, clinical and post-market teams play a critical role in ensuring safety, efficacy, and real-world evidence — all essential to maintaining product competitiveness and compliance readiness.

Insight:
Talent gaps in these critical functions are slowing development timelines and increasing regulatory risk. For many organisations, this shortage directly impacts their ability to bring innovations to patients efficiently and safely.

Top Hiring Challenges Facing Employers

We asked respondents about their biggest hiring obstacles. Competition increasing wages emerged as the dominant challenge (38%), followed by lengthy hiring timelines (29%), limited candidate pools (21%), and regulatory complexity (13%).

This data highlights a tight talent market where high performers are in demand across multiple companies simultaneously. Early-stage start-ups often struggle to match the salary expectations seen in established medtechs, while larger firms face their own bottlenecks in navigating slow, multi-layered hiring processes.

Insight:
Rising salary competition in regulatory affairs and growing bottlenecks in clinical recruitment are reshaping hiring dynamics. Companies must balance the need for top-tier expertise with operational agility to avoid talent loss to faster-moving competitors.

Skills Shortages in Emerging Areas

Innovation in AI, robotics, and digital health is widening the medtech skills gap. Regulatory & Compliance (36%) and Clinical Trial & Post-Market (36%) skills are the most difficult to source, with Digital Health & Software (21%) and Advanced Engineering (7%) also in short supply.

As devices become increasingly connected and data-driven, the industry’s need for hybrid skillsets is becoming urgent. Professionals who can combine software development or AI expertise with regulatory understanding — for example, engineers who grasp MDR documentation or data scientists versed in clinical protocols — are especially rare and highly sought after.

Insight:
The convergence of digital and medical technologies is creating a new class of multidimensional roles that traditional career paths haven’t yet caught up with.

Workforce Models: Permanent vs. Flexible Talent

With hiring challenges mounting, medtech companies are diversifying their workforce strategies. When asked how they address hard-to-fill roles, 37% of respondents said they rely primarily on permanent hires, while 26% turn to contractors or interim experts, 21% adopt a blended approach, and 16% invest in upskilling or internal mobility.

Each approach offers distinct advantages. Contractors and interim specialists provide immediate expertise, helping companies maintain compliance and accelerate delivery. Permanent hires support long-term knowledge retention and cultural continuity. Meanwhile, internal upskilling and mobility — though still underutilised — can enhance resilience and retention by nurturing home-grown talent.

Insight:
Blended workforce models, combining external experts with internal development initiatives, are proving to be the most sustainable solution for navigating skills shortages while ensuring business continuity.

Closing the Medtech Talent Gap

A consistent narrative has emerged: the medical device sector is innovating faster than its talent pipeline can keep up. Clinical and regulatory expertise remains in critical shortage, wage competition is intensifying, and the rise of digital health is driving demand for entirely new skill combinations.

To succeed in this evolving environment, medtech organisations must take a more strategic approach to workforce planning — one that combines external agility with internal capability-building.

How to Adapt:

Leverage specialist recruitment partners like Skills Alliance to access hard-to-find talent across regulatory, clinical, and engineering domains.
Adopt proactive staffing strategies — building long-term candidate pipelines, engaging passive talent, and leveraging data-driven recruitment to stay ahead of demand.
Blend external hiring with internal upskilling to future-proof your talent strategy and reduce dependency on a limited candidate pool.