Mixed signals

Psychotherapist

12.9K UK workers · typical pay £47,000 · entry route A-levels or equivalent (Level 3). Projected growth of +8% to 2035.

How AI is actually used here · measured · Anthropic Economic Index

Thin signal. Only 8% of the Claude usage mapped to this job is actual work. The rest is personal or study use of the same skills. Read the figures below as indicative, not precise.

64%

Augmentation

AI mostly assists

3×

Time compression

~3.7h → ~73min

2.96/5

AI autonomy

how hands-off it runs

37%

Automation

of measured usage

How the collaboration splits · the six measured modes

learning 37.9%feedback loop 18.7%directive 13.8%task iteration 13.5%unclassified 10.9%validation 5.2%

What people make with AI here

advice / recommendation33%explanation / answer24%plan / strategy8%

Real Claude.ai usage mapped to this occupation's SOC group, Apr+May 2026, CC-BY. Claude users only; task times model-estimated; augment/automate is how AI is used, not a count of jobs lost. Method →

Facts · ONS + NCS

UK workers (2024)

12.9K

Median pay

£47.0K

Our scored call · a labelled hypothesis, not a measurement

AI exposure

4 / 10

Elasticity

8.5 / 10

2035 outlook

+8%

Exposure · 4/10

Why AI can do the work

While AI chatbots are increasingly used for low-level mental health support and administrative tasks like report writing, the core of psychotherapy relies on complex human empathy, non-verbal cues, and the therapeutic alliance. The high level of regulation in the UK (NHS and professional bodies) and the ethical requirements for human oversight in vulnerable cases provide a significant buffer against full automation.

Elasticity · 8.5/10

Whether demand expands when it gets cheaper

Massive latent demand for mental health support is currently suppressed by high costs and long waitlists, which would unlock near-infinite sessions if 10x cheaper.

Trajectory to 2035

Headcount grows +8%, a Jevons-pattern curve.

Adoption scenario

×1.00 · Consensus

Change the scenario in the nav to reshape this curve.

Headcount projection · 2024 → 2035

Baseline 12.9K workers (2024) · % change vs baseline

Peak 2027 +8%2035 +8%

Peak headcount

2027

+8% vs 2024

2035 endpoint

+8%

13.9K workers

Time to −10%

–

Never crosses in model

Total wage pool

£0.6B

pay × jobs

Where this role lives

UK employment share by region, SOC-joined to 2224.

London

13.4K · 28.3%

South East

11.7K · 24.7%

East

6.5K · 13.7%

North West

5.0K · 10.5%

South West

4.5K · 9.5%

Scotland

3.4K · 7.2%

Yorkshire and The Humber

2.9K · 6.1%

Gender split

Majority-female role (74.4% women).

38.4K women · 74%13.2K men · 26%