Junior rates apply only to pharmacy assistant levels 1 and 2 (cl 16.2), and the percentages for 18- to 20-year-olds with more than 6 months with their employer rise in steps from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026. See the junior pay rates page.
Which award covers pharmacy assistants
Pharmacy assistants and dispensary assistants in community pharmacies (retail chemists) are covered by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012], not the General Retail Award.
The level depends on Community Pharmacy qualifications. Level 1 has not yet acquired the competencies for a Community Pharmacy qualification. Level 2 has the Certificate II competencies. Level 3 — also called Dispensary assistant level 3 — has the Certificate III competencies and is required by the employer to work at that level, which can include dispensing under a pharmacist's direct supervision or supervising level 1 and 2 assistants. Level 4 has the Certificate IV competencies and is required to work at that level (Schedule A.1–A.4).
Holding a higher certificate does not by itself move a level 3 or 4 assistant up: the award also requires that the employer requires you to work at that level.
Read the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012] on the Fair Work Commission’s site (consolidated to 1 July 2026), or see every classification on our MA000012 award rates page.
Pharmacy Assistant award pay rates 2026–27
These rates apply from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 July 2026. Part-time employees are paid the same hourly rates for the hours they work.
Pharmacy assistant pay rates by level, 2026–27
Pharmacy Industry Award cl 16.1, Table 3, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Casual is the hourly rate plus the 25% casual loading, for ordinary weekday hours between 8 am and 7 pm.
| Classification | Hourly | Weekly (38 hrs) | Annual | Casual hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy assistant level 1No Community Pharmacy qualification yet | $27.81 | $1,056.80 | $54,954 | $34.76 |
| Pharmacy assistant level 2Certificate II in Community Pharmacy competencies | $28.45 | $1,081.00 | $56,212 | $35.56 |
| Pharmacy assistant level 3Certificate III; dispensary assistant or supervisor | $29.45 | $1,119.10 | $58,193 | $36.81 |
| Pharmacy assistant level 4Certificate IV; may supervise levels 1–3 | $30.66 | $1,165.10 | $60,585 | $38.33 |
Annual is the weekly rate × 52, before tax and before superannuation. Casual hourly includes the 25% casual loading.
Pharmacy Assistant penalty rates and overtime
| When you work | Full-time / part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Friday, 7 am to 8 am | 150% | 175% |
| Monday–Friday, 7 pm to 9 pm | 125% | 150% |
| Monday–Friday, 9 pm to midnight | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm | 125% | 150% |
| Saturday, 7 am to 8 am | 200% | 225% |
| Saturday, 6 pm to 9 pm | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday, 9 pm to midnight | 175% | 200% |
| Sunday, 7 am to 9 pm | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday, before 7 am or after 9 pm | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
Percentages of the minimum hourly rate (clause 22.3, Table 6). Casual percentages already include the 25% casual loading. Penalty rates are not added on top of overtime rates (cl 22.2).
Overtime
- Monday to Saturday: 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (cl 21.4, Table 5).
- Sunday: 200% all day. Public holiday: 250% all day.
- Overtime applies to hours over 38 a week (or 76 over two weeks), over 12 hours in a day, between midnight and 7 am, or outside the agreed roster.
- A casual working overtime is paid the overtime rate without the 25% casual loading (cl 21.4(c)).
Work out a shift with penalties or overtime using the overtime pay calculator.
Allowances
| Allowance | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Laundry allowance | $6.42 per week | Full-time; $1.28 a shift for part-time and casual staff, where the laundry conditions in cl 19.5 apply (cl 19.5(b)). |
| Meal allowance | $24.72 | Overtime without notice on or before the previous day (cl 19.3(b)(i)); a further $22.15 if the overtime exceeds 4 hours. |
Pharmacy Assistant pay after tax
On the Pharmacy assistant level 1 rate of $1,056.80 a week, a full-time pharmacy assistant earns $54,954 a year before tax.
| Gross annual pay | $54,954 |
|---|---|
| Income tax (after LITO) | −$6,831 |
| Medicare levy | −$1,099 |
| Take-home per year | $47,024 |
| Take-home per week | $904 |
2026–27 resident tax rates with the low income tax offset and the 2% Medicare levy; no HECS-HELP repayment and no Medicare levy surcharge. Superannuation is paid on top by your employer. For the full breakdown see take-home pay on $55,000 (the nearest step to $54,954), or put in your own hours with the weekly pay calculator.
What pharmacy assistants actually earn
Jobs and Skills Australia puts median full-time earnings for Pharmacy Sales Assistants (ANZSCO 6214) at $1,112 a week ($30 an hour), against $1,852 a week for all occupations.
Median weekly pay of full-time, non-managerial adult employees before tax and salary sacrifice, from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours (May 2025) as published by Jobs and Skills Australia. It reflects what employers actually pay, including people on enterprise agreements or above-award salaries, so it is a market figure, not a legal minimum.
What this page does not show
- Junior pharmacy assistant percentages and the phase-in schedule — see the junior pay rates page.
- Pharmacy student, intern and pharmacist rates — see the pharmacist page.
Pharmacy Assistant pay questions
Pay rates for other jobs
How this page is sourced▼
Every minimum rate was read from the Fair Work Commission's consolidated text of the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020, consolidated to 1 July 2026, on 23 September 2026. Casual rates are the award's own published figures wherever it publishes them. Nothing is estimated.
The median comes from Jobs and Skills Australia’s occupation profile and is a market figure, not an entitlement. Take-home figures use the same tax engine as the rest of this site. Award rates change every 1 July, so re-check after the next Annual Wage Review.
Sources & References
- 1Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012] — consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2Pay guides for modern awards— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Annual Wage Review 2025–26 decision [2026] FWCFB 3500— Fair Work Commission
- 4
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
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Anita Bell earned her accountancy degree in 2015 and has worked as a senior bookkeeper with Prime Bookkeeping for over 5 years. This built her skills in Australian and New Zealand tax legislation and industry regulations. She is certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One, and works with payroll and rostering software including Gusto, Deputy, Tsheets and KeyPay. She has strong experience in hospitality, building and construction, financial services, real estate, ecommerce, and medical and health services.
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