Occupational therapist: salary in the UK
ONS occupation: Occupational therapists (SOC 2222)
About £35,072 a year after tax (England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 2026/27)
median salary a year, full-time, +0.4% on last year
£3,652 a month About £2,923 a month after tax 27 thousand full-time jobs
Gross pay before tax, including bonuses, commission and overtime. Not included: benefits in kind such as a company car. About the data
Pay range
The dark part is the middle half of full-time employees (25% to 75%); the light bar runs from 10% to 90%. ONS doesn't publish the highest or lowest salary, and x means a figure wasn't published.
Pay by year
The median went from £33,676 in 2021 to £43,823 in 2026 (+30%); for all full-time employees in the UK it changed by +31% over the same years.
Figures by year
| P10 | P25 | Median | P75 | P90 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | £23,014 | £26,832 | £33,676 | £39,375 | x |
| 2022 | x | £27,130 | £34,571 | £40,461 | x |
| 2023 | £27,337 | £32,316 | £37,356 | £42,150 | x |
| 2024 | £28,589 | £33,125 | £40,147 | £46,774 | x |
| 2025 | £31,235 | £36,486 | £43,664 | £49,143 | x |
| 2026 | £32,437 | £38,299 | £43,823 | £50,213 | x |
ONS figures for each year, not adjusted for inflation. Years before 2021 used a different occupation classification, so they can't be compared. Earlier years are ONS's revised figures; the latest is provisional.
Half of full-time employees in this occupation earn less than £43,823 a year and half earn more. That is 7% more than the median for all full-time employees in the UK (£40,911).
The middle half earn between £38,299 and £50,213; one in ten earns less than £32,437.
Ranked by median, it is number 120 of the 362 occupations with a published figure.
At the median salary, take-home pay after Income Tax and National Insurance is about £2,923 a month in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and £2,911 in Scotland.
The median for men is £46,883 and for women £43,477, a gap of 7% in men's favour. This compares full-time salaries only and doesn't account for seniority or hours.
Percentiles
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th (P10) | £32,437 | £2,703 |
| 20th | £35,878 | £2,990 |
| 25th (P25) | £38,299 | £3,192 |
| 30th | £40,048 | £3,337 |
| 40th | £41,758 | £3,480 |
| Median (50th) | £43,823 | £3,652 |
| 60th | £46,582 | £3,882 |
| 70th | £48,400 | £4,033 |
| 75th (P75) | £50,213 | £4,184 |
| 80th | £51,703 | £4,309 |
| 90th (P90) | x | x |
Men and women
| Median | Mean | Jobs (thousands) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men | £46,883 | £46,443 | x |
| Women | £43,477 | £43,128 | 21 |
Take-home pay at the median
| Where you live | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales, NI | £35,072 | £2,923 |
| Scotland | £34,935 | £2,911 |
After Income Tax and National Insurance for 2026 to 2027, with the standard tax code and no pension or student loan. Work out your own take-home pay · Take-home pay on £44,000
Job titles in this occupation
ONS codes these 3 job titles to SOC 2222 Occupational therapists. Pay figures are for the whole occupation, not for each title.
- Community occupational therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Paediatric occupational therapist
Similar occupations
All jobs in Professional occupations
Source: ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2026 provisional, Table 14.7a (full-time employees, gross annual pay, UK, tax year ending 5 April 2026). Provisional figures may be revised.