Table of contents
Contributors
Steffi joined the business in July 2017 as Business Support Executive. Steffi completed her degree in Sports and ...
As a therapist, you may be wondering how much you should charge your clients. It depends on a number of factors, including your level of experience, whether you’re a private therapist, whether you’re self-employed, your area of expertise and your whereabouts in the UK.
Generally, private therapists in the UK can charge anything from £40-150 for a 50-60 minute session. The greater your level of experience and the more specialist your area of expertise, the more you’re able to charge. The cost will also depend on any overheads you may have, such as business premises (including expenses like rent and utilities) or additional staff (such as a receptionist). For example, a therapist based in a central London practice will charge more than a home-based therapist who operates solely online.
Another variable is the number of hours a therapist works. A therapist may approximately have 30 patients per week, with the rest of their time focusing on planning sessions, writing notes and developing their skills and knowledge with additional training and certifications. As a result, their rates may be higher to account for the time spent when not one-on-one with clients.
Of course, a therapist will also want to take home a liveable salary as well. So with all these variables in mind, how much does a therapist cost in the UK? We’ve taken data available on Payscale, Talent.com, Indeed and Prospects.ac.uk to work out the average salary and average hourly earnings for therapists in the UK.
Average salary of a therapist by region in the UK
The average cost of a therapist varies widely by region. Below are the average salaries of therapists (across a wide range of specialties) across the UK, and the equivalent hourly amount based on spending time with clients for 30 hours per week.
These amounts don’t take into account experience and don’t include overheads such as rent, utilities, travel, public liability insurance and other staff wages. Because of this, therapists with additional overheads will naturally cost more – sometimes much more depending on those overheads. With this in mind, you may expect to add approximately £20-£100 to the below hourly rates.
London
Approximately £38,656 per year or £26.84 per hour.
South West
Approximately £30,385 per year or £21.10 per hour.
South East
Approximately £31,594 per year or £21.94 per hour.
Midlands
Approximately £38,551 per year or £26.77 per hour.
East
Approximately £39,360 per year or £27.33 per hour.
North East
Approximately £37,158 per year or £25.80 per hour.
North West
Approximately £38,498 per year or £26.73 per hour.
Scotland
Approximately £19,396 per year or £13.47 per hour.
Wales
Approximately £36,010 per year or £25.01 per hour.
Average cost of a therapist by specialism
So, how much does a therapist cost depending on specialism? While the average hourly rate of a therapist can vary based on region, costs are even more varied when specialism is taken into account. While all therapists require skill, training and dedication, some require more than others. As a result, some therapists will be able to charge more. However, this can fluctuate depending on skill, experience, reputation and, once again, overheads.
Below are approximations for the cost of a therapist across various specialisms. Like above, £20-100 can be added to the below hourly costs depending on experience and overheads.
Massage Therapists
Approximately £23,945 per year or £16.63 per hour.
Physical Therapists
Approximately £27,650 per year or £19.20 per hour.
Occupational Therapists
Approximately £28,412 per year or £19.73 per hour.
Respiratory Therapists
Approximately £29,000 per year or £20.14 per hour.
Mental Health Therapists
Approximately £27,565 per year or £19.14 per hour.
Beauty Therapists
Approximately £19,975 per year or £13.87 per hour.
Radiation Therapists
Approximately £27,186 per year or £18.88 per hour.
Clinical Therapists
Approximately £35,000 per year or £24.31 per hour.
Paediatric Therapists
Approximately £40,057 per year or £27.82 per hour.
Behavioural Therapists
Approximately £38,890 per year or £27.01 per hour.
Speech Therapists
Approximately £26,026 per year or £18.07 per hour.
Music Therapists
Approximately £29,297 per year or £20.35 per hour.
CBT Therapists
Approximately £42,945 per year or £29.82 per hour.
Get your therapy business insurance from £3.14 a month
Now that you have more of an idea as to how much a therapist earns and charges, why not secure counselling business insurance? Get your therapy business insurance from £3.14 a month.
Get Therapist Insurance from Protectivity
*Disclaimer – This blog has been created as general information and should not be taken as advice. Make sure you have the correct level of insurance for your requirements and always review policy documentation. Information is factually accurate at the time of publishing but may have become out of date.
Last updated by
