ANZSCO 251513Updated 2026-01-29

Retail Pharmacist

National shortage level: Strong

Snapshot

Median pay: AUD 80k

Weekly earnings: AUD 1550

Salary range: AUD 72k-AUD 89k

Job ads trend: Not listed

Time to hire: Varies

Visa pathways: Check eligibility

State distribution

29.7%

NSW

26.3%

VIC

20.3%

QLD

Education mix

73.5%

bachelor degree

18.3%

Post graduate

4.2%

year 12

Role overview

Retail Pharmacists dispense prescribed pharmaceuticals to the public, educate customers on health promotion, disease prevention and the proper use of medicines, and sell non-prescription medicines and related goods in a community pharmacy.

What you do

• Receives prescriptions, checks patients' medicine histories, and ensures optimal dosage and methods of administration and drug compatibility before dispensing.
• Prepares or supervises the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions.
• Advises patients on drug incompatibility and contra-indications.

Core skills

Credentials & pathway

Recommended level: bachelor degree (73.5%)

Recent job ads

No ads listed yet.

Tasks

• Advises patients on drug incompatibility and contra-indications.
• Maintains prescription files and records issue of narcotics, poisons and habit-forming drugs.
• Prepares or supervises the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines, ointments, powders, tablets and other medications to fill prescriptions.

Earnings

Weekly median: AUD 1550

Annual median: AUD 80k

Range: AUD 72k-AUD 89k