Pharmacy Career Pathway
Pharmacists are most commonly found in the community, where they dispense prescribed medication to patients and provide patients with up-to-date and relevant health information. Pharmacists are also usually the first port-of-call for general health and medication-related queries.
Pharmacists are also found in a clinical setting, where they work to optimise a patient's medication regime and provide pharmacological expertise to fellow health professionals.
Career outlook at a glance
36
Median age of Australian Pharmacists (in years)
38,800
Pharmacists workforce in Australia
$2,071
Median weekly earnings in Australia
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia. 2024.
Where do Pharmacists work?
Pharmacists work in hospitals and community pharmacies. They may also work in pharmaceutical companies or in an industrial setting.
Just over 30.5% work in New South Wales, 30.4% work in Victoria, and 19.7% work in Queensland.
How much do Pharmacists earn?
According to Seek, the average annual salary in Australia for a Pharmacist is between $75,000-$95,000.1 They work an average of 42 hours per week.
1 Seek. September 2024. Pharmacist salary
Specialisations
- Pharmacists with advanced accreditation conduct Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) services such as HMRs and RMMRs. This is operated in conjunction with a patient’s general practitioner and aims to improve the patient’s knowledge understanding of their medication to increase adherence and health outcomes.
- Pharmacists with further education may also specialise within the hospital or industrial setting, for example on an oncology or maternity ward.
SCU Online courses
For more details about the SCU 100% Online healthcare courses, see below:
What education do you need?
A four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy degree is required to become a pharmacist. Graduates are then required to complete a one-year intern training program. This program consists of at least 1,824 hours of supervised practice and interns must pass a written and oral exam before successful registration to the Pharmacy Board of Australia.
