Annual Salary
£24,000 to £38,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Medical or Social care or go back to all job sectors
Play therapists help children to make sense of difficult life experiences, or complex psychological issues through play.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings; attending events or appointments
There will be
3.8% more Play therapist jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You could work at a client's home, at a children's care home, at a health centre or at a school.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need to complete a degree followed by a postgraduate qualification approved by the British Association of Play Therapists or Play Therapy UK.
Your undergraduate degree should be in a related subject like:psychology; early childhood studies; mental health nursing; social work; education
You'll also need experience of working with children in professions like teaching, nursing, counselling, therapy or social work.
You'll usually need:
You could do a Play Therapist Level 7 Higher Apprenticeship.
This typically takes 3 years to complete.
You'll usually need:
You'll need to:
If you have an interest in play therapy and work in a profession like teaching, nursing, counselling or social work you may be able to take an introductory course to find out more about it.
You can get more advice about careers in play therapy from the British Association of Play Therapists and Play Therapy UK.
With experience and further training, you could:supervise less experienced therapists; provide a consultation service to professionals in the community; move into training, lecturing or clinical supervision
You'll need: