Pharmacy assistant salary: what your fortnight take-home looks like after tax, Medicare and super

Pharmacy assistant salary: how your pay is built

If you work as a pharmacy assistant under the Pharmacy Industry Award, your minimum pay is set by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The award covers four levels of pharmacy assistant, each with its own hourly and weekly rate. From 1 July 2026 the rates are:

• Level 1: $27.81 per hour ($1,056.80 per week)
• Level 2: $28.45 per hour ($1,081.00 per week)
• Level 3: $29.45 per hour ($1,119.10 per week)
• Level 4: $30.66 per hour ($1,165.10 per week)

These are the minimums. Your actual pharmacy assistant salary may be higher if your employer pays above the award. The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour and $1,004.90 a week, so all pharmacy assistant rates are above that.

What changes your fortnight take-home

Your gross pay is only part of the story. What lands in your bank account each fortnight depends on three things: the income tax brackets, the Medicare levy, and whether super is quoted in your salary.

Income tax brackets (2026–27)

The first $18,200 you earn is tax-free. Then you pay:

• 15c for each dollar between $18,201 and $45,000
• 30c for each dollar between $45,001 and $135,000
• 37c for each dollar between $135,001 and $190,000
• 45c for each dollar above $190,000

A full-time level 3 pharmacy assistant earning $1,119.10 per week has an annual salary of about $58,193. That puts them in the 30c bracket for the portion above $45,000. The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) reduces their tax by up to $700, tapering off as income rises.

Medicare levy

The Medicare levy is 2% of your taxable income. The latest published single-person thresholds are $28,011 and $35,013. If you earn below $28,011 you pay no levy. Between $28,011 and $35,013 you pay 10c per $1 over the lower threshold. Above $35,013 you pay the full 2%. Most full-time pharmacy assistants will be above $35,013, so the full 2% applies.

Superannuation

From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee is 12% of your ordinary time earnings. If your job advertisement says “$29.45 per hour plus super”, that $29.45 is your before-tax wage. Super is paid on top by your employer and goes into your super fund – it is not deducted from your take-home pay. If your salary is quoted as a package including super, then super is part of your total remuneration and your take-home will be lower.

Example: level 3 pharmacy assistant

Let’s take a level 3 assistant working 38 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.

• Hourly rate: $29.45
• Weekly gross: $1,119.10
• Annual gross: $58,193.20
• Tax on $58,193: $4,020 on first $45,000 plus 30c on $13,193 = $3,957.90, total $7,977.90, less LITO of $700 = $7,277.90
• Medicare levy: 2% of $58,193 = $1,163.86
• Total deductions: $8,441.76
• Annual take-home: $49,751.44
• Weekly take-home: $956.76 (rounded)
• Fortnight take-home: $1,913.52

If your salary is quoted as “plus super”, your employer also pays $6,983.18 into your super fund each year. That money is not in your bank account now but builds your retirement savings.

How penalty rates affect your take-home

The award includes penalty rates for morning, evening, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday work. For example, a level 3 assistant working Saturday morning (7am–8am) gets $58.90 per hour – double the base rate. These extras can significantly boost your fortnight take-home, but remember they are also taxed at your marginal rate and subject to Medicare levy.

Using the take-home pay tool

To see your own numbers, try our Take-home pay calculator. It applies the 2026–27 tax brackets, Medicare levy and LITO automatically. For more on how tax and Medicare work together, visit Tax and Medicare.