A pop-up pharmacy clinic offering screening services after breakfast[/caption]
The Fair Work Ombudsman has published the updated pay guide for the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020, with new rates taking effect from the first full pay period on or after 30 June 2026.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated. An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the new pay rates included increments for both the pay equity correction and the Annual Wage Review, when in fact, this rate only contained the pay equity correction.
The Pharmacy Industry Award rates, which will include the 4.75% Annual Wage Review increment, will be in effect for pay cycles commencing on or after 1 July 2026. Please note, these rates have not yet been published.
The article also incorrectly compared the pay rates to the Pharmacy Industry Award, which was in effect for pay cycles commencing on or after 30 June 2025, rather than the current rates effective on or after 1 July 2025, this has now been corrected
Australian Pharmacist apologises for this error and any confusion it may have caused.
The updated guide applies the second instalment of a 3-year gender undervaluation correction. However, it does not include the Annual Wage Review Increment, which will commence for pay cycles which commence on or after 1 July 2026.
What are the new hourly rates?
The base hourly rate for a pharmacist on the award for pay cycles starting on or after 30 June 2026 will rise from $38.14 to $39.85.
| Classification | Current (from 1 July 2025)* | New (from 30 June 2026) | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $38.14 | $39.85 | +$1.71 |
| Experienced Pharmacist | $41.78 | $43.65 | +$1.87 |
| Pharmacist in charge | $42.76 | $44.68 | +$1.92 |
| Pharmacist manager | $47.65 | $49.78 | +$2.13 |
*Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012] – Fair Work Ombudsman effective 1 July 2025
Pharmacy interns also benefit from the gender disparity increment increase, with first-half-of-training interns moving from $31.05/hr to $32.44/hr, and second-half interns from $32.11/hr to $33.55/hr.
For pharmacists working beyond standard Monday–Friday hours, the following changes apply.
Entry level pharmacist:
| Shift | Current | New | Increase |
| Evening Mon–Fri (7pm–9pm) | $47.68 | $49.81 | +$2.13 |
| Saturday (8am–6pm) | $47.68 | $49.81 | +$2.13 |
| Sunday (7am–9pm) | $57.21 | $59.78 | +$2.57 |
| Public holiday | $85.82 | $89.66 | +$3.84 |
Pharmacist in charge:
| Shift | Current | New | Increase |
| Evening Mon–Fri (7pm–9pm) | $53.45 | $55.85 | +$2.40 |
| Saturday (8am–6pm) | $53.45 | $55.85 | +$2.40 |
| Sunday (7am–9pm) | $64.14 | $67.02 | +$2.88 |
| Public holiday | $96.21 | $100.53 | +$4.32 |
Why is this year’s wage increase occurring in two steps?
It may appear unusual that there will be a change to the award for pay cycles commencing on 30 June 2026 and another award which will come into effect for pay cycles commencing from the following day on 1 July 2026.
However, there are two separate increments being applied on separate days as AP reported last week.
The first factor is the continuation of a a pay equity correction. In 2025, the FWC’s Expert Panel for pay equity in the care and community sector determined that pharmacists had been subject to a total of 14.1% gender-based undervaluation, linked to the high proportion of females in the pharmacy workforce.
The Expert Panel issued a determination for a phased total increase of 14.1% over 3 years, with the second instalment taking effect on 30 June 2026.
The second is the Fair Work Commission’s 2026 Annual Wage Review outcome, higher than the 3.5% increase proposed by employer and business groups, reflecting economic pressures over the past 12 months. This increment will take effect in pay cycles starting on or after 1 July 2026 and is not reflected in the pay tables in this article. Pay tables are expected to be released by Fair Work later this month.
In explaining its Annual Wage Review decision, the Fair Work Commission emphasised that balancing competing factors in a volatile economic environment was challenging.
‘The economy encountered capacity constraints in the latter half of 2025, with the result that the rate of inflation increased by more than forecast, to be well above the Reserve Bank target band,’ the FWC said.
‘The tightening of monetary policy by the Reserve Bank which followed will undoubtedly slow down the economy in the year ahead.
‘On top of this, the Australian economy faces the wild card of the Middle East conflict which broke out unexpectedly on 28 February 2026. The consequential disruption to oil supplies has accelerated inflation in Australia through direct effects on the price of petrol and diesel and second round effects on the price of a range of goods and services.’
What does this mean for pharmacists?
PSA National President Professor Mark Naunton MPS said ‘this will alleviate long standing concerns from our members regarding remuneration’.
‘For many community pharmacists, who make up a significant proportion of our membership, and who continue to make significant contributions to the community, this award will be welcomed,’ he said.
‘This outcome further strengthens PSA’s position that the reinstatement of indexation for credentialed pharmacists is well overdue.’
