How much money does a speech therapist earn?

Answer 1

• The typical starting salary for speech and language therapists in the National Health Service (see NHS Careers ) is around £20,225. This can rise quickly to £24,103 - £32,653 (salary data collected Jan 09). Other employers, such as charities and local education authorities, offer comparable pay.
• The salary for senior speech and language therapists starts at around £33,247 and can rise to £42,508. Principal and lead speech and language therapists with significant management responsibilities can earn up to £53,432 (salary data collected Jan 09).
• National salary scales apply within the NHS. These have been reviewed in recent years, under the NHS Agenda for Change. Individual Trusts have their own terms and conditions.
• Full-time NHS allied health professionals work 37.5 hours a week. Hours are typically nine to five with the possibility of some extra hours as and when required.
• The workplace may be a hospital, health centre, day-care centre, rehabilitation unit, school or pre-school, a client's home, prison or young offenders' institution. Therapists may work in several different locations during the week.
• Self-employment/freelance work is expanding. Many experienced practitioners do some private work and an increasing number see only private clients.
• Jobs are available in most locations, although there are more opportunities in urban areas.
• Opportunities for flexible and part-time work are good. Career breaks and job-sharing are common.
• Men are currently under-represented in this profession as a whole (approximately 96% of speech and language therapists are female), although they are represented at senior level.
• Stress may be an issue in this profession and can be caused by a number of factors including: the workload; expectations of patients and relatives; difficulties in liaising with a wide range of other professionals; and financial/resource constraints. The particular challenges of a post depend on the clients' circumstances, for example congenital disorders, physical and mental disabilities, illness (e.g. Parkinson's Disease, throat cancer), drug or alcohol dependency and accidents causing head and neck injuries.
• Although travel within a working day is frequent, absence from home overnight and overseas work are uncommon.

Answer 2

The following is written by and according to the U.S. Department of Labor and particular to the education and training required for a occupational therapist.

Occupational therapists are regulated in all 50 States. Individuals pursuing a career as an occupational therapist usually need to earn a post-baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university or education deemed equivalent.

Education and training. A master's degree or higher in occupational therapy is the minimum requirement for entry into the field. In 2007, 124 master's degree programs offered entry-level education, 66 programs offered a combined bachelor's and master's degree, and 5 offered an entry-level doctoral degree. Most schools have full-time programs, although a growing number are offering weekend or part-time programs as well. Coursework in occupational therapy programs include the physical, biological, and behavioral sciences as well as the application of occupational therapy theory and skills. Programs also require the completion of 6 months of supervised fieldwork.

People considering this profession should take high school courses in Biology, chemistry, physics, health, art, and the Social Sciences. College admissions offices also look favorably on paid or volunteer experience in the health care field. Relevant undergraduate majors include biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, liberal arts, and anatomy.

For the source and more detailed information concerning your request, click on the related links section (U.S. Department of Labor) indicated directly below this answer section.

Answer 3

Newly qualified (band 5) start on around £21,500 depending on location (London gets extra weightings)

Band 6 is around £25,000+

Band 7 is around £30,000+

Answer 4

Most have a master's degree as the minimum requirement.

Answer 5

In order to work as a speech therapist, you will need to have a degree in Speech and Language Pathology. Many major colleges offer this degree in the US.