Which country pays the highest salary for a pharmacist? It’s probably no surprise it’s the USA…
1. United States
Pharmacist average salary: $133,014
In contrast, the annual mean wage for all occupations in the United States is $47,230, according to BLS. The highest average wage obtained by pharmacists in the US comes from San Francisco, this is probably because they have the second-highest cost of living in the US (the average home price in San Francisco is nearly $1.2 million.)
Essentially, higher wages are mainly seen in the States on the outskirts of the midwest and the eastern coastal areas near Washington and New York:
This map of higher pharmacist wages closely follows affluence rates in the US:
In terms of hourly pay, the median was $59.70 per hour. Within the US higher wages are dependent on:
- Geographic location – along the coast, East and West are the most expensive.
- Type of employer – corporate generally pays better than independents.
- Years of experience – the higher the better.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to the USA article for more information.
2. Iceland
Pharmacist average salary: $106,000 (USD adjusted)
Iceland has relentlessly climbed the scale of most desirable destinations over the years and up to 98 percent of people in the service industry are fluent in English.
At first glance, this may seem fantastic, but don’t pack your bags just yet. One of the reasons the wage is so high is that the country is so small, there are about 60 pharmacies in Iceland, and most of them are only manned by one pharmacist at any given time.
3. Australia
Pharmacist average salary: $88,843
The average pharmacist wage is $42.54 per hour based on 913 salaries submitted anonymously to Indeed. If you do the average 40-hour week this equates to $88,483 per year.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to Australia article for more information.
4. Switzerland
Pharmacist average salary: $83,600 – $127,000
While Swiss pharmacists may not be paid as much as their US counterparts, Switzerland has often been named the country with the highest quality of life based on indexes such as health care, safety, traffic, and pollution.
The CHF, commonly called the Swiss Franc is about equivalent to the US Dollar.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to Switzerland article for more information.
5. Canada
Pharmacist average salary: $80,700
The median hourly rate for pharmacists in Canada is $33.74, but there is no noticeable difference in salary for pharmacists with higher levels of experience.
Most Canadian pharmacists move on to other jobs once they accrue more than 20 years of experience.
The average wage for all Canadians in 2014 was around $49,000, according to Statistics Canada.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to Canada article for more information.
6. Sweden
Pharmacist average salary: $70,465
An average pharmacist wage in Sweden is $34ph, $5,842.04 per month or $70,465 per year.
A major benefit of pharmacist migration to Sweden is that the income tax is relatively low, only 24%, however, it is mandatory to learn Swedish for you to practice as a pharmacist. It is estimated that learning Swedish takes approximately 575-600 class hours (4 working weeks) to gain a proficient level.
7. United Kingdom
Pharmacist average salary: $57,000 to $53,300
According to PayScale, pharmacists in the United Kingdom tend to make around $53,000, but the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimated the average salary at around $57,000 in 2014. Per hour working as a locum you can expect a wage of £21 per hour which is around $26.
For more context, the highest-paid workers in the United Kingdom in 2014 were city brokers at an average of $205,000, according to ONS. UK pilots tend to make around $138,000.
The UK prime minister’s salary was around $218,000 in 2014, according to The Guardian.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to the UK article for more information.
8. Germany
Pharmacist average salary: $44,800
Women in Germany make up 55% of the country’s pharmacist workforce, according to PayScale.
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 or the United Kingdom.
Most pharmacies in Germany are closed during the evenings, Saturday afternoons, Sundays, and holidays. Some pharmacies even close on Wednesdays, according to How To Germany.
9. Republic of Ireland
Pharmacist average salary: $45,442 – $68,163
Pharmacists can earn between $45,442 and $68,163 (with up to three years of experience) and between $56,000 and $1130,000 (over three years of experience), although this will vary depending on the employer.
10. United Arab Emirates
Pharmacist average salary: $42,800
This wage increases slightly in Dubai, where the average is $25,330. The best pharmacist wage in UAE are found in the top private clinics, you would expect a lower wage if you were engaged in the pharmaceutical industry.
Pharmacist graduates sometimes cannot work directly as a licensed pharmacist, it these cases they sometimes work as interns and graduate trainees and earn between $1,000 to $2,000 USD.
Highest paid pharmacists are those who have accumulated at least 10 years’ experience and possess at least a Masters degree in a health related course.
Have a look at our dedicated pharmacist migration to UAE article for more information.
References
¹ UK, US, UAE based pharmacist wage figures from PharmacyCPA.