Changes to the Pharmacy Award
Published 9 July 2025 | Updated 15 May 2026
On this page:
What's changed
The Fair Work Commission (the Commission) announced increases to minimum pay rates under the Pharmacy Award as part of its Gender-based undervaluation – priority awards review. The Commission is the national workplace relations tribunal.
Minimum pay rates for pharmacists (including pharmacy interns) covered by the Pharmacy Award will increase by 14.1%.
Pay rate increases will be applied in 3 stages on:
- 30 June 2025
- 30 June 2026
- 30 June 2027.
Pay rate changes
The first increase applied from the employee's first full pay period starting on or after 30 June 2025.
These pay rates increased again from 1 July 2025 as part of the Annual Wage Review.
This means that the minimum wages under the Pharmacy Award changed:
- from the first pay period starting on or after 30 June 2025
- again from the first pay period starting on or after 1 July 2025.
Example: Pay period starting 30 June 2025
Lucy owns a community pharmacy and employs a pharmacist covered by the Pharmacy Award.
Lucy’s employees are paid on a weekly pay cycle that runs from Monday to Sunday each week.
Lucy knows that minimum pay rates for some employees under the Pharmacy Award increased on 30 June 2025. Because Monday 30 June 2025 is the start of a new pay cycle, those rates will apply for the entire pay period.
These pay rates then increased again from the next pay cycle which starts Monday 6 July 2025.
We’ll have more information on the 2026 and 2027 increases closer to the time. To be notified, subscribe to our email updates.
What to do now
Pay rates that apply from 1 July 2025 are available to calculate in our Pay and Conditions Tool.
You can also download a pay guide from our Pay guides page.
To learn more about the changes, visit Gender undervaluation – priority awards review.
Keep up to date
To stay up to date and be notified with updates that are relevant to you, subscribe to our email updates. It only takes a few moments to sign up and will help you stay in the loop with changes to workplace laws.
You can also follow us on social media for other announcements and reminders:
