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Occupational Therapists

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.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£18,838
£32,261
£48,236

New workers start around £18,838. Normal pay is £32,261 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £48,236.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 48,014 vacancies for this type of job

6.08%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Maintains patient records, manages caseloads.

  • Counsels clients in ways to promote a healthy lifestyle, prevention of illness and/or preparation for coping with increasing stages of illness.

  • Makes home visits to clients, families and carers to organise support and rehabilitation and assist them to deal and cope with disability.

  • Trains students and supervises the work of occupational therapy assistants.

  • Liaises with a wide variety of other professionals in planning and reviewing ongoing treatments.

  • Devises, designs, initiates and monitors carefully selected and graded treatments and activities as part of the assessment and intervention process.

  • Considers the physical, psychological and social needs of a patient that may result from illness, injury, congenital condition or lifestyle problems.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Occupational Therapy

  • Rehabilitation

  • Mental Health

  • Clinical Governance

  • Physical Therapy

  • Auditing

  • Treatment Planning

  • Service Development

  • Clinical Reasoning

  • Risk Analysis

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communication

  • Management

  • Planning

  • Leadership

  • Research

  • Teaching

  • Time Management

  • Teamwork

  • Presentations

  • Problem Solving

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Occupational Therapy

University of Northampton

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Northampton · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

University of Salford

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Salford · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

University of Bradford

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Bradford · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

Teesside University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Middlesbrough · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/128

Occupational Therapy

University of Cumbria

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Carlisle · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Occupational Therapy

Buckinghamshire New University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · High Wycombe · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/144

Occupational Therapy

University of Liverpool

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Liverpool · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

University of East Anglia UEA

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Norwich · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

University of Huddersfield

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Huddersfield · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Occupational Therapy

Canterbury Christ Church University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Canterbury · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

University of Derby

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Derby · 09/2025

Tariff points: 128/128

Occupational Therapy

University of Southampton

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Southampton · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

Northumbria University, Newcastle

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Newcastle upon Tyne · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Occupational Therapy

University of Worcester

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Worcester · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/144

Occupational Therapy BSc

St George's, University of London

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · London · 01/09/2025

Tariff points: 81/128

Occupational Therapy

Sheffield Hallam University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Sheffield · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Occupational Therapy

Brunel University London

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Uxbridge · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

Leeds Beckett University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Leeds · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh

MOccTh · 4 Years · Full-time · Edinburgh · 08/09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Occupational Therapy

University of Plymouth

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Plymouth · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/128

Occupational Therapy

University of Gloucestershire

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Gloucester · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

Coventry University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Coventry · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Occupational Therapy

Bournemouth University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Poole · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/136

Occupational Therapy

Ulster University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Derry~Londonderry · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/128

Occupational Therapy

Birmingham Newman University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Birmingham · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/112

Occupational Therapy

University of Bedfordshire

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Luton · 09/2025

Tariff points: 104/104

Occupational Therapy

Glasgow Caledonian University

BSc (Hons) · 4 Years · Full-time · Glasgow · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 102/112

Occupational Therapy

University of East London

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Stratford · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

Occupational Therapy

Wrexham University

BSc (Hons) · 3 Years · Full-time · Wrexham · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 96/112

Healthcare Practice

Chichester College Group (inc Brinsbury, Chichester, Crawley, Northbrook & Worthing Colleges)

HNC · 1 Year · Full-time · Brighton · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

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