Learn how much you can expect to earn as a pharmacist based on experience, industry, and location.
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.
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) | Glassdoor | Salary.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.
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.
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
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, Provence | Annual 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 |
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]
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.
Job Bank. “Wages for Pharmacists - Job Bank, https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/wagereport/occupation/18196” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Statistics Canada. “Employee wages by industry, monthly, unadjusted for seasonal, https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410006301&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.4&pickMembers%5B2%5D=3.1&pickMembers%5B3%5D=5.1&pickMembers%5B4%5D=6.1&cubeTimeFrame.startMonth=02&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2024&cubeTimeFrame.endMonth=06&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2024&referencePeriods=20240201%2C20240601” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Pharmacist in Canada 2024, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/canada-pharmacist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,17.htm” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Salary.com. “Pharmacist by education, experience, Location and more, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/pharmacist-salary/canada” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Indeed. “Pharmacist Salary in Canada, https://ca.indeed.com/career/pharmacist/salaries” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Job Bank. “Pharmacist in Canada | Job Prospects, https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/outlook-occupation/18196/ca” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Job Bank. “Pharmacist in Canada | Wages, https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/marketreport/wages-occupation/18196/ca” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Pharmacy Technician in Canada, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/canada-pharmacy-technician-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,26.htm” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Pharmacologist in Canada, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/canada-pharmacologist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,21.htm” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Toxicologist in Canada, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/canada-toxicologist-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,19.htm” Accessed January 13, 2025.
Glassdoor. “Salary: Pharmaceutical Sales Representative in Canada, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/canada-pharmaceutical-sales-representative-salary-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KO7,42.htm” Accessed January 13, 2025.
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