How much does a Pharmacy assistant make

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Image that illustrates Pharmacy assistant

Pharmacy assistant

32 400 kr

Pharmacy technicians

28 700 - 33 800 kr / month

Women earn 106% of what men do.

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What will be the salary after tax?

Salary progression Pharmacy assistant

Average salary 32 400 kr
Males 30 900 kr
Females 32 700 kr
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What does a Pharmacy Assistant do? – Tasks and Work Environment

A Pharmacy Assistant primarily provides customer service at pharmacies, handles cash register work, restocks products, manages inventory, and assists pharmacists in their daily tasks. The profession involves interacting with people with various needs and questions regarding self-care, over-the-counter medicines, and pharmacy products. The work environment is characterized by customer contact, sometimes high pace, and a clear focus on service and accuracy, often in bright and modern pharmacy settings.

Salary development over time

The salary for Pharmacy Assistants has shown steady growth over the past three years. In 2022, the average salary was 30,400 SEK per month, increasing to 31 500 SEK in 2023. In 2024, the average salary reached 32,400 SEK, representing a total increase of approximately 6.6% over the period. The positive trend can be explained by increased demand for service staff in pharmacies, changes in collective agreements, and a greater focus on customer service and accessibility. Women in the profession continue to earn slightly higher salaries than men, which is uncommon in many other professions.

Pharmacy Assistant salary – comprehensive overview

  • Average salary: 32,400 SEK/month
  • Lowest salary: 28,700 SEK/month (male, high school education 3 years)
  • Highest salary: 33,800 SEK/month (female, high school education up to 2 years)
  • Hourly wage: 195 SEK
  • Women earn: 32 700 SEK/month (106% of men's salary)
  • Men earn: 30 900 SEK/month
  • Regional differences: Limited data, but some variation depending on location and employer

Education and qualifications

To work as a Pharmacy Assistant, a high school education with specialization in commerce, service, or healthcare is usually required, often supplemented with on-the-job training. Formal vocational training is common but not always mandatory, and many employers offer introductory programs and internships for new employees. Personal qualities and service skills are often highly valued in the recruitment process.

  • High school education: Commerce, service, or healthcare, 2–3 years
  • On-the-job training: Practical introduction often offered at pharmacies
  • Internship: Common as part of education or introduction
  • Prerequisites: Good knowledge of Swedish and service experience
  • Tips: Engagement and initiative are appreciated by employers

As a Pharmacy Assistant, it is common to quickly take responsibility for your own tasks and develop broad product knowledge. Many get the opportunity to participate in various campaigns, themed weeks, and training in sales and customer interaction – valuable experience for future career steps.

– statsskuld.se

Common benefits and compensations

Pharmacy Assistants are often covered by collective agreements that provide access to occupational pension, holiday pay, and overtime pay for evening and weekend work. Some employers also offer employee discounts on pharmacy products, wellness contributions, and opportunities for skills development through internal training.

Competition and challenges

Competition for positions as a Pharmacy Assistant can vary depending on region and employer, but demand remains stable thanks to pharmacies' broad opening hours and increased service needs. A challenge is that the tasks often require great flexibility and the ability to handle multiple customer inquiries simultaneously. The move towards more digital services and self-service options at pharmacies may also lead to changes in the profession in the future. For those service-minded and social, there are good opportunities for employment and advancement.

Tips for aspiring Pharmacy Assistants

To succeed as a Pharmacy Assistant, it is good to be meticulous, service-oriented, and flexible. Showing engagement towards customers and colleagues is important, as is quickly learning new products and routines. Good communication skills facilitate interactions with customers with different needs and questions, while resilience helps manage periods of high pace. Being attentive and helpful is appreciated by both employers and customers, and those who show initiative often find it easier to develop within the profession. Openness to working different hours and participating in training can give an advantage during recruitment.

Key facts about Pharmacy Assistants

  • Education level: High school education, often supplemented with on-the-job training
  • Work environment: Customer-facing, pharmacy-based, and fast-paced
  • Employment type: Full-time, part-time, or hourly employment
  • Demand: 550 job openings in the profession (May 2024)
  • Gender distribution: Predominantly women, with higher average salaries than men

Career paths and future outlook

After a few years as a Pharmacy Assistant, there are opportunities to advance to more qualified roles, such as Pharmacy Technician or Pharmacy Assistant, often through further education or internal career development. Due to limited data, no precise forecast for the profession’s future is available, but the number of available positions remains good, and the pharmacy industry has a stable recruitment need. According to the Employment Service, there are currently 550 job openings in the profession, indicating an open job market for newcomers. Digitalization and changing customer behaviors may, however, influence the profession's content and development opportunities in the longer term.

Frequently asked questions about Pharmacy Assistants

  • What is the average salary of a Pharmacy Assistant?
    - A Pharmacy Assistant has an average salary of 32,400 SEK per month.
  • What are the gender differences in salary?
    - Women earn an average of 32 700 SEK, which is 106% of men's average salary of 30 900 SEK.
  • What education is required to become a Pharmacy Assistant?
    - High school education in commerce, service, or healthcare is most common, often supplemented with on-the-job training.
  • What are the future prospects for Pharmacy Assistants?
    - Currently, there are 550 job openings, and demand remains stable.
  • What is the highest and lowest salary for a Pharmacy Assistant?
    - The highest salary is 33,800 SEK/month (female), and the lowest is 28,700 SEK/month (male).
  • What benefits are common in the profession?
    - Collective agreements with occupational pension, overtime pay, employee discounts, and wellness contributions are common.
  • Are there regional differences in Pharmacy Assistant salaries?
    - Some variation exists depending on location and employer, but generally differences are small.

Richard Andersson

Richard Andersson - 2025-10-22 14:11:03

Occupation
Who has the highest salary?
The highest salary for a Pharmacy assistant is 33800 kr. This salary belongs to a woman working in the Multiple sectors with a upper secondary education, maximum 2 years. The highest salary for a man in this profession is 31200 kr.
Who has the lowest salary?
The lowest salary for a Pharmacy assistant is 28700 kr. This salary belongs to a man working in the Multiple sectors. The lowest salary for a woman in this profession is 32400 kr.
Salary distributed by age and sector
Age Women's salary as a percentage of men's Base salary Monthly salary
18-24 106% 24100 kr 28100 kr
25-34 101% 27600 kr 32100 kr
35-44 29000 kr 32600 kr
45-54 30800 kr 34400 kr
55-64 31500 kr 35300 kr
Snitt 106% 28500 kr 32400 kr
* Empty columns indicate that the statistical data was insufficient to allow for a statistically significant conclusion.
Salary per sector
Salary based on education
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About the data

All information displayed on this page is based on data from the Swedish Central Bureau of Statistics (SCB), the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish employment agency. Learn more about our data and data sources here.

All figures are gross salaries, meaning salaries before tax. The average salary, or mean salary, is calculated by adding up the total salary for all individuals within the profession and dividing it by the number of individuals. For specific job categories, we have also considered various criteria such as experience and education.

Profession Pharmacy assistant has the SSYK code 5227, which we use to match against the SCB database to obtain the latest salary statistics.

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