Your Pharmacy Salary: What Hits Your Bank Account After Tax and Medicare

Understanding Your Pharmacy Salary

If you work in a community pharmacy or a hospital dispensary, your pay is likely covered by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020. From 1 July 2026, the Fair Work Ombudsman has set minimum rates that apply to pharmacy assistants, pharmacy students, pharmacy interns, and pharmacists. This guide explains what those rates mean for the amount that reaches your bank account each fortnight after income tax and the Medicare levy.

Pharmacy Award Rates from 1 July 2026

The award divides employees into classifications. For a full-time pharmacy assistant at Level 1, the minimum weekly rate is $1,056.80, which works out to $27.81 per hour. A pharmacist starts at $1,586.30 per week ($41.74 per hour). Experienced pharmacists, pharmacists in charge, and pharmacist managers earn progressively more. These rates are higher than the national minimum wage of $26.44 per hour ($1,004.90 per week).

Your pharmacy salary may be advertised as an annual figure or a weekly wage. Remember that the award rates are minimums – many employers pay above them, especially for experienced staff.

Tax Brackets and Take-Home Pay

Once you know your gross weekly or fortnightly pharmacy salary, you can estimate your take-home pay using the 2026–27 tax rates. The first $18,200 of annual income is tax-free. Then:

• $18,201 to $45,000: 15 cents per dollar over $18,200
• $45,001 to $135,000: $4,020 plus 30 cents per dollar over $45,000
• $135,001 to $190,000: $31,020 plus 37 cents per dollar over $135,000
• Over $190,000: $51,370 plus 45 cents per dollar over $190,000

The Low Income Tax Offset (LITO) can reduce your tax bill if your taxable income is below $66,667. For example, a pharmacy assistant earning $55,000 a year would receive a LITO of $325 minus 1.5 cents per dollar over $45,000. The offset cannot reduce your tax below zero.

For a full breakdown of how these brackets affect your pay, see our Take-home pay guide.

The Medicare Levy

Almost all resident taxpayers pay the Medicare levy. For the 2026–27 year, the rate is 2% of your taxable income. However, if your income is below $28,011, you pay nothing. Between $28,011 and $35,013, a shading-in rate applies: you pay 10 cents for every dollar over $28,011. Once your income exceeds $35,013, you pay the full 2% on your entire taxable income.

For a full-time pharmacy assistant earning $55,000 a year, the Medicare levy would be $1,100 (2% of $55,000). A pharmacist earning $82,000 would pay $1,640. These amounts are deducted from your pay alongside income tax. Learn more on our Tax and Medicare page.

Superannuation

From 1 July 2026, the super guarantee rate is 12%. Your employer must contribute this amount on top of your ordinary earnings, up to a maximum contribution base of $270,830 per year. Super is not deducted from your pay – it is an additional benefit. When you see a pharmacy salary advertised, check whether it is ‘plus super’ or ‘including super’. Most award-based roles quote the base rate before super, so your take-home pay is calculated on that base.

For more on how super fits into your total compensation, visit Super.

Fortnightly Example: Pharmacy Assistant Level 1

Let’s look at a full-time pharmacy assistant at Level 1 earning the award minimum of $1,056.80 per week. That’s $2,113.60 per fortnight. Annualised, that’s $54,953.60.

• Tax on $54,953.60: The first $18,200 is tax-free. The next $26,800 (from $18,201 to $45,000) is taxed at 15c = $4,020. The remaining $9,953.60 (from $45,001 to $54,953.60) is taxed at 30c = $2,986.08. Total tax before offsets = $7,006.08.
• LITO: $325 minus 1.5c per dollar over $45,000. $9,953.60 × 1.5c = $149.30. So LITO = $325 – $149.30 = $175.70. Tax after LITO = $6,830.38.
• Medicare levy: Full 2% because income > $35,013. $54,953.60 × 2% = $1,099.07.
• Total deductions: $6,830.38 + $1,099.07 = $7,929.45 per year. That’s about $305 per fortnight.
• Take-home per fortnight: $2,113.60 – $305 = $1,808.60.

This is an estimate only. Your actual take-home may differ due to HELP/HECS repayments, salary packaging, or payroll rounding. Use our Clearance tool for a personalised calculation.

Fortnightly Example: Pharmacist

A pharmacist at the award minimum of $1,586.30 per week earns $3,172.60 per fortnight, or $82,487.60 annually.

• Tax: $18,200 tax-free. $26,800 at 15c = $4,020. $37,487.60 (from $45,001 to $82,487.60) at 30c = $11,246.28. Total tax = $15,266.28. No LITO because income > $66,667.
• Medicare levy: $82,487.60 × 2% = $1,649.75.
• Total deductions: $16,916.03 per year, about $650.62 per fortnight.
• Take-home per fortnight: $3,172.60 – $650.62 = $2,521.98.

Again, this excludes super (which is on top) and any other deductions.

Key Takeaways

Your pharmacy salary is governed by the Pharmacy Industry Award, which sets minimum rates above the national minimum wage. After income tax and the Medicare levy, your take-home pay will be lower than your gross wage. Superannuation is an extra benefit that does not reduce your bank deposit. To see how different classifications and pay rates affect your fortnightly amount, refer to our Benchmarks page.

Remember that the figures here are estimates. The Australian Taxation Office provides the official tax tables, and your employer will use those to calculate your pay. For a more accurate picture, use the Clearance tool with your specific salary and circumstances.