Pharmacist
Pharmacists are medicines experts who check and supply prescriptions, advise patients and other health professionals on using medicines safely, and in many countries give vaccinations or prescribe.
What can you do with a pharmacy degree?
Also called: MPharm · Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) · Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm)
Updated How we use data
Quick answer
A pharmacy degree teaches how medicines are discovered, made and used, and how to make sure patients use them safely and effectively. It combines chemistry, biology and pharmacology with practical training. Most graduates become pharmacists in community pharmacies or hospitals, while others work in the pharmaceutical industry, research or regulation, or as chemists and biomedical scientists.
Careers with a pharmacy degree
Most pharmacy graduates work as pharmacists, either in community pharmacies, where they advise the public and supply medicines, or in hospitals, where they work closely with medical teams. In some countries, pharmacists also prescribe medicines, give vaccinations or run clinics. Other graduates work in the pharmaceutical industry on drug development, manufacturing and quality control, or in research as chemists and biomedical scientists. Medicines regulators, universities and public health organisations also employ pharmacy graduates.
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Chemist
Chemists study substances and how they react, and use that knowledge to create and test new materials, medicines, fuels, foods and consumer products.
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Biomedical scientist
Biomedical scientists test samples of blood, tissue and body fluids in laboratories to help doctors diagnose and monitor disease, and they check that blood for transfusion is safe.
Other roles graduates go into: Regulatory affairs specialist · Quality assurance manager · Clinical trials coordinator · Medical information officer · Pharmacovigilance specialist · Formulation scientist
What you study and the skills you gain
Typical topics
- Pharmaceutical chemistry
- Pharmacology: how medicines act on the body
- Pharmaceutics: how medicines are designed and made
- Clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
- Physiology and pathology
- Microbiology and immunology
- Pharmacy practice, law and ethics
- Communicating with patients and giving advice
Skills you gain
- Checking prescriptions accurately and spotting errors
- Advising patients on how to use medicines safely
- Understanding how drugs work and interact
- Laboratory and scientific analysis
- Careful attention to detail
- Working with doctors, nurses and other health professionals
How the degree differs around the world
In most countries, pharmacy is a professional degree that leads to registration as a pharmacist. In the UK, the Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) takes four years and is followed by a year of supervised training and a registration exam. In the United States, you need a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), a four-year programme usually taken after at least two years of university study, followed by licensing exams. In the European Union, programmes usually last five years, including practical training. In countries such as India, Australia and South Africa, a four-year Bachelor of Pharmacy is common. Most countries also require supervised practice or an exam before you can register.
How do pharmacy graduates do?
Earnings and employment by country
The OECD compares graduates by field of study. This subject falls under “Nursing and associate health fields”. The first column compares the median earnings of tertiary-educated adults in this field with all tertiary-educated adults (100 = average).
| Country | Earnings index (all graduates = 100) | Employment rate, this field | Employment rate, all graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | 122 (2023) | 89.2% (2024) | 86.4% |
| Germany | 117 (2020) | 86.8% (2024) | 88.7% |
| Costa Rica | 113 (2023) | 76.3% (2024) | 79.2% |
| Slovenia | 112 (2020) | 93.3% (2024) | 90.8% |
| Romania | 107 (2023) | 94.1% (2024) | 91.5% |
| Latvia | 102 (2023) | 80.8% (2024) | 87.7% |
| Australia | 94 (2020) | 87.7% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Chile | 93 (2023) | 89.3% (2022) | 85.7% |
| Luxembourg | 93 (2023) | 82.3% (2024) | 85.7% |
| Estonia | 91 (2023) | 93.3% (2024) | 89.2% |
| Portugal | 90 (2020) | 93.3% (2024) | 90.7% |
| Mexico | 90 (2023) | 79.1% (2024) | 81.5% |
| South Korea | 89 (2023) | — | — |
| Canada | 88 (2020) | 81.5% (2021) | 80.4% |
| United Kingdom | 86 (2020) | 81.9% (2021) | 84.6% |
| Sweden | 85 (2023) | 92.6% (2024) | 89.6% |
| United States | 85 (2023) | 85.4% (2017) | 84.3% |
| Denmark | 84 (2023) | 88.9% (2021) | 87.8% |
| Norway | 82 (2023) | 91.0% (2024) | 89.3% |
| Switzerland | 80 (2023) | 90.2% (2024) | 89.5% |
| Finland | 78 (2022) | 92.0% (2024) | 88.8% |
| Croatia | — | 96.0% (2024) | 89.7% |
| Iceland | — | 95.4% (2016) | 93.6% |
| Poland | — | 94.0% (2024) | 91.6% |
| Slovakia | — | 93.3% (2024) | 90.5% |
| Lithuania | — | 92.9% (2024) | 90.4% |
| Netherlands | — | 90.7% (2024) | 90.6% |
| Belgium | — | 89.9% (2024) | 88.5% |
| Italy | — | 89.0% (2024) | 84.7% |
| Ireland | — | 88.8% (2021) | 86.9% |
| France | — | 88.1% (2024) | 87.3% |
| Spain | — | 85.5% (2024) | 83.9% |
| Czechia | — | 84.9% (2024) | 88.4% |
| Hungary | — | 83.6% (2024) | 76.2% |
| Greece | — | 79.4% (2024) | 82.3% |
| Türkiye | — | 78.3% (2016) | 72.9% |
| Peru | — | 76.9% (2024) | 81.7% |
Source: OECD, Education at a Glance. Adults aged 25–64 with tertiary education; latest year available, full-time earners where published. Values are for the whole field of study, not this subject alone. Where a country publishes only broad fields, we use “Health and welfare”.
