How much do pharmacists earn around the globe?
Priya Bhat | Posted on September 30, 2022
Pharmacists. The first professionals pop into our minds when we need medication. They provide prescription medication to patients and offer expertise in using those prescriptions in the safest way. Like most other medical professions, their actions hold high responsibility. Making a mistake can have more severe consequences than in other disciplines, which also explains the high amount of years they have to study to become a pharmacist. Their job description highly varies from independently owned drugstores to grocery store chains, hospitals, industrial settings, military bases, etc.
But contrary to what most people think, their job doesn’t stop at that. Pharmacists can work in various other settings, such as at insurance companies, call centers ( Did you know that pharmacists can work for the Poison Control Center?), medical writing, and so much more.
Another interesting example of how diverse pharmacists’ work settings can be is the profession of nuclear pharmacists; they handle radioactive materials used for diagnoses or therapy. Plus, communication is a big part of their job; they need people’s skills, and interacting with customers needing medication definitely doesn’t sound easy.
We can easily say their job is crucial in the healthcare industry, but what about their salaries? Are they getting paid enough for the years of hard work they put into their careers?
To answer this question, we’ll look deeper into pharmacist salaries around the globe. A country’s average salary is an important indicator of its standard of living, so we will mainly focus on the average salary of pharmacists worldwide. Instead of a random selection, we will select the ten countries with the most Pharmaoffer users, which includes pharmacists and pharma companies interested in API sourcing.
Furthermore, we should also make it clear that the salary a person receives depends on many factors, such as the experience you have in the field, the location you work in, the skills you gathered throughout the years, and the type of employer you have. But, experience level is the prominent factor in determining the salary. Naturally, more years of experience means higher wages.
So remember that these salaries are nothing more than just an indication of what you usually earn; the rest depends on more personal aspects.
Let’s start the list!
1. India
India, the medicine factory of the world. But what about the pharmacist salaries? The average salary for a pharmacist in India is around ₹23,179 per month which is a little less than $400/month. Before making any judgments, we should also consider that the average Indian salary is significantly lower than average salaries in countries like the USA. And that makes India one of the most popular outsourcing destinations in the world.
The location also matters; a pharmacist working in New Delhi scores the highest earnings compared to the National average (16.1% more than the average!). According to PayScale, the top recruiters of Pharmaceutical companies in India are- Apollo Group Inc, Medplus, Inc., and Apollo Hospitals.
Want to learn why India is called the medicine factory of the world? Then check out our blog.
2. United States
If you are a pharmacist from the US, we strongly advise you to stay in the US. Americans benefit from the highest pharmacist salary in the world. According to the BSL, the average salary for a pharmacist in the US is $10,714 monthly. To make things easier to compare, the average salary for all jobs in the US is not even $4200 per year.
As mentioned in our introduction, your salary will mainly depend on three factors; your salary would be the highest if you live in the coastal areas and work for a corporate system with several years of experience in the fields.
3. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is falling behind compared to American salaries. The amount might not be as jaw-dropping as in the US, but it still provides an above-average lifestyle, with an average amount of £3,177 per month ($3,412/month), which is 36% higher than the UK’s national average salary.
Contrary to India, the gender ratio is very different in the UK, with females being the majority of the workforce (around 70%). The highest average salaries come from Manchester (2.4% more) and London (1.9% more) while the lowest salaries can be found in Liverpool (8.3% less).
4. Switzerland
A pharmacist working in Switzerland makes CHF 6,500 on average, which equals $6,365 per month. While Swiss pharmacists don’t earn as much as American ones, they benefit from the best life quality standards
Pharmacist in their early career earns 30% less than the average salary, while pharmacist in their late career earns 39% more than the average salary.
5. China
Chinese pharmacists earn CNY29.515 monthly ($4,089/month). Clinical Pharmacists in China are likely to benefit from a salary increase of around 12% per year, slightly higher than the national average salary increase of 9% for all professions. We should also specify that there is a high demand for pharmacists in china. More than 2400 new clinical pharmacists are needed every year to satisfy the Ministry of Public Health requirements.
Curious on how China dominates the pharma industry? Then, check out our blog!
6. Netherlands
The average salary for pharmacists working in the Netherlands is €3,333 per month ($3,207 monthly), while a senior pharmacist with more experience can earn up to around €200.000 ($192,464) annually!
Furthermore, like in most countries, capitals pay more. The salary of a pharmacist in Amsterdam is 17% higher than the average pharmacist in the Netherlands.
The gender gap also exists in the Netherlands, meaning that a male pharmacist earns approximately 4% more than a female pharmacist for performing the same job.
7. Egypt
A Master’s degree is definitely worth its value in Egypt, with pharmacists with a master’s degree earning up to 93% more than pharmacists with a bachelor’s degree. A Clinical Pharmacist working in Cairo will typically earn around EGP12,183, which equals to around $623 per month, and this can range from the lowest salary of about 6,578 EGP ($337) to the highest salary of 18,242 EGP ($933).
Furthermore, a male clinical pharmacist earns approximately 18% more than a female clinical pharmacist for performing the same job, which is much higher when compared to the pay gap in the Netherlands (around 4%).
8. France
A person working as a Pharmacist in France typically earns around 5,267 EUR ($5,068) per month. And of course, the salaries in the capital Paris are higher than in most other cities. Similar to Germany, Only pharmacists can own a pharmacy in France, and ownership is restricted to one pharmacy, which is why there are no chains.
Compared to most countries, France offers extremely convenient working hours; most pharmacies are open from about 9AM until noon. Then, they close for lunch break until 2PM and stay open until 5/6 p.m.
9. Germany
A pharmacist in Germany earns around €3,722 per month, which is close to $3,581. The highest pay for a Pharmacist is €62k per year. German pharmacists are only allowed to own up to 3 locations, so there are no large drugstore chains like there are in the United States.
Furthermore, like in France, pharmacists in Germany have an outstanding work-life balance, with most pharmacies being closed during the weekends or even on some weekdays.
10. Canada
The average pharmacist salary in Canada is C$7,612 ($5,551/month). Entry-level positions start at around C$7,176 (5.233 USD) per month, while most experienced workers make up to C$9,126 (6,665 USD) per year. The highest salaries come from the region of Alberta and Quebec, while the lowest pharmacist income belongs to the area of Manitoba. The gender breakdown for pharmacists in Canada is slightly more even than in most countries, with female pharmacists making up 60% of the workforce.
We hope this article was informative enough to give you an idea of the salary range across different countries. The goal was to provide a gathered and accurate perception of the job market for pharmacists worldwide. But regardless of where pharmacists work and what they earn, their profession will remain valuable as ever.
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