Pharmacist Salary Guide and Career Outlook  – Pharmacist Salary per Hour


The basic pharmacist salary in the United States is $110,866 per year. This is higher than the other countries analyzed. Next on the list is Canada, with a C$86,346 ($68,981) salary per year. For the same professionals, the median yearly pay in the UK stands at £34,520 ($45,507). While in Australia and New Zealand is around the same amount, AU$65,614 ($51,053), respectively NZ$69,528 ($49,142) per year.

In South Africa, the pharmacist salary is R423,935 ($30,900) per year, while in India the same job pays a lot less, just Rs 218,846 ($3,350) per year. Read on to find out how the pharmacist salary is impacted by the country the professional works in, skills related to the position,  work environment, and experience.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Make per Year by Country?

Pharmacist Salary US Canada UK Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Hourly Pay $57.26 C$45.34

($36.22)

£19.13 ($25.22) AU$32.18

($25.04)

NZ$33.45

($23.64)

Rs 101.74 ($1.56) R232.04

($16.91)

Annual Pay  $110,866 C$86,346 ($68,981) £34,520 ($45,507) AU$65,614 ($51,053) NZ$69,528 ($49,142) Rs 218,846 ($3,350) R423,935 ($30,900)

Pharmacist Salary Influencing Factors

Different sources such as Indeed.com, Salary.com, and Payscale.com will report slightly different salaries based on the professionals who respond to their surveys for a pharmacist career. In all cases, the same variables affect pay at some rate such as experience, work environment, and geographic location. When calculating hourly salary a 40 hour work week was assumed. The information we present here is mainly from Payscale.com.

1. Location

Variables like experience, work environment, and certification cause differences in pay. For example, in the United States experience is a strong indicator of increased pay while in South Africa and India work environment is a strong predictor.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in the US? Pharmacist Salary per Hour

Pharmacist Salary USA Per Year Per Hour
Minimum $72,942 $46.37
Maximum $133,044 $65.96
Bonus/Tip $11,785 $0.24
Overtime No additional pay $96.73
Total Pay $82,556 to $136,786

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in Canada?

Pharmacist Salary Canada Per Year Per Hour
Minimum C$48,800 C$36.36
Maximum C$119,941 C$54.02
Bonus/Tip C$9,817 C$4.71*
Overtime C$173,53* C$83.43
Total Pay C$68,750 to C$115,454

A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in the UK?

Pharmacist Salary UK Per Year Per Hour
Minimum £21,822 £12.92
Maximum £45,942 £23.47
Bonus/Tip £3,500 £20*
Overtime No additional pay £38.13
Total Pay £22,709 to £47,105

A (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in Australia?

Pharmacist Salary Australia Per Year Per Hour
Minimum AU$39,112 AU$24.37
Maximum AU$96,110 AU$40.59
Bonus/Tip AU$11,745 AU$5.11
Overtime No additional pay AU$70.87
Total Pay AU$47,516 to AU$90,126

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in New Zealand?

Pharmacist Salary New Zealand Per Year Per Hour
Minimum NZ$44,544 NZ$25.02
Maximum NZ$94,687 NZ$38.38
Bonus/Tip NZ$1,500 No additional pay
Overtime No additional pay NZ$80.81
Total Pay NZ$50,048 to NZ$84,133

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in India?

Pharmacist Salary India Per Year Per Hour
Minimum Rs 116,512 Rs 56.01*
Maximum Rs 562,462 Rs 101.74
Bonus/Tip Rs 49,458 Rs 23.77
Overtime No additional pay Rs 817
Total Pay Rs 328,000 to Rs 395,000

A (*) indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

How Much Does a Pharmacist Professional Make in South Africa?

Pharmacist Salary South Africa Per Year Per Hour
Minimum R230,606 R116.65
Maximum R607,373 R299.92
Bonus/Tip R64,000 R30.76*
Overtime No additional pay R334.80
Total Pay R233,801 to R622,331

The (*) also indicates that the hourly rate was not available and was extrapolated from the annual pay.

2. Experience

20 years is considered the experience necessary to be a senior level pharmacist, regardless of geographic location. An experienced pharmacist has at least 10 years of experience. A new pharmacist will typically earn $109,000 per year in the United States and a senior pharmacist will earn around $120,000 yearly, this salary remaining the same with no notable raises even for more experienced professionals. While in Canada and the UK, we can see a slow rise in salary from entry-level to more experienced professionals, from C$90,000 to C$101,000, and from ₤33,000 to ₤43,000 per year.

In Australia, the peek is at AU$80,000  per year for professional with 20 years experience and after that it lowers. While in New Zealand the salary rises at NZ$75,000 per year after 10 years experience and remains at the same level even for more experienced employees. India shows a rise from the beginner’s salary of Rs 189,000 per year, to Rs 305,000 for late career professionals. While the South Africa salary for this job rises from R367,000 to R495,000 per year for 10-20 years experienced personnel, then lowering as they gain more experience.

3. Industry

Different countries consider work environments to have different levels of respect as reflected by pay. In the United States, there is minimal parity in pay based on the work environment. For example, pharmacists who work in department stores can earn $4,000 more than pharmacists who work in other environments.

In India, pharmacists who work in hospitals can expect to earn significantly more than those professionals who work in retail. While in South Africa pharmacists who work in hospitals can expect to earn less than typical pay.

  • Department stores – $124,450
  • General medical and surgical hospitals; private – $122,850
  • Grocery stores – $122,670
  • Pharmacies and drug stores – $121,730

Schedule & Working Hours

In Australia, New Zealand, and Canada pharmacists who work more than 40 hours a week will receive overtime pay for the hours they work. Due to the variety of working environments, some pharmacists will only work during the day while other pharmacists have to work overnight or weekend hours.

Pharmacists who work in hospitals or extended-hour clinics may have to work overnight shifts. However, it is not normal for a pharmacist to have to switch shifts. While a pharmacist will need to work weekends or holidays, they will not switch back and forth from working day to night.

Bonuses & Benefits

In the United States, pharmacists largely receive medical insurance and many receive life and dental insurance. Pharmacists in the United States will also get a retirement plan with typical employee matching. An additional perk is a high level of job satisfaction regardless of the country where the pharmacists work. Bonuses and commission will vary based on the work environment. Political policies will also affect benefits. Senior pharmacists can expect to earn a larger bonus than beginning pharmacists, but the profit sharing is typically equal regardless of experience.

Country United States Canada United Kingdom Australia New Zealand India South Africa
Medical 80 66 22 9 12 53 49
Dental 66 60 4 2 2 5 9
Vision 58 49 4 3 3 6 9
None 18 13 75 89 84 45 51

The table shows percents of the healthcare benefits by country.

Career Outlook

Choosing to become a pharmacist means stable hours and good pay. However, there is only 3% growth until 2024 predicted in the United States as technology reduces manual labor involved. Retail pharmacy is expected to be a field losing jobs in the next 10 years. In Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and South Africa these professionals typically work for 20 years as a pharmacist. After 20 years there is not a significant increase in pay for these countries.

Some countries pay pharmacists more than others and it is worth investing in education depending on the country and the work environment one would like to work in. For example, if one wants to work in a hospital, this is a more respected work environment in India than in South Africa. For reading more about healthcare salaries, you can also look into the LPN salary.

Conclusion

Being a pharmacist comes with a high level of job satisfaction and a relatively high level of pay. However, the industry is changing and working in retail stores will not be as common in the future. Every country needs pharmacists, but not every country pays the same value for the position. Consider job prospects, ideal living location, and expected salary when exploring where to become a pharmacist.

Recent Posts