Rem Trends: How does our pharmacy’s remuneration compare with others?
The Remuneration Trends Report 2025–26 (Rem Trends) is now available, providing valuable insights into actual remuneration rates being paid across community pharmacy.
Access the member-only copy of the full report to help your pharmacy:
- Benchmark rates of pay against industry averages.
- Stay informed about remuneration trends across the sector.
- Strengthen your approach to attracting and retaining staff.
- Proactively manage modern award rate compliance.
Rem Trends snapshot
This latest report shows Award remuneration changed considerably over the last year. Key highlights:
- The National Minimum Wage increased by 3.5% in 2025 and by 4.75% in 2026.
- The review of the Pharmacy Industry Award in 2020 found pharmacists had experienced gender-based undervaluation hence minimum rates for pharmacists including pharmacist interns are increasing by 14.1% over three stages - 30 June 2025, 30 June 2026, 30 June 2027.
- Results from the 2025-26 remuneration survey show all professional pharmacist classifications continue to be paid above award rates. Pharmacist Managers, Pharmacists in Charge and Experienced Pharmacists were each paid approximately 20% above award.
- Pharmacy Assistant Levels 1 to 4 were paid closer to award rates, ranging from 4% to 6% above award for employees aged 21 and over.
What do the results tell us?
The findings indicate market demand continues to place upward pressure on pharmacist wages, while remuneration pressures vary across the pharmacy workforce.
The Rem Trends report assists in visualising how these above or at award rate percentages have changed over many years and assist with planning for the future.
Remuneration issues for your review
It is advised that pharmacies paying above-award rates review arrangements, so you remain compliant and competitive as award minimums rise. Award increases do not automatically mean every pharmacist will receive an equivalent pay rise – particularly where an employee’s exiting remuneration remains above the revised legal minimum.
About Rem Trends
Rem Trends is an annual report produced by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia. The Guild conducts a yearly survey using payroll data from a range of pharmacy banner groups and independent pharmacies. It examines market remuneration and average ordinary time earing across workforce classification. These findings are compared with the minimum rates prescribed by the Pharmacy Industry Award 2020.
Expressions of interest for the upcoming FY2026-27 Renumeration Survey will open in November 2026 via the Guild’s website. Please fill in the form if you would like to participate and receive an advanced copy of the next report.
Sources: Australian Healthcare Index. YouGov research commissioned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia and conducted 7–9 September 2026 among a nationally representative sample of 1,058 Australians aged 18 and over.
