How much money does a physiotherapist make UK?

Physiotherapy can be an extremely rewarding and lucrative career that gives you the chance to help people while making a good living in the UK. Becoming a qualified physiotherapist opens many doors, allowing you to work in either the public and private sectors or find extremely profitable work in locum jobs UK-wide.

So, if you're asking the question: "how much money does a physiotherapist make UK-based?" we will explore the various options, depending on the path that you choose.

How much money does a physiotherapist make UK-based?

Physiotherapists can follow many different paths in their careers, including orthopaedics, musculoskeletal inpatient and outpatient work, respiratory physiotherapy on wards or ICUs, neurological physiotherapy, paediatrics and even sports physiotherapy with professional athletes. There are jobs available in private practice, private firms like football clubs and the public sector (NHS).

Therefore, as you can see, many variable factors can determine how much you will earn in UK physio jobs. We will examine some of the various options that are available to you, in this piece, to allow you to make an informed decision as to what kind of physiotherapy jobs might be perfectly suited to your career goals and ambitions.

UK physio jobs in the NHS

There is a great demand for physiotherapists in all areas of the NHS, including inpatient and outpatient care. Physiotherapists can provide people with rehabilitation care and help patients to recover following accidents or injuries to various parts of their bodies and brains.

In the NHS, there is ample scope for career progression as you work in your job, with many physios progressing up the ladder to more senior positions that give them higher salaries and more responsibilities. If you work in a permanent role in the NHS, you will usually start as a Band 5 worker, meaning that your annual starting salary will be in the region of £24,907, which works out to £12.77 per hour.

Senior physiotherapists are normally Band 6 workers, giving them the scope to earn up to £37,890 or £44,503 as a team leader or Band 7 worker. The latter equates to £22.82 an hour. Working in London can be more financially rewarding as there is a London weighting for staff due to the raised cost of living in the capital.

What are the benefits of working as a locum physiotherapist?

You can reap exceptional benefits from working as a locum physio in the UK. A physiotherapist can often expect to earn £25-26 per hour working as a locum in the UK. This can be more than double the hourly rate that you would expect to earn in a permanent position in the NHS. However, the monetary rewards of working as a locum are only a small part of what makes life as a locum an extremely attractive and fulfilling prospect.

Working as a locum physio means that you have the chance to earn an above-average salary while giving you the benefit of achieving a better balance between your work life and personal life. As locum positions are not permanent, they offer increased flexibility so you can decide how many hours per week you want to work. If you have a family and do not want to be tied to a position on a full-time basis, locum jobs can facilitate a lucrative career whilst ensuring that you have enough time to spend with your family.

Locum jobs also offer many benefits to young or single people who want to explore their various career options in the physiotherapy field before settling into a permanent position. With job vacancies across the country, you can use healthcare recruitment agencies to spend time in different cities across the UK and even worldwide.

Private practice jobs

There are also some opportunities in the private sector, including in private practices or as a staff physiotherapist for various sports teams or individual sports players. Alternatively, you can work in both the NHS and private sector. Working for a private practice part-time also allows you to take advantage of the NHS locum jobs too, so you can find a balance and take advantage of the benefits offered by both sectors.

How to decide which type of physio jobs to apply for

While financial considerations are extremely important in deciding which type of physio jobs to apply for, the question, "how much money does a physiotherapist make in the UK?" can be an extremely variable one with many answers, depending on what type of physiotherapy path you choose to follow. UK physio jobs in the NHS give you the ability to work with a variety of patients of all ages and demographics and even specialise in specific areas. Physiotherapy jobs in the private sector can also be a good option for making an excellent living.

Locum physiotherapy jobs can offer you the best of both worlds and provide you with the flexibility and financial stability to travel around the country without restricting you to one specific location. They can also ensure that you have a satisfactory work/life balance.

Why choose Globe Locums?

At Globe Locums, we bring you the best locum physiotherapist opportunities to allow you to enjoy a successful and lucrative career in a field that you love. You can use our easy search feature to find the specific jobs that appeal to you and filter your search according to the geographic region in which you wish to work.

We have an ethos of honesty, transparency and hard work and we recruit in the UK and in worldwide locations to tailor the best talent to their ideal job. To enquire further about locum physio jobs or to browse UK physio job openings, please visit Globe Locums.