Occupational therapists roles in the UK earn a median of £43,000 per year, equivalent to £22.09 per hour as of 2025. Pay increased 4.4% compared to the previous year. Regionally, pay ranges from £35,000 in North East to £52,500 in London. Pay has risen over the past 4 years. The ONS national median for this occupation is £44,040/yr (2% below our computed national average).
Median Annual Pay
£43,000
as of 2025
Modelled estimateMedian Hourly Pay
£22.09
per hour
Year-on-Year Change
+4.4%
vs 2024
Annual Pay Range
£34,500 – £51,000
25th – 75th percentile
UK Employment (2024)
~57,000
estimated employees
73 of 180 areas not disclosed by ONS
Employment Change
2021–2024
2021: ~55,000 → 2024: ~57,000
Market Signal
Pay growthPay is growing with broadly stable employment.
Employment figures from ONS Annual Population Survey (APS). Counts are estimates; suppressed cells (small samples) are excluded from totals.
Median annual pay for Occupational therapists across UK regions.
Source: ONS ASHE. Based on broad UK regions (NUTS1).
| Region | Median Pay |
|---|---|
| London | £52,500 |
| Wales | £46,000 |
| North West | £45,000 |
| Scotland | £42,500 |
| East Midlands | £41,000 |
| West Midlands | £40,500 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £39,500 |
| South East | £39,500 |
| South West | £38,000 |
| North East | £35,000 |
| UK | £43,000 |
Annual pay grew by +4.4% from 2024 to 2025.
National average (NUTS1 actuals) based on ONS ASHE April snapshot.
Annual percentage change in median pay for Occupational therapists.
Percentage change from the prior year's April figure.
For job seekers
Check your salary against official UK data for Occupational therapists roles — broken down by region and seniority level. Free, instant, no sign-up required.
For employers & recruiters
Occupational therapists work with people who have a physical or learning disability or mental illness, actively engaging them in purposeful activities in order to maximise self-confidence, independent functioning and well-being.
Entrants usually possess A levels/H grades, an HND/HNC, a BTEC/SQA award or equivalent qualifications followed by training on an approved degree scheme necessary for state registration as an occupational therapist. There is a minimum age limit of 18 years to enter training.
Salary data is sourced from official UK pay datasets and updated periodically.