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UK therapist salaries inch up amid budget pressures

31 Jul 2025 The latest State of the Spa Industry Survey from the UK Spa Association (UKSA) reveals a modest but meaningful rise in full-time therapist salaries – a sign that operators are starting to invest more in talent, even amid wider budget constraints.

The survey is based on responses from 108 sites, 58 per cent of which fall in the hotel spa category, with the remainder split relatively evenly across destination, resort, day, and boutique spas. 

Bobby Griffiths, UKSA general manager, presented the findings yesterday (30 July) at the annual UKSA networking event at Center Parcs Woburn Forest. 

Notably, the UKSA's survey shows that the top two average salaries for the country's full-time therapists in 2025 are £27k (US$36.4k, €31.2k) and £28k (US$37.8k, €32.4k). These have gone up slightly from last year, when the top two average salaries were £25k (US$33.7k, €28.9k) and £26k (US$35.1k, €30.1k).

Interestingly, some spas are turning to service charges as an alternative lever. “We’re seeing 7 per cent of operators now adding a service charge – useful for rewarding staff when direct pay increases aren’t feasible,” Griffiths revealed.

While the wage trend is positive, pressure on operators is clear. “There’s a massive pressure on pushing maximising profit,” Griffiths said, noting that hitting budget is now the top concern for spa managers (21 per cent), “but many spas are still based on a lack of investment, which would then allow them to maximise profits.” 

Other challenges identified include retail training (14 per cent), mental health/morale (14 per cent) and, significantly, recruitment (18 per cent).

Finding staff remains problematic, said Griffiths, but signs point to incremental improvement: 35 per cent of spas report unfilled therapist roles in 2025, down from 44 per cent in 2024. However, with 11 per cent saying roles have remained open for over six months – and 7 per cent under a hiring freeze due to rises in national insurance – the talent pipeline is still under strain.

Spa operators feel competitive salary is the main factor therapists consider when accepting a role (17 per cent), followed by training and development opportunities (12 per cent) and massage limits or an RSI points system (12 per cent). "Even if a site is struggling to be able to offer other benefits, a massage limit is very easy for a venue to be able to offer to show care for their staff," Griffiths said. 

The UKSA will release a full report of its survey with regional salary breakdowns to members and survey contributors in the coming week.

To read the comprehensive overview of last year's UK State of the Spa Industry Survey in Spa Business, click here.