Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Pharmacist recruitment for regional employers
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help community pharmacies, hospitals, aged-care providers and health services across regional Australia hire pharmacists, from interns and new registrants to pharmacists in charge and managers. The award, the dispensary workload and the trading hours shape the search from the first conversation.
Pharmacist hiring at a glance
Retail (community) pharmacists are rated in shortage nationally and hospital pharmacists in regional shortage for 2026, while job ads for pharmacists have eased over the year.1,2
- national rating for Retail Pharmacist (ANZSCO 251513) in 2026; Hospital Pharmacist is in regional shortage
- Shortage
- Retail Pharmacist S (shortage), Hospital Pharmacist R (regional shortage), Industrial Pharmacist NS (no shortage).1
- online job ads a month for pharmacists
- 559
- Three-month average to September 2026, down 10% from 620 a year earlier.2
- of those ads were for regional areas
- 35%
- 190 of 540 ads placed in a major city or regional area, against 29% for all jobs.3
What does a pharmacist do, and which registration do they hold?
Pharmacists check prescriptions and patients' medicine histories before dispensing, advise prescribers on interactions, review and monitor patients' medicine therapy, supply non-prescription medicines and supervise pharmacy technicians, interns and assistants.4
Pharmacists must be registered with the Pharmacy Board of Australia.6 A graduate of a program approved for provisional registration works as an intern pharmacist under provisional registration. They complete at least 1,575 hours of supervised practice and an accredited intern training program, and pass the Board's written and oral examinations before applying for general registration.7
Which registration and pharmacy rules apply in each state?
Pharmacist registration is national. The pharmacy business is regulated by each state and territory, which registers or licenses premises and enforces the ownership rules. A pharmacist moving to a pharmacy in another state keeps their registration, but the premises rules they work under change.
National pharmacist registration and each jurisdiction's pharmacy premises or ownership regulator, as published on 1 November 2026.
| State or territory | Pharmacist registration | Pharmacy premises and ownership |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | General registration, Pharmacy Board of Australia6 | Pharmacy Council of NSW regulates pharmacy businesses8 |
| Victoria | General registration (national) | Victorian Pharmacy Authority regulates ownership and premises9 |
| Queensland | General registration (national) | Pharmacy business licensing under the Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 202410 |
| Western Australia | General registration (national) | Pharmacy Registration Board of WA registers premises11 |
| South Australia | General registration (national) | Premises registered as a pharmacy under state regulations12 |
| Tasmania | General registration (national) | Tasmanian Pharmacy Authority regulates ownership and premises13 |
| Northern Territory | General registration (national) | Pharmacy Premises Committee is notified of openings, changes and the pharmacist in charge14 |
| Australian Capital Territory | General registration (national) | Community pharmacy licence under the Public Health Act 199715 |
What does a pharmacist earn?
Community pharmacy has its own award. The Pharmacy Industry Award covers community pharmacies that are not owned by a hospital or public institution or run by government, and from 1 July 2026 sets a pharmacist's full-time minimum at $1,586.30 a week. An experienced pharmacist, with at