What qualifications do you need to be an occupational therapist?

To get onto a full-time occupational therapy degree course you usually need two or three A levels, along with five GCSEs (grades A-C), including English language, maths and science. You may also be able to get onto a course with alternative qualifications, including: BTEC, HND or HNC which includes biological science.

How long does it take to become a registered occupational therapist?

Entry requirements

To become an occupational therapist, you’ll need a degree in occupational therapy, which usually takes three years full time or up to six years part time. In postgraduate studies, it’s possible to gain a Masters degree in one to two years.

How hard is it to become an occupational therapist?

The short answer is: YES, occupational therapy school is hard. These programs want to ensure you’re equipped to competently and safely work in the healthcare field, so you’re going to have a good amount of science classes involved in any of these programs, along with challenging clinical/fieldwork rotations.

Can you become an occupational therapist without a degree?

Entry without a degree is possible at occupational therapy or rehabilitation assistant, technician or support worker level. It may be possible to progress to become an occupational therapist through undertaking an approved in-service BSc in occupational therapy with the support of your employer.

Do occupational therapists make more than nurses?

RNs can work overtime and get time and 1/2 and make $100,000 if they work overtime a lot. OTs can also make more by working in contract positions on top of their regular job, or in private practice. It all depends. RNs have more upward mobility in the longrun as far as management positions.

Is occupational therapy a dying field?

OTA is a dying field. There are NO jobs. If you love OT and have some flexibility about getting a job maybe go ahead.

Is it easy to get a job as an occupational therapist?

Occupational therapists are versatile and can work in so many different settings, and the jobs are out there. However, as a new occupational therapy grad, you may have found that finding an OT job is harder than you thought. OTs are usually in high demand depending on the city’s job market.

Is it too late to become an occupational therapist?

All of us have graduated college as a COTA or with a bachelor’s degree already and most of us have work experience. Also, the majority of the students in my class are 25-50+, so you are never really too old to start OT, because this is such a diverse and unique field. You will be fine.

What are the disadvantages of being an occupational therapist?

Few disadvantages are associated with being employed as an occupational therapist.

Challenges of Being an Occupational Therapist

  • The Medical Field is Emotionally Stressful.
  • Occupational Therapy is a Physically Demanding Job.
  • Institutional Barriers May Prevent Desired Results.
  • Long Work Hours Are Common.

Can occupational therapists make six figures?

If you want to get a high-paying job in healthcare, you might consider a job as an occupational therapist. There are 39,000 millennials who work as occupational therapists, and the average salary for the job is $84,640. It takes about six years as an occupational therapist to reach six-figure earnings.

Is OT school worth the debt?

The financial answer is yes but there is a significant price to pay. For most occupational therapists, they’ll have to deal with student loans for 10 to 20 years. They won’t necessarily be able to celebrate and enjoy that higher income until their loans are dealt with.

Is being an OT stressful?

Is occupational therapy a stable job?

Being an occupational therapist can be stressful.

Almost every setting has productivity requirements, with some settings less strict than others. So while you do get to provide meaningful treatments and help people achieve their goals, you do have to deal with the struggle of meeting your productivity on a daily basis.

What are the cons of therapist?

Is Occupational Therapy a Good Career? Summary: OT is a good career because it offers a flexible schedule, comfortable salary and the ability to choose where you work. While it’s true you may have to deal with setbacks and manage tough situations, you’ll also get to help people and make a difference.

Is occupational therapy a happy career?

5 Disadvantages of Being A Therapist
  • Difficult patients. There are certainly easy to work with patients, the fact is there are also difficult patients.
  • Difficult co-workers. Just like most careers, you could have to work with difficult co-workers.
  • Stress.
  • Physical demands.
  • Emotional strain.

Are OT jobs in demand?

As it turns out, occupational therapists rate their career happiness 2.9 out of 5 stars which puts them in the bottom 27% of careers.

Where do occupational therapists make the most money?

Employment of occupational therapists is projected to grow 16 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations. However, demand for occupational therapy services is related to the ability of patients to pay, either directly or through health insurance.