Chemist Warehouse stores pay the Pharmacy Industry Award — there is no Chemist Warehouse store enterprise agreement. In South Australia, six franchise employers covering 13 stores have been ordered to bargain with the SDA for the network's first store agreement; none had been approved when we checked.
Which award sets Chemist Warehouse pay
Chemist Warehouse pharmacy staff are paid under the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 (MA000012). The award covers community pharmacies to the exclusion of any other award (cl 4.2), so Chemist Warehouse store staff are paid under it rather than the retail award. There is no Chemist Warehouse store enterprise agreement; distribution centre workers have separate agreements.
Employer: Each Chemist Warehouse store is run by a franchise or owner-partner business, which is the employer. The network has been owned by Sigma Healthcare since February 2025.
Next scheduled increase: First full pay period on or after 1 December 2026. Junior pharmacy assistants aged 18 to 20 with more than 6 months' service move up: 18-year-olds from 70% to 75%, 19-year-olds from 80% to 85%, and 20-year-olds from 90% to 95% of the adult rate (Fair Work Commission determination PR813656). Adult rates next change with the 2027 Annual Wage Review, and pharmacists and interns get the final stage of their gender-undervaluation increase on 30 June 2027.
Chemist Warehouse hourly pay rates by level (adults)
Base hourly rates before tax for adult employees. Casual rates include the 25% casual loading, paid instead of leave entitlements.
| Level | Full-time & part-time | Casual (incl. 25%) |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy assistant level 1Pharmacy assistant without a Community Pharmacy qualification; also 1st-year pharmacy students | $27.81 | $34.76 |
| Pharmacy assistant level 2Certificate II in Community Pharmacy competencies; also 2nd-year pharmacy students | $28.45 | $35.56 |
| Pharmacy assistant / dispensary assistant level 3Certificate III in Community Pharmacy competencies, required to work at this level; also 3rd-year students | $29.45 | $36.81 |
| Pharmacy assistant level 4Certificate IV in Community Pharmacy competencies, required to work at this level; also 4th-year students | $30.66 | $38.33 |
| Pharmacy intern (first half of training)Registered intern pharmacist, first half of the intern year | $33.99 | $42.49 |
| Pharmacy intern (second half of training)Registered intern pharmacist, second half of the intern year | $35.14 | $43.93 |
| PharmacistRegistered pharmacist | $41.74 | $52.18 |
| Experienced pharmacist4 or more years full-time in community pharmacy | $45.72 | $57.15 |
| Pharmacist in chargePharmacist in charge of the pharmacy | $46.80 | $58.50 |
| Pharmacist managerResponsible to the pharmacy owner for all aspects of the business | $52.15 | $65.19 |
Chemist Warehouse pay rates by age (junior rates)
Junior employees are paid a set percentage of the adult Pharmacy assistant level 1 rate for their age. Junior rates apply only to pharmacy assistant levels 1 and 2 (cl 16.2). From the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026, 18- to 20-year-olds with more than 6 months' service move up five percentage points, reaching the adult rate in stages by July 2029.
| Age | % of adult | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 16 | 45% | $12.51 | $15.64 |
| 16 | 50% | $13.91 | $17.39 |
| 17 | 60% | $16.69 | $20.86 |
| 18 | 70% | $19.47 | $24.34 |
| 19 | 80% | $22.25 | $27.81 |
| 20 | 90% | $25.03 | $31.29 |
| 21 and over | 100% | $27.81 | $34.76 |
For how junior rates work across every award, and when you move to the adult rate, see junior pay rates in Australia.
Chemist Warehouse penalty rates: evenings, weekends and public holidays
Penalty rates are a percentage of the base hourly rate for your level (or, where stated, a flat amount per hour) for hours worked at the times below.
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm | 100% | 125% |
| Monday to Friday, 7am to 8am | 150% | 175% |
| Monday to Friday, 7pm to 9pm | 125% | 150% |
| Monday to Friday, 9pm to midnight | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday, 7am to 8am | 200% | 225% |
| Saturday, 8am to 6pm | 125% | 150% |
| Saturday, 6pm to 9pm | 150% | 175% |
| Saturday, 9pm to midnight | 175% | 200% |
| Sunday, 7am to 9pm | 150% | 175% |
| Sunday, before 7am or after 9pm | 200% | 225% |
| Public holiday | 225% | 250% |
- Percentages are of the minimum hourly rate for your classification (award cl 22, Table 6). Casual figures include the 25% loading, added rather than multiplied: Saturday casual is 150%, not 156.25%.
- The weekday evening penalty starts at 7pm, not 6pm as in the retail award.
- Ordinary hours can be worked between 7am and midnight on any day.
Overtime
| When | Full-time & part-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Saturday | 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% | Same as full-time — casual loading is not paid on overtime (cl 21.4(c)) |
| Sunday | 200% | 200% |
| Public holiday | 250% | 250% |
To price a mix of weekday, weekend and overtime hours, use the overtime and penalty rate calculator.
How much Chemist Warehouse pays a week
Gross weekly pay for an adult at Pharmacy assistant level 1, with every hour at the ordinary weekday rate. Weekend and evening shifts push these figures up; tax comes off them.
| Hours a week | Part-time / full-time | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| 15 hours | $417.15 | $521.40 |
| 25 hours | $695.25 | $869.00 |
| 38 hours | $1,056.78 | $1,320.88 |
A full-time year (38 hours × 52 weeks) at $27.81 is $54,953 before tax. See take-home pay on $55,000 (the nearest salary we publish) and $27.81 an hour as a yearly salary.
Enter your hourly rate and hours in the weekly pay calculator to see tax withheld and what lands in your account. Casual or part-time with a second job? Check the second job tax calculator.
What this page does not show
We publish only what we could read from a primary source. Left off rather than estimated:
- Distribution centre pay — covered by separate warehouse agreements whose current titles and IDs we could not confirm from the Fair Work Commission.
- Above-award pay — an individual store may pay more than the award; these are the legal minimums.
Chemist Warehouse pay questions
Pay rates at other employers
How this page is sourced▼
Every rate on this page was read from the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 (MA000012) and the Fair Work Ombudsman pay guide on 23 September 2026. Nothing is estimated or averaged. Junior dollar figures the instrument does not print are calculated from its own percentages and labelled as such.
Rates change on dates written into the award (usually 1 July each year), and a new agreement can replace this one. Re-check against your payslip and the instrument itself; the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) can confirm what applies to you.
Sources & References
- 1Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 (MA000012), consolidated to 1 July 2026— Fair Work Commission
- 2Pay guide — Pharmacy Industry Award, effective 1 July 2026— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 3Junior rates determination PR813656 (26 August 2026)— Fair Work Commission
- 4Changes to the Pharmacy Award (gender undervaluation)— Fair Work Ombudsman
- 5Chemist Warehouse appeal dismissed (2 April 2026)— Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association
Last verified: 23 September 2026. Our content is based on the latest information from official Australian government sources.
Anita Bell
AuthorFounder & Senior Bookkeeper
Accountancy degree (2015); certified in Xero, QuickBooks Online, MYOB, Saasu, Zoho and Reckon One
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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