At a glance
Pharmacist salary in Singapore
- Pharmacist (patient care): S$5,612 median a month. Middle 50% earn S$4,682 to S$7,123.
- Pharmacy technician: S$3,260 median, S$2,352 below a pharmacist.
- Pharmacy graduates: S$4,475 median at NUS, one year after graduating.
- By employer type: S$5,800 in health and social services, S$5,426 in retail.
- Private-sector employers only: MOM does not state whether public healthcare clusters are included.
How does your pay compare?MOM figures, June 2025. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Part 1 · Pay today
How much do pharmacists earn?
A pharmacist earns S$5,612 at the median, S$2,352 more than a pharmacy technician. Pharmaceutical sales pays more again, at S$6,571.
Gross monthly wage, June 2025, all industries.
| Occupation, all industries | Basic wage, median | Gross, 25th pct | Gross, median | Gross, 75th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professionalLimited detail | 6,174 | 5,340 | 6,571 | 8,651 |
| Pharmacist (patient care)Partial detail | 5,578 | 4,682 | 5,612 | 7,123 |
| Pharmacy technicianPartial detail | 3,218 | 2,741 | 3,260 | 4,130 |
Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2025, Table 4. Full-time resident employees, June 2025.
Cell references
T4!C177:I177, T4!C189:I189, T4!C320:I320What it means
- Pharmacist and technician are different jobs. Pharmacists need a degree and registration. Technicians usually train through a polytechnic or ITE course.
- Wide range for pharmacists: S$2,441 between the 25th and 75th percentile, because new and senior pharmacists share one title.
- Sales roles pay more at the median. Their gross pay sits above basic, likely because of commissions.
Starting salary for pharmacy graduates
NUS pharmacy graduates earn S$4,475 at the median one year after graduating, after their pre-registration training.
Graduates in full-time permanent jobs. Pharmacy figures are for the class of 2024, surveyed one year after graduating.
| University and programme | Basic, median | Gross, median | Gross, mean | Gross, middle 50% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NUS, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) | 4,200 | 4,475 | 4,598 | 4,200 to 4,986 |
| NUS, Science (Hons), all majors | 4,000 | 4,250 | 4,531 | 3,950 to 4,850 |
Full-time permanent jobs only, as at 1 November 2025. Source: MOE GES 2025 (NUS).
What it means
- One pharmacy degree in the survey: NUS is the only university in MOE's survey that offers pharmacy.
- Low response rate: 27% of pharmacy graduates answered, so treat the figure as indicative.
- Pharmaceutical Science is part of NUS Science (Hons), shown for comparison. MOE does not report it separately.
Job outcomes for pharmacy graduates97.4% of responding pharmacy graduates were in full-time permanent jobs.
97.4% of responding pharmacy graduates were in full-time permanent jobs.
Share of graduates in the labour force.
| Programme | Course response rate | Currently employed | In full-time permanent employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| NUS, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) | 27% | 97.4% | 97.4% |
| NUS, Science (Hons), all majors | 69% | 82.7% | 71.2% |
Share of graduates in the labour force. Source: MOE GES 2025.
- Pharmacy graduates move into structured training posts, which keeps employment high.
Part 2 · Who earns more
How pay changes with age
Pharmacist pay rises from S$4,807 at 25 to 29 to S$8,490 at 50 to 59. The biggest step comes in the forties.
Median gross monthly wage by age group.
PharmacistPharmacy technician
| Occupation | 25–29 | 30–39 | 40–49 | 50–59 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist (patient care) | 4,807 | 5,909 | 8,270 | 8,490 |
| Pharmacy technician | 3,155 | 3,839 | 4,414 | – |
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professional | – | 6,643 | – | – |
Median gross monthly wage, S$. "–" = suppressed by MOM. Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2025, Table 3.
Cell references
T3!C165:K165, T3!C271:K271, T3!C154:K154What it means
- Age 40 to 49: the median rises 40.0% from the thirties to S$8,270, as pharmacists move into senior and lead roles.
- Technicians climb more slowly, from S$3,155 to S$4,414 by their forties.
- How to read it: each age band shows different people in June 2025.
By sex and employer sizeFemale pharmacists earn S$5,683 at the median, slightly more than male pharmacists at S$5,483.
Female pharmacists earn S$5,683 at the median, slightly more than male pharmacists at S$5,483.
| Occupation | All, median gross | Men | Women | Women vs men |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist (patient care) | 5,612 | 5,483 | 5,683 | +3.6% |
| Pharmacy technician | 3,260 | 3,506 | 3,217 | -8.2% |
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professional | 6,571 | – | 5,800 | – |
Median gross monthly wage, S$. Two group medians, not an adjusted pay gap. Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2025, Tables 1.1 and 1.2.
Cell references
T1.1!C164:E164, T1.2!C165:E165, T1.1!C281:E281, T1.2!C267:E267, T1.2!C156:E156| Occupation | Firms with 25 to 199 employees | Firms with 200 or more | Large vs small |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist (patient care) | – | 5,620 | – |
| Pharmacy technician | – | 3,279 | – |
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professional | 6,571 | – | – |
Median gross monthly wage, S$. Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2025, Table 2.
