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. 2021 Apr 23;4:39. [Version 1] doi: 10.12688/hrbopenres.13256.1

Table 13a. Estimated unit costs for a publicly employed, community based, Occupational Therapist, 2016–2019.

BASELINE (OVERHEADS 40%) 2016 2017 2018 2019
Cost component
A Wages/salary 54,578 55,328 56,274 57,025
B Salary oncosts 16,441 16,028 15,748 16,585
C Qualifications - - - -
D Overheads 21,831 22,131 22,509 22,810
E Capital overheads 9,413 9,458 7,565 7,732
F Travel - - - -
G Total costs (∑A–F) 102,263 102,945 102,096 104,153
Working time
H Number of hours worked per annum 1,601 1,595 1,599 1,598
I Ratio of direct to indirect time - - - -
Unit costs
J Unit cost per hour (G/H) 64 65 64 65
Cost component Description Sources
A Wages/salary Annual mean whole-time equivalent basic salary for Occupational
Therapist (OT), Senior. Senior OTs accounted for 54-55% of publicly
employed OTs working in community-based services for the period
2016—2019.
HSE (2020) Health Service
Personnel Census
HSE, 2020a
B Salary oncosts Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) Contribution, calculated at
10.75–-10.95% of annual mean WTE basic salary for OT, Senior for the
period 2016—2019.
Superannuation: weighted average of the public sector pension
contribution rates for pre-2013 and post-2013 pension cohorts
estimated by DPER (with adjustment for the Pension Related Deduction/
Annual Superannuation Charge). Average pension contribution of
16–20% over the period 2016—2019 for publicly employed OTs.
DEASP, 2019, DEASP, 2020
DPER, 2017a
DPER, 2017b
Personal communication
with IGEES, DOH,
04/01/2021
Personal communication
with IGEES, DOH,
22/01/2021
C Qualifications Not included in this analysis
D Overheads Estimated overhead costs for utilities (e.g., light, heat, telephone,
internet), accommodation costs, office facilities, and general supplies
as well as administrative and management staff costs using available
guidelines. Baseline estimate of 40% of basic salary.
DOT, 2009;
HIQA, 2018b;
HIQA, 2020;
DPER, 2019;
Curtis & Burns, 2019
E Capital overheads Estimated capital overhead costs based on average capital costs
estimated by the Personal Social Services Research Unit.
Estimate of 11–13% of total salary (basic plus oncosts) for the period
2016—2019.
Curtis & Burns, 2018;
Curtis & Burns, 2019
F Travel Not included in this analysis
H Number of hours
worked per annum
Total number of days worked per annum (number of working days in
a given year minus annual leave entitlement and estimated sickness
absence days) multiplied by number of hours worked per day.
Leave entitlement:
HSE, 2009a; Personal
communication with HSE,
04/02/2021
Absenteeism:
HSE, 2017; HSE, 2018; HSE, 2019a
HSE, 2019b
Number of hours per
week/day:
Labour Relations Committee, 2013
I Ratio of direct to
indirect time
Not included in this analysis