by Paul Carvalho | Last updated: Jan. 6, 2021
In 2017, the full-time pharmacist salary in Canada was $97,487 a year. But depending on the data source, salaries range from $86,536 and $103,926 a year (a difference of over $17,000!).
It’s easy to get confused when looking for salary information.
That’s why we created the 2018 Pharmacist Salary Report. It has all the top sources in one place. We also organize salaries into easy-to-understand categories.
So if you want to know where pharmacist salaries in Canada are today, and where they’re headed, this is the best place to find out!
Pharmacist salary estimates are easy to find, hard to understand.
It’s strange.
Finding salary information should be easy. For example, to find out how much a pharmacist makes, you could go to Google and type in “pharmacist salary.” Right?
We did our own Google search. The top four sources we found are summarized in the table below:
Pharmacist Salary in Canada:
Annual CAD$
| Source | Salary |
|---|---|
| Job Bank | $97,487 |
| Glassdoor | $103,926 |
| Payscale | $86,536 |
| Canadian Business | $102,398 |
Source: Job Bank, Glassdoor, Payscale, Canadian Business Magezine (2017)
But wait a minute…
You probably noticed that the salary estimates are all over the place. In fact, the difference between the highest and the lowest number in this sample is over $17,000. That’s huge! It makes these salary estimates almost useless.
And it gets worse.
It’s also hard to tell if pharmacist salaries in Canada are rising or falling.
Some sources say pharmacists have great jobs with high incomes. “Want a well-paying job straight out of university? Become a pharmacist.” says one article. In the “Canada’s Best Jobs 2017” report from Canadian Business magazine, a pharmacist salary comes in at $102,398 per year.
Other sources say pharmacist salaries are falling. One director at the Canadian Pharmacists Association (CPA) estimates that starting salaries for pharmacists in some urban areas has collapsed by as much as $20,000 per year.
Why we created this guide
The idea behind Pharmacists First is to help pharmacists make the right financial decisions. So we created this guide to give you the big picture on pharmacist salaries.
After all, a big factor to your financial success is your income!
To get best picture on pharmacist salaries in Canada, we collect data from major sources. The data is grouped into useful categories to look for trends.
Ready to get the big picture? Let’s go!
How much does a pharmacist make in Canada?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Canada was $97,487 Canadian dollars per year according to the Canadian Job Bank. There are 40,706 licensed pharmacists in Canada as of January 1, 2016.
But a single number doesn’t tell the whole story. So we broke things down by industry and years of experience, too:
Pharmacist Salary in Canada
Median CAD$ per year
| Job Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmacist | $97,487 |
| Retail Pharmacist | $94,336 |
| Hospital Pharmacist | $93,018 |
| Entry Level | $89,000 |
| Hospital Pharmacist | $100,000 |
Source: Job Bank, Payscale (2017)
So why are salary estimates so different? A quick story is the best way to answer that question. (Who doesn’t like a good story, right?)The Elephant and the Six Pharmacists
Here’s the story.
“Six pharmacists agree to a challenge: They are asked to describe an object while blindfolded. The object is an elephant. When each pharmacist goes to a different part of the animal, six very different answers emerge. All of the answers are also wrong.”
The moral of the story is that even though each answer is wrong, they all have some truth to them. (An elephant’s tail is like a rope, but an elephant is not a rope.)
So what’s the point? Pharmacist salary estimates are the same way: a single number might have some truth to it, but it might be misleading.
That’s why it’s important to separate things into categories: it gives you a better perspective. You’ll also get a better understanding of where pharmacist salaries are today, and where they are headed.
* The story is based on an ancient parable that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
3 Factors That Impact a Pharmacist’s Salary in Canada
Many salary estimates we found lump together some very different groups. So a salary of a hospital pharmacist in Vancouver could be grouped in with the salary of a retail pharmacist in Toronto.
Does that make sense? (We don’t think so.)
To get a better picture on pharmacist salaries in Canada, we need to group things differently. We found three major factors that have an impact on salaries:
#1. Location: Canada is a big country. It’s made up of several provinces and territories, each with their unique differences.
#2. Field: Your field of pharmacy also has a major impact on salaries. Most pharmacists in Canada are employed either in hospital or retail pharmacy.
