Occupational Therapists’ Salaries

OT salaries vary depending on what field you work in, what level of experience you have and what type of responsibility you have and where in the UK you are.
The agenda for change, put in place in 2004 was introduced to harmonise pay and terms and conditions for all NHS workers other than doctors. This saw the end of the basic grade, senior 2, senior 1 type scale and brought in banding. It starts at band 5 for newly qualified OT and goes up. A result of this was that it brought into place even pay for physiotherapists and OT's.

If you work for the inner London authorities, you can expect to receive additional money in your salary for what is called London waiting. This is because of the higher cost of living in London. You do not have to be living in London, you can commute in, which of course, increases your travel costs. There are 3 different levels, depending on where you are located. Central London has the highest, and outwards getting less. This extra pay is not always included on the salary in adverts for London jobs so it is best to clarify this to be sure of exactly what you will receive.
There is always room for negotiation depending on your level of experience. It is always worth asking , if successful in an application, to see the salary levels and negotiate for what you feel you are worth. Have a figure in mind that you would like to achieve and go in higher.

Social care OT's historically were paid more than OT's working in health. There is less room to move up scales in social care so they generally get paid more to start with. Also, you used to need at least 2 years’ experience prior to applying for a job in social care so were more experienced to start with. This is no longer the case as OT’s can be employed when newly qualified, although they usually will have had a placement in social care or been employed in social care in another capacity. In social care you are generally employed as an OT, or a senior practitioner OT. There is nothing in between. However, some authorities will allow you to become an advanced grade OT after going through an application process to prove your experience. You will then receive a salary between OT and senior OT scales.

Locuming is a way to earn a bit more money. This is working through an agency and being placed in various locations. You will be paid hourly and this rate depends on who you are working for and what experience you have. Local authorities usually have a set range and there is no movement above this. You need to take into consideration the fact that you do not get paid if you do not work. Sick leave, annual leave, bank holidays and training time need to be taken into account. You also need to pay for your own training. You will not be supported in the same way as permanent staff and will be required to hit the ground running. You will often be handed a case load and expected to get on with it. I recommend you have some experience before trying this route. You do learn a lot quickly though! This way of working used to be much more lucrative but with cuts in budgets across health and social care, the rates are not what they used to be. If you choose to work this way, you can set up a limited company and therefore pay taxes differently to earn a bit more. This work is not secure as you are offered short term contracts. They can extend into more long term depending on the client's needs.
Some OT's work in the private sector for private OT companies or for other places like insurance companies. They have their own pay systems. You can choose to do some work for a private company in addition to your main role. This type of work is often paid by case so you need to work out if it is worthwhile by the time you have included travel time, report writing and follow ups.

Where ever you end up, the pay is generally reasonable even though you will not be a millionaire with this career! Most places offer a lot of support and assist you to gain more skills and offer different opportunities. It is often very rewarding.

This link will give you a table of NHS salaries, OT’s start on band 5 as a newly qualified OT -

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/ you can register on this site and be emailed job vacancies for your location and field of interest. Each job states the salary range.

Social care salaries for an OT, tend to start from anywhere around £27, 000 for a basic grade and up to about £34-39000 – the higher rates are again, in London. You will get paid more if you gain senior role, but often not much more at the start if you have moved off the top of the OT scale onto the bottom of the senior scale.