Cell references
T2!C185:G185, T2!C311:G311, T2!C173:G173What it means
- Mostly large employers: MOM publishes pharmacist pay only for employers with 200 or more staff.
- These compare two groups. They are not an adjusted pay gap.
By employer industry
Pharmacists in health and social services earn S$5,800 at the median, against S$5,426 in retail.
Retail pharmacies sit in wholesale and retail trade. Hospitals and polyclinics sit in health and social services.
| Employer industry | Median gross wage | Gross wage, middle 50% |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Social Services | 5,800 | 4,652 to 7,473 |
| Wholesale and Retail Trade | 5,426 | 4,722 to 6,342 |
Pharmacist (patient care) (SSOC 22621). Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2025, Tables 4.1 to 4.14. No figure published for the other 12 industries.
Cell references
T4.12!C43:I43, T4.3!C76:I76- The health and social services range is also wider, reaching S$7,473 at the 75th percentile.
Part 3 · Over time
Pay over time and 2026 outlook
Pharmacy technician pay is projected at S$3,430 for June 2026. Pharmacist pay has moved too much since 2023 to project.
Official medians for the last six years, then a projection for June 2026.
| Occupation | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist (patient care) | – | – | – | 6,100 | 5,466 | 5,612 | |
| Pharmacy technician | 2,881 | 2,896 | 3,038 | 3,316 | 3,240 | 3,260 | |
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professional | 5,959 | 6,272 | 5,695 | 6,492 | 7,259 | 6,571 |
Median gross monthly wage, June of each year, S$. "–" = not published, or the job code changed in a way that cannot be linked one-to-one. Earlier years use SSOC 2020 codes, linked to SSOC 2024 with SingStat's official correspondence table. MOM advises that single-year changes are noisy because the survey is a sample; look at the direction over several years. Source: MOM Occupational Wages 2020 to 2025, Table 4.
June 2026 projection Estimate
| Occupation | June 2025 (MOM) | June 2026 projection | 80% range | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacist (patient care) | 5,612 | Not projected: too volatile | ||
| Pharmacy technician | 3,260 | 3,430 | 3,020 to 3,900 | |
| Medical/Pharmaceutical products sales professional | 6,571 | Not projected: too volatile | ||
Foundific projection v1, not official data. Central estimate = average of the last two MOM medians + economy-wide wage growth (3.73% a year, from MOM median income and the MAS inflation forecast). Tested on 2025: typical error 8.1%; 78.7% of actual values fell inside the 80% range. How the projection works.
What it means
- Estimate: this is our projection, not MOM data. MOM's June 2026 figures are due around mid-2027 and will replace it.
- Technician pay has climbed steadily, from S$2,881 in 2020 to S$3,260 in 2025.
- Pharmacist history starts in 2023 under the current job code, too short and too uneven to project.
Part 4 · AI impact
Is pharmacy affected by AI?
The ILO rates pharmacists and pharmacy technicians Minimal. Advice on drug interactions and record keeping are the most exposed tasks.
Based on the International Labour Organization's 2025 index, which scores every core task of a job from 0 (AI cannot help) to 1 (AI could do nearly all of it).
Pharmacist (patient care)
MinimalAI exposure
Not exposedVery high
AI can help with a small part of this job, mostly paperwork.
- Most exposed taskProviding information and advice
- Least exposed taskStoring and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs…
- In numbersAI could do a large part of 1 of its 13 main tasks.
Pharmacy technician
MinimalAI exposure
Not exposedVery high
AI can help with a small part of this job, mostly paperwork.
- Most exposed taskPricing and filing prescriptions that have been filled
- Least exposed taskCleaning and preparing equipment and containers
- In numbersAI could do a large part of 1 of its 9 main tasks.
Pharmacist (patient care)SSOC 22621
Minimalexposure to generative AI
- Not exposed
- Minimal
- Some
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Scored as ILO group 2262 Pharmacists. Average task score 0.33, higher than 62% of the 427 jobs the ILO scored.
Pharmacy technicianSSOC 32130
Minimalexposure to generative AI
- Not exposed
- Minimal
- Some
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Scored as ILO group 3213 Pharmaceutical technicians and assistants. Average task score 0.30, higher than 56% of the 427 jobs the ILO scored.
