Pharmacy Salary Guide: Hourly to Annual Pay Under the Pharmacy Industry Award
For a full-time pharmacist under the Pharmacy Industry Award, the minimum hourly rate is $41.74, equating to an annual salary of about $82,500 based on a 38-hour week.
Understanding Your Pharmacy Salary: From Hourly to Annual
When you're offered a job in a pharmacy or negotiating your pay, you'll often see an hourly rate. But to compare offers or plan your budget, you need to know what that means as an annual salary, a fortnightly amount, and after tax and super. This guide uses the official rates from the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 and the Fair Work Commission's pay database to help you calculate your pharmacy salary accurately.
The Basic Formula: Hourly × Hours × 52
The standard way to estimate annual gross pay is:
Annual gross = hourly rate × hours per week × 52
We assume a 38-hour week because that's the full-time ordinary hours under the Pharmacy Industry Award. Part-time employees work fewer hours, but the same formula applies with their agreed weekly hours. For a full-time pharmacist, the minimum hourly rate is $41.74, so:
$41.74 × 38 × 52 = $82,478.24 per year
That's the gross amount before tax and before super (which is paid on top). If you're paid fortnightly, your gross pay would be twice the weekly amount: $41.74 × 38 × 2 = $3,172.24 per fortnight.
Award Minimum Rates for Pharmacy Staff
The Pharmacy Industry Award sets minimum pay rates for different classifications. These rates are updated each year following the Annual Wage Review. From 1 July 2026, the minimum hourly rates are:
- Pharmacy Assistant Level 1: $27.81 per hour
- Pharmacy Assistant Level 2: $28.45 per hour
- Pharmacy Assistant Level 3: $29.45 per hour
- Pharmacy Assistant Level 4: $30.66 per hour
- Pharmacy Intern (1st half): $33.99 per hour
- Pharmacy Intern (2nd half): $35.14 per hour
- Pharmacist: $41.74 per hour
- Experienced Pharmacist: $45.72 per hour
- Pharmacist in Charge: $46.80 per hour
- Pharmacist Manager: $52.15 per hour
These are the minimums. Many employers pay above award, especially for experienced pharmacists. The National Minimum Wage (currently $26.44 per hour) is a safety net below all award rates, so pharmacy staff must be paid at least the award rate for their classification.
Casual Loading: 25% on Top
If you work as a casual employee, you get a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate. This compensates for not receiving paid leave. For example, a casual Pharmacy Assistant Level 1 earns $27.81 + 25% = $34.76 per hour. The casual loading applies to ordinary hours only; overtime is paid at the overtime rates without the loading. Use our casual loading tool to see the effect.
Superannuation: Paid on Top of Your Salary
Your employer must pay superannuation into a fund on your behalf. From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings, up to the maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. Super is not deducted from your pay; it's an additional cost to the employer. For a full-time pharmacist on $41.74 per hour, the employer adds about $5.01 per hour to super. That means the total cost to the employer is around $46.75 per hour, but your take-home pay is based on the $41.74 rate. See our super and packaging page for more.
Tax on Your Pharmacy Salary
For the 2026–27 financial year, the resident tax rates are:
- $0 – $18,200: Nil
- $18,201 – $45,000: 15c for each $1 over $18,200
- $45,001 – $135,000: $4,020 + 30c for each $1 over $45,000
- $135,001 – $190,000: $31,020 + 37c for each $1 over $135,000
- $190,001+: $51,420 + 45c for each $1 over $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (with possible reductions for low incomes). For a pharmacist earning $82,478, the tax would be approximately $4,020 + 30% of ($82,478 - $45,000) = $4,020 + $11,243.40 = $15,263.40, plus Medicare levy of $1,649.56, total tax around $16,912. That's a rough estimate – use the take-home pay calculator for a precise figure.
Fortnightly Pay and Fortnightly Budgeting
If you're paid fortnightly, your gross pay is simply your weekly rate × 38 × 2. For a Pharmacy Assistant Level 2: $28.45 × 38 × 2 = $1,081 per week, so fortnightly = $2,162. That's useful for aligning with rent or rent payments. The award allows pay periods to be weekly or fortnightly.
Comparing Pharmacy Salaries Across Australia
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports average weekly earnings for full-time adult ordinary time employees was $2,083.70 per week (May 2026). Pharmacy salaries can be above award rates, but many pharmacists earn more with experience and experience. The award rates are the legal minimum. For a Pharmacy Manager, the manager rate of $52.15 per hour gives an annual salary of $52.15 × 38 × 52 = $101,000+.
Important Disclaimer
This guide uses the formula hourly × hours per week × 52 and assumes 38 hours per week. It assumes the same rate every week, no unpaid overtime, no penalty rates, no allowances, and no salary sacrifice. Super is estimated at 12% of ordinary earnings only, paid on top, and stops at the $270,830 maximum contribution base. Tax is the 2026–27 resident scale with the full tax-free threshold. Medicare uses the single reduction thresholds because the 2026–27 reduction thresholds were not confirmed here. HELP, the Medicare levy surcharge, and salary packaging are not deducted. This is an estimate, not a determination of your pay or tax.
For more detailed pay guides for your specific classification, see our pay guides and reference tables.
Open the same rate on the home timesheet. Read the reference tables before treating a figure as your pay.