Annual Salary
£37,000 to £53,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Art therapists help people express difficult thoughts and feelings through creative activities.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: freelance / self-employed; managing your own hours
There will be
3.8% more Art therapist jobs in 2027.
You might work with clients who have:
You'll help clients:
You could work in a prison, in an NHS or private hospital or at a school.
Your working environment may be emotionally demanding.
You can get into this job through a university course or an apprenticeship.
You'll need to complete a postgraduate qualification approved by the Health and Care Professions Council.
Full time postgraduate courses normally take 2 years to complete. Part time courses take 3 years.
You should have a degree in art or creative therapies to do a postgraduate course.
You may be able to apply if you've got a degree in a related subject, for example psychology, nursing or social work.
You'll usually need:
You may be able to do an arts therapist degree apprenticeship.
You'll usually need a qualification or experience in art, drama or music to apply.
To do this apprenticeship, you'll need:
To get a job as an art therapist, you'll need paid or volunteering experience with:
You can find volunteering opportunities through:
You'll need to:
You could try an introduction or foundation course in art therapy to give you an idea of what the work is like.
You can join the British Association of Art Therapists for access to professional development and networking opportunities.
You'll find more details about this career, courses and training through the British Association of Art Therapists and Health Careers.
You can also explore other careers in the psychological professions.
With experience, you could become self employed and create your own business.
You could also:become a senior art therapist; manage a team of therapists; manage an arts therapy unit; move into teaching
You'll need: