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INPharmacy Award Pay Calculator
Work out what a week under the Pharmacy Award actually pays — the right classification level, time-of-day penalties, casual loading and super, calculated the way the award says.
How the Pharmacy Award is applied
- Minimum rates are the adult rates from clause 16.1, current from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.
- Casuals get a 25% loading with a 3-hour minimum engagement, and the time-band percentages below already include it.
- Saturday daytime (8am–6pm) is 125% — not the flat 150% many payrolls assume — with separate bands for early mornings, evenings and late nights every day of the week.
- Overtime beyond 38 ordinary weekly hours pays 150% for the first 2 hours, then 200% (Monday–Saturday); Sunday overtime is 200% and public holidays 250%.
- Superannuation (12%) applies to ordinary-time earnings, including penalty rates — but not to overtime.
- The casual overtime trap: the 25% loading is stripped for overtime — a casual’s overtime is 150% or 200% of the base minimum rate, never the loaded rate.
Who the award covers
- Community pharmacies across Australia
- Pharmacy assistants and dispensary assistants (Levels 1–4)
- Pharmacy students working while they study
- Pharmacy interns completing their clinical training
- Pharmacists, experienced pharmacists, pharmacists in charge and pharmacist managers
Hospital pharmacists sit under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, and general retail shops under the Retail Award — check before you classify.
Which level is your team member?
The Pharmacy Award has one clean ladder that runs on qualifications and registration: pharmacy assistants (Levels 1–4, by Certificate level), then interns, then pharmacists graded by experience and responsibility. There’s little judgement involved at the assistant levels — the Certificate a person holds and whether the employer requires those skills set the rate.
| Level | Per hour | Per week (38h) | Typical roles | The test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistant level 1 | $27.81 | $1056.80 | Pharmacy assistant — front of shop, no formal qualification | The entry level: works in a community pharmacy without the competencies of a Community Pharmacy qualification and isn’t covered by any other classification. |
| Assistant level 2 | $28.45 | $1081.00 | Pharmacy assistant with Certificate II competencies | Has acquired the competencies of a Certificate II in Community Pharmacy. |
| Assistant level 3 | $29.45 | $1119.10 | Senior pharmacy assistant · Dispensary assistant | Certificate III competencies, and required by the employer to work at this level — supervising Levels 1–2, dispensary duties under pharmacist supervision, or compounding work. |
| Assistant level 4 | $30.66 | $1165.10 | Pharmacy assistant with Certificate IV · Shift supervisor | Certificate IV competencies, and required by the employer to work at this level — may supervise assistants at Levels 1–3. |
| Intern — 1st half | $33.99 | $1291.50 | Pharmacy intern, first half of training | Has passed the exams of an accredited pharmacy program and is in the first half of the supervised clinical internship. |
| Intern — 2nd half | $35.14 | $1335.50 | Pharmacy intern, second half of training | The same internship, second half — the step before full registration. |
| Pharmacist | $41.74 | $1586.30 | Registered pharmacist | Registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law to practise in the pharmacy profession (other than as a student). |
| Experienced pharmacist | $45.72 | $1737.40 | Pharmacist with 4+ years in community pharmacy | At least 4 years’ full-time experience (or the part-time equivalent) in a community pharmacy specifically — hospital pharmacy years don’t count. |
| Pharmacist in charge | $46.80 | $1778.40 | Pharmacist responsible for day-to-day supervision | Assumes responsibility for the day-to-day supervision and functioning of the community pharmacy. |
| Pharmacist manager | $52.15 | $1981.60 | Pharmacist accountable to the owner for the whole business | Responsible to the owner for all aspects of the business — if one person holds both the in-charge and manager roles, pay the manager rate. |
- Pharmacy students are paid by course year, mirroring assistant Levels 1–4 (1st year = Level 1 rate, and so on). One quirk: a first-year MPharm student is paid at the 3rd-year rate.
- Student and intern are different classifications — a student is still completing the degree; an intern has passed it and is in supervised clinical training. Misclassifying between the two is a common error.
- “Experienced pharmacist” has a precise test: 4 years’ full-time (or equivalent) in a community pharmacy. Hospital pharmacy experience doesn’t count toward it.
- Junior rates (45%–90%) apply only to assistant Levels 1 and 2 — never to Level 3 and above, students, interns or pharmacists.
Allowances that can apply on top
Base rates and penalties aren’t the whole pay picture. The Pharmacy Award adds allowances for particular duties and situations — being the designated first aid officer, working overtime without notice, using your own car. They’re small lines individually, but they’re legal entitlements and they add up. The common ones (1 July 2026 amounts):
The calculator below doesn’t include allowances — add the ones that apply to your team on top of the result. The full list lives in the award’s allowances clause.
Break entitlements under the Pharmacy Award
Breaks are part of the award too — and missed or worked-through breaks usually carry a penalty rate, so they belong in the roster, not just the tea room. Here’s what the Pharmacy Award requires:
From the award’s breaks clause (clause 15, Table 2). Verify the current award text before relying on it.
Calculate a week under the Pharmacy Award
Enter the week as it’s actually rostered. Weekend, evening and public-holiday hours are paid at the award’s penalty rates; anything beyond 38 hours is priced as overtime; super is applied to ordinary-time earnings only.
Rates current as of 1 July 2026 (adult minimums, MA000012) — first full pay period on or after that date.
This week’s numbers
Nothing is stored or sent — the maths runs on this page.
Are these the exact legal rates?
The classification minimums are the adult rates from clause 16.1, current at 1 July 2026. Junior rates (45%–90% by age) apply only to assistant Levels 1 and 2, and pharmacy students are paid at the assistant rate for their course year. Treat the result as a planning number and confirm against the award or your payroll adviser.
What do I pay a pharmacy student?
The assistant rate matching their course year: 1st year at Level 1 ($27.81/hr), through to 4th year at Level 4 ($30.66/hr). Counter-intuitively, a first-year MPharm student starts at the 3rd-year rate. Once they’ve passed their exams and start clinical training, they become an intern — a different, higher classification.
Isn’t Saturday just 150%?
Not in pharmacy — that’s the most common payroll error under this award. Saturday 8am–6pm is 125% (150% casual); the rate only rises to 150% for 6pm–9pm and 175% for 9pm–midnight. Sunday daytime is 150%. Public holidays are 225% for permanent staff, confirmed against the FWO’s official pay guide — casuals get 250%, the 225% plus the 25% casual loading.
How does casual overtime work?
Differently from most awards: the 25% casual loading is not payable on overtime hours. When a casual passes 38 weekly hours, apply 150% (then 200%) to the base minimum rate for their level — don’t compound the loading on top. The calculator applies exactly that rule.
This is a general calculator, not legal advice. It applies the award’s published adult minimums to the hours you enter — it can’t see your enterprise agreement, allowances or individual arrangements, and junior, apprentice and shiftwork rates differ. Always confirm pay against the award, your agreement or your adviser. If you believe something here is materially wrong or out of date, please contact us — we’ll review it promptly.
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Tommy applies the right award rates to every shift as you roster — penalties, loading and super included. Start with your email and your numbers come along.
