Pharmacist is one of the most trusted professions in Australia and it has the strong presence in the community for about 150 years. A pharmacy is something more than preparing or dispensing drugs and taking care of their patients.
The average annual salary for Pharmacist jobs in Australia ranges from $75,000 to $95,000.
'Pharmacy is facing shortages of workforce that are at least equal to – and in many cases more than – those in general practice, particularly in rural and regional [areas where] we know that pharmacy is far more maldistributed than GPs.
The average wage for early career pharmacists (those with less than 10 years' experience) is $66,955 ($32.77 per hour), making them one of Australia's lowest remunerated, tertiary educated health professions.
Stress and strain is endemic in the community pharmacy environment, and a growing problem for the professional pharmacist workforce internationally,1,2 including Australian community pharmacists.
A recent survey by Professional Pharmacists Australia found morale in the profession is not good, with more than 80% of pharmacists saying they would not recommend pharmacy as a career.
How Much Does a Pharmacist Make? Pharmacists made a median salary of $128,570 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $143,600 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $121,070.
How much does a Pharmacist make in Australia? The average pharmacist salary in Australia is $98,030 per year or $50.27 per hour. Entry-level positions start at $83,876 per year, while most experienced workers make up to $122,494 per year.
One of the reasons is the increase of large discount chains such as Amcal, Chemist Warehouse and Priceline. Community pharmacists working at 'discount' pharmacies received the lowest rates of pay and worked the longest hours, over and above the average 35.7 hours per week of most community pharmacists.
In 2017, the average age of the workforce was 39.3 years, remaining unchanged from 2014. The proportion of the workforce aged 44 years and under increased from 69.3% in 2014 to 70.5% in 2017. In 2017, there were 1.5 new registrants for every pharmacist that did not renew their registration from 2016.
Working arrangements
This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2.4% employment growth for pharmacists between 2021 and 2031. In that period, an estimated 7,700 jobs should open up. The white-coated professionals at your neighborhood drug store do a lot more than just fill prescriptions.
The average pharmacist wage is $66,955, well below the average nurse wage of $71,900, the report found, based on Graduate Careers data.
Following an undergraduate degree, a pharmacy masters program in Australia is generally 2 years. This is then followed by a 48 week paid internship. Becoming a pharmacist would take at least 6 years via the postgraduate pathway.
Master of Pharmacy in Australia: Admission Requirements
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Minimum GPA of 5.0 on a 7.0 scale or an overall aggregate of 70-75%
Australian pharmacists must: 1) complete an accredited university degree, 2) complete intern training program and supervised practice requirements, and 3) pass a registration exam. Our new degrees combine steps 1 and 2.
The fees of bachelor of pharmacy in Australia vary from university to university. Usually, the tuition fee for a Bachelor of Pharmacy in Australia is between AUD 30,000 to 55,000 per year.
Hy-Vee has the highest average salary for retail pharmacists.
On average Australia's 5371 pharmacies each earn $650,000 a year from dispensing medicines under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. This compares to the $195,000 GPs earn on average from Medicare.
The average intern pharmacist salary in Australia is $66,883 per year or $34.30 per hour.
Absence of supportive staffs for clinical pharmacy services. Lack of experience Shortage of pharmacists for other pharmaceutical service areas. Absence of dedication to provide the service on full-time basis. Weakness of the pharmacists to promote their profession and duties to the hospital staffs.
The study also found that the quality of work-life balance among pharmacists had decreased since 2019. The three most common stressors were having too much work, being understaffed and fearing patient harm due to medical error. Those challenges are not isolated to corporate pharmacies.