#3: Experience: Your years of experience also has an impact on your salary, but not as big as the first two factors. Pharmacists tend to receive a larger salary earlier, followed by small raises each year.Pharmacist Salaries Across Canada
Canada is a huge country spread across many different regions. When we look at pharmacist salaries across Canada, we start to see some regional differences.
Source: Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Editorial Board
Each region is unique when it comes to the number of pharmacists in the area, demographics, the types of employers etc. All these factors have an influence on the supply and demand for pharmacists and the salaries they can command.
Pharmacist Salaries Across Canada:
Annual CAD$
| Province | Salary |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | $95,455 |
| Alberta | $99,308 |
| Saskatchewan | $96,435 |
| Manitoba | $104,579 |
| Ontario | $99,374 |
| Quebec | $95,482 |
| New Brunswick | $93,834 |
| Prince Edward Island | $85,692 |
| Nova Scotia | $92,893 |
| Newfoundland/Labrador | $87,532 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
Pharmacist Salaries in Ontario:
How much does a pharmacist make in Ontario?
In 2017, the median salary of a pharmacist in Ontario was $99,374 Canadian dollars per year. Ontario has 15,715 licensed pharmacists as of December 31, 2016 (Source: OCP).
Pharmacist Salaries (Ontario):
Annual CAD$
| City | Salary |
|---|---|
| Toronto | $93,136 |
| Ottawa | $105,562 |
| Hamilton | $99.561 |
| London | $103,330 |
| Kitchener/Waterloo | $103,668 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
Pharmacist salaries are typically lower in major urban areas and in cities that have a pharmacy college. Ontario had 91.5% of its pharmacists working in urban areas in 2012, the second-highest rate among the provinces after British Columbia at 92.6%.
Low Ball Offer or New Normal?
Recently, there’s been some frightening evidence that pharmacist salaries are collapsing in some areas in Ontario. Several job postings in June 2016 listed salary ranges that started at $30/hour.
Source: Job Bank – Job Postings. June 2016
How much does a pharmacist make in Toronto?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Toronto was $93,136 Canadian dollars per year. Toronto has by far the lowest pharmacist salary in Ontario. This is because the supply of pharmacists is highest (i.e. the competition for jobs is high). Toronto also has a pharmacy school, which puts further pressure on salaries.
How much does a pharmacist make in Ottawa?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Ottawa is $105,562 Canadian dollars per year.
Pharmacist Salaries in Alberta:
How much does a pharmacist make in Alberta?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Alberta was $99,308 Canadian dollars per year.
There are 4,896 licensed pharmacists in Alberta as of January 1, 2016.
Pharmacist Salaries (Alberta):
Annual CAD$
| City | Salary |
|---|---|
| Calgary | $99,210 |
| Edmonton | $100,359 |
| Red Deer | $96,574 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
How much does a pharmacist make in Calgary?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Calgary was $99,210 Canadian dollars per year.
How much does a pharmacist make in Edmonton?
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Edmonton was $100,359 Canadian dollars per year .
Pharmacist Salaries in British Columbia:
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in British Columbia (BC) was $95,455 Canadian dollars per year. There are 5,782 licensed pharmacists in Alberta as of January 1, 2016. In Vancouver, pharmacists have a median wage of $101,854 Canadian dollars per year.
Pharmacist Salaries in Quebec:
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Quebec was $95,482 Canadian dollars per year. There are 8,743 licensed pharmacists in Quebec as of January 1, 2016.
Pharmacist Salaries (Quebec):
Annual CAD$
| City | Salary |
|---|---|
| Laval | $92,188 |
| Montreal | $96,164 |
| Quebec City | $105,001 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
Pharmacist Salaries in Manitoba:
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Manitoba was $104,579 Canadian dollars per year. Manitoba has 1,408 licensed pharmacists as of January 1, 2016. In Winnipeg, pharmacists earn a median wage of $102,734 Canadian dollars per year.
Pharmacist Salaries in Saskatchewan:
In 2017, the median pharmacist salary in Saskatchewan was $96,435 Canadian dollars per year. Saskatchewan has 1,568 licensed pharmacists as of January 1, 2016.
Pharmacist Salaries (Saskatchewan):
Annual CAD$
| City | Salary |
|---|---|
| Price Albert | $100,250 |
| Saskatoon | $94,726 |
| Regina | $95,186 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
Pharmacist Salaries in the Maritimes:
Pharmacist Salaries (Maritime Provinces):
Annual CAD$
| Province | Salary |
|---|---|
| New Brunswick | $93,834 |
| Nova Scotia | $92,893 |
| PEI | $85,692 |
| Newfoundland/Labrabor | $87,532 |
Source: Job Bank (2017)
Retail Pharmacist Salary in Canada
Retail or community pharmacy is by far the largest employer of pharmacists in Canada. Over three quarters of registered pharmacists in Canada are employed in community or retail pharmacy.
There are several types of formats in the community pharmacy space:
- Independents: The owner has complete control over ordering, marketing etc.
- Banner (i.e. Guardian, Price Watchers, Pharmasave): Banners are independent pharmacies that are affiliated with a central office.
- Franchises (i.e Shoppers Drug Mart, Jean Coutu): Franchisees (or ‘associates’ in the case of Shoppers Drug Mart) do not own the physical store, but franchisees do enjoy some autonomy in local marketing, buying and have access to head office programs.
- Chain (i.e. Pharma Plus and Lawtons): Chains employ pharmacy managers who are salaried employees of head office. Head office directs all marketing, merchandising, buying, professional programs, etc.
- Grocery and Mass Merchandisers (i.e. Loblaws, Walmart): As the name implies, these pharmacies are departments within a supermarket or mass merchandise outlet.
Retail Pharmacist Hourly Wage:
Hourly CAD$
| Employer: | Glassdoor: | Payscale: |
|---|---|---|
| Shoppers Drug Mart | $38.00 – $60.00 | $36.08 – $50.85 |
| Loblaws | $44.00 – $61.00 | $34.22 – $55.50 |
| Rexall | $38.00 – $53.00 | $35.75 – $54.99 |
| Safeway | $40.00 – $48.00 | $35.99 – $58.28 |
| Walmart | $42.00 – $46.00 | $39.91 – $56.26 |
| Pharmasave | $38.00 – $41.00 | $32.87 – $48.62 |
Source: Glassdoor, Payscale (2017)
Hospital Pharmacist Salary in Canada
Hospital or clinical pharmacists typically work in a health care facility and focus on delivering inpatient and outpatient pharmacy services.
A hospital’s demographics has an influence on pharmacist salaries. For example, the hospital type (i.e. adult or pediatric), bed size (from 50 to 200 beds, to over 500 beds), and teaching status (teaching vs. non-teaching) all have an influence on clinical pharmacists salaries.
The Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Editorial Board publishes reports that provides information on hospital pharmacist salaries in Canada. The data provides a starting salary and a top salaries for hospital pharmacists in Canada.
Hospital Pharmacist Salary:
Staff Pharmacist – Annual CAD$
| Province: | Start: | Top: |
|---|---|---|
| British Columbia | $75,967 | $96,596 |
| Alberta | $102,096 | $118,751 |
| Saskatchewan | $87,770 | $98,222 |
| Manitoba | $90,048 | $102,830 |
| Ontario | $78,976 | $99,955 |
| Quebec | $82,428 | $104,119 |
| NB/PEI | $82,856 | $90,231 |
| NS/NL | $74,638 | $90,748 |
Source: Hospital Pharmacy in Canada Editorial Board (2014)
Pharmacist Salary in Canada by Years of Experience:
The salary for pharmacists doesn’t change much by experience. According to Payscale, the median salary for different years of experience are:
Pharmacist Salary by Years of Experience:
Annual CAD$
| Years of Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry Level (0-5 years) | $89,000 |
| Mid Career (5-10 years) | $96,000 |
| Experienced (10-20 years) | $97,000 |
| Late Career (>20 years) | $100,000 |
Source: Payscale (2017)
About the Author:
Paul Carvalho helps pharmacists in Canada with investments, life insurance and retirement planning. He has a Bachelors Degree in Economics, a Masters Degree in Business Economics, and has earned the Chartered Financial Analysis (CFA) designation.
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