Pharmacist Salary: A 2025 Guide

Written by Coursera Staff • Updated on

Learn how much you can expect to earn as a pharmacist based on experience, industry, and location.

[Featured image] Pharmacist in white standing in front of medical equipment with a laptop computer

Pharmacists are highly-trained medical professionals who possess a deep understanding of pharmaceutical drugs and how they interact with human biology. Whether providing patients with medication at a local pharmacy or working alongside physicians in an outpatient clinic, pharmacists are well-rewarded for their unique skill set, knowledge, and expertise.

Learn more about how much a pharmacist earns and how different factors may impact salary expectations, and explore online courses that can help you prepare for a future career in the field.

What is the average pharmacist's salary?

According to the Canada Job Bank, pharmacists earn a median salary of $53.85 CAD per hour, which is about $112,008 CAD annually [1]. This is much more than the national median annual salary for all workers in Canada, which is $30 CAD hourly or $62,400 CAD annually [2]. 

Depending on the source, the average annual base salary for a pharmacist is as follows [1, 3, 4, 5]

Job Bank (median)GlassdoorSalary.com (median)Indeed
$109,990 CAD$100,663 CAD$119,072 CAD$115,075 CAD

The exact pay of a pharmacist will likely depend on factors such as years of experience, industry, and geographic location.

Pharmacist job outlook 

The job outlook for pharmacists is expected to remain steady and in line with the national level between 2022 and 2031, according to Canada’s Job Bank [6]. It reports a total of roughly 16,100 job openings during that time with about 20,000 job seekers available to fill them.

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Pharmacist salary by experience

Work experience can significantly impact how much someone earns as a pharmacist. According to Glassdoor, the estimated average pay for a pharmacist each year based on prior years of experience is as follows [3]: 

  • 0–1 years: $97,267 CAD

  • 1–3 years: $100,663 CAD

  • 4–6 years: $100,951 CAD

  • 7–9 years: $105,257 CAD

  • 10–14 years: $105,842 CAD

  • 15+ years: $108,620 CAD

Pharmacist salary by location

Geographical location can impact how much you earn as a pharmacist. While dense cities tend to have higher costs of living and higher salaries, less populated regions often have lower costs of living and salaries due to lower demand. Furthermore, local market conditions, such as the number of qualified, local professionals performing the same job, can also affect earnings based on position. 

To better understand how different regions impact earnings, here are the median pay pharmacists earn within the regions of these 10 cities in Canada, according to Canada Job Bank [7]: 

City, ProvenceAnnual Salary
Toronto, Ontario$104,000 CAD
Montreal, Quebec$126,401 CAD
Calgary, Alberta$105,040 CAD
Ottawa, Ontario$114,400 CAD
Edmonton, Alberta$111,280 CAD
Windsor, Ontario$115,752 CAD
Winnipeg, Manitoba$108,160 CAD
Vancouver, British Columbia$104,000 CAD
Quebec City, Quebec$126,401 CAD
Hamilton, Ontario$104,000 CAD

Pharmacist workplaces and skills 

Pharmacists typically work in community store locations or hospitals. These professionals fill prescription orders and maintain a stock of pharmaceutical supplies. In this role, you may also work in retail stores, health centres, or industrial settings, where you'll participate in developing new drugs.

Some of the most important skills for pharmacists include monitoring, reading, comprehension, communication by speaking and listening, and time management. Attributes such as attention to detail, stress tolerance, and independence are most important in this role.

Pharmacists are highly trained medical professionals with deep knowledge of medication and how it interacts with the human body. Pharmacists work in various health care environments and have transferable skills that can be applied in numerous positions. 

If you’re considering a position that encompasses some of the same daily skills and responsibilities pharmacists use, you might consider pursuing these similar positions. According to Glassdoor, the estimated total annual pay is listed as follows [8, 9, 10, 11]:

  • Pharmacy technician: $90,306 CAD [8]

  • Pharmacologist: $52,069 CAD [9]

  • Toxicologist: $79,642 CAD [10]

  • Pharmaceutical sales representative: $80,198 CAD [11]

Start exploring health care professions with Coursera.

Pharmacists are essential health care personnel who ensure medicine availability and fill patient prescriptions. Start preparing for your career in health care as a pharmacist by taking a cost-effective online course on Coursera today.

In UC San Diego’s Drug Development Management Specialization, you’ll be able to familiarize yourself with drug discovery, drug development, and drug commercialization used by pharmaceutical companies today.

Article sources

1

Job Bank. “Wages for Pharmacists - Job Bank, https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/wagereport/occupation/18196” Accessed January 13, 2025.

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