Graduate earnings in the UK
The UK government links tax records to university records to measure what graduates earn. These figures are for “Pharmacy” first-degree graduates who were employed in the 2023–24 tax year.
| Time since graduating | Median | Lower quartile | Upper quartile | In work or study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| After 1 year | £27,100 | £16,800 | £33,300 | 77.8% |
| After 3 years | £37,500 | £17,200 | £49,200 | 90.4% |
| After 5 years | £43,900 | £28,000 | £52,000 | 91.4% |
| After 10 years | £42,100 | £22,700 | £54,200 | 87.9% |
Source: UK Department for Education, Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO), tax year 2023–24. Earnings are annual and include only graduates in sustained employment. More UK detail on CourseToJob.co.uk
Is a pharmacy degree right for you?
It may suit you if
- You enjoy chemistry and biology and want to use science to help people.
- You are careful and precise, and you like getting details right.
- You want a clear professional route with strong links to healthcare.
Think twice if
- You find chemistry difficult or uninteresting, as it is central to the degree.
- You would prefer not to work in shops or other retail settings, where many pharmacists are based.
- You want a very hands-on role, such as physically treating patients, which is less common for pharmacists.
Further study
After registration, many pharmacists take postgraduate courses in clinical pharmacy, which can lead to advanced roles in hospitals and primary care. In countries where pharmacists can prescribe, extra training in prescribing is common. In the United States, some pharmacists complete residency programmes to specialise. Graduates interested in research or industry often take a master's degree or PhD in pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences or drug development.
Questions about studying pharmacy
What jobs can you get with a pharmacy degree?
Most graduates become pharmacists in community pharmacies, hospitals or health clinics. Others work in the pharmaceutical industry in research, manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs or medical information. Pharmacy graduates can also become chemists, biomedical scientists, university lecturers or advisers in government health agencies.
What is the difference between pharmacy and pharmaceutical science?
A pharmacy degree is a professional qualification that leads to registration as a pharmacist and includes clinical practice and patient care. A pharmaceutical science degree focuses on the science of discovering, developing and making medicines, and prepares you mainly for laboratory and industry work. A pharmaceutical science degree does not usually allow you to register as a pharmacist.
How long does it take to become a pharmacist?
It depends on the country. In the UK, it takes four years of study plus a year of supervised training. In the United States, it usually takes at least two years of university followed by a four-year Doctor of Pharmacy. In the European Union, programmes usually last five years, including practical training. Most countries also require a registration or licensing exam.
Is pharmacy a good career?
Pharmacy offers a clear professional route and work in healthcare, industry or research. The role is changing, and in many countries pharmacists now do more clinical work, such as prescribing, vaccinations and health checks. However, community pharmacy can involve long hours and heavy workloads, and job markets vary, so research the situation in the country where you plan to work.
Related subjects
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Chemistry
A chemistry degree teaches how substances are built, how they react and how to make and analyse new materials, through theory and a lot of laboratory work.
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Biomedical science
A biomedical science degree teaches the biology of human health and disease, and how laboratory tests help doctors diagnose and treat patients.
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Medicine
A medicine degree trains you to diagnose, treat and prevent illness, combining medical science with supervised clinical work in hospitals and communities.
Sources
- OECD — Education at a Glance, labour-market outcomes — Earnings and employment by field of study, adults 25–64
- UK Department for Education — Graduate labour market outcomes (LEO) — CAH CAH02-02-03 — Pharmacy
- UNESCO — ISCED-F 2013 — ISCED-F 0916
How to cite this page: CourseToJob (2026). What can you do with a pharmacy degree? Jobs and salaries. https://coursetojob.com/subjects/pharmacy/ (accessed September 26, 2026)