Eight factors, role by role
| Factor | Pharmacist (patient care) | Pharmacy technician |
|---|---|---|
| 1Exposure levelThe ILO's rating for the whole job, from not exposed up to very high. | Minimal | Minimal |
| 2Average task scoreHow much of each core task generative AI could do, averaged. 0 means none, 1 means nearly all. | 0.33 higher than 62% of jobs | 0.30 higher than 56% of jobs |
| 3Tasks AI could do much ofTasks scoring 0.5 or more. These are the parts of the job most likely to change. | 1 of 13 | 1 of 9 |
| 4Hands-on or people tasksTasks scoring under 0.25: physical, in-person or judgement work that AI barely touches. | 2 of 13 | 4 of 9 |
| 5How even the exposure isEven means AI touches most tasks a little. Uneven means a few tasks are exposed and the rest are not. | Even (0.09) | Mixed (0.11) |
| 6Most exposed taskWhere AI tools are likely to show up first. | Providing information and advice to prescribers and clients… 0.50 | Pricing and filing prescriptions that have been filled and… 0.51 |
| 7Least exposed taskThe task AI can help with least. | Storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs… 0.11 | Cleaning and preparing equipment and containers used to… 0.15 |
| 8Pay trend so farChange in the MOM median since the first year on record. Any AI effect would show here in later years. | -8% S$6,100 (2023) to S$5,612 (2025) | +13% S$2,881 (2020) to S$3,260 (2025) |
Most and least exposed tasks
Pharmacist (patient care)
Most exposed tasks
- 0.50Providing information and advice to prescribers and clients regarding drug…
- 0.41Maintaining prescription files and recording issue of narcotics, poisons and…
- 0.36Evaluating labels, packaging and advertising of drug products
Least exposed tasks
- 0.11Storing and preserving vaccines, serums and other drugs subject to…
- 0.24Preparing or supervising the preparation and labelling of liquid medicines…
- 0.31Collaborating with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review…
Pharmacy technician
Most exposed tasks
- 0.51Pricing and filing prescriptions that have been filled and establish and…
- 0.42Receiving prescriptions or refill requests from health professionals and…
- 0.39Assisting clients by answering questions, locating items or referring them to…
Least exposed tasks
- 0.15Cleaning and preparing equipment and containers used to prepare and dispense…
- 0.17Filling and labelling containers with prescribed medications
- 0.21Maintaining proper storage and security conditions for drugs
Compared with our other guides
Source: ILO Working Paper 140, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (Gmyrek et al., 2025), CC BY 4.0. Singapore jobs matched to ILO groups with the SingStat SSOC 2024 to ISCO-08 correspondence table. Pay: MOM Occupational Wages. The ILO scores international job groups, not Singapore titles. How we read the AI scores.
Cell references
SSOC 22621 to ISCO 2262 (SSOC2024-ISCO08!B228); SSOC 32130 to ISCO 3213 (SSOC2024-ISCO08!B527)What it means for pharmacy
- Most exposed tasks: Advising on drug interactions scores 0.50 for pharmacists. Pricing and filing prescriptions scores 0.51 for technicians.
- Least exposed tasks: Storing vaccines and preparing medicines score 0.11 to 0.24.
- What exposure measures: how much of the work AI could do or speed up. It does not measure job cuts. Employers decide how to use AI.
Part 5 · Using the figures
Which figure should you compare with?
Match your title first, then your age band and whether you work in a hospital or a shop.
| You are | Compare with | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing pharmacy as a course | NUS Pharmacy, one year after graduating | S$4,475 |
| Pharmacist, early career | Age 25 to 29 median | S$4,807 |
| Pharmacist in retail | Wholesale and retail trade figure | S$5,426 |
| Pharmacist in a hospital or clinic | Health and social services figure | S$5,800 |
| Senior pharmacist | Age 40 to 59 | S$8,270 to S$8,490 |
| Pharmacy technician | Technician row, your age band | S$3,155 to S$4,414 |
About these figures
What the pay figures includeMonthly gross pay with allowances and overtime, without bonuses or employer CPF
Every figure is monthly, includes allowances and overtime, and excludes bonuses and employer CPF.
| Measure | Includes | Excludes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic wage | Basic pay | Allowances, overtime, bonus, employer CPF |
| Gross wage | Basic + allowances + overtime + commissions | Bonus, employer CPF, lump sums |
| Graduate salary | Same as gross, full-time permanent jobs only | Bonus, employer CPF |
- S$5,612 × 12 = S$67,344 a year before bonus. It is not a total package.
What this data does not coverMOM does not say whether public healthcare clusters, where many pharmacists work, are included.
MOM does not say whether public healthcare clusters, where many pharmacists work, are included.
- Public healthcare: MOM surveys private-sector employers with 25 or more staff and does not state whether public healthcare clusters are included.
- Other pharmacist roles: MOM publishes only the patient-care pharmacist title. Industry and regulatory pharmacists have no separate figure.
- Small pharmacies with fewer than 25 staff are outside the survey.
- Bonuses: excluded from every figure.
Related guides
Sources
MOM Occupational Wages 2025 and MOE Graduate Employment Survey 2025
- MOM, Occupational Wages 2025, Tables 1 to 4. June 2025, released 30 June 2026. SSOC 22621, 32130, 24332. Exact cells are listed under each table.
- MOE, NUS GES 2025. Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) rows, and footnote 9 on the one-year follow-up survey.
- MOM, Coverage and Methodology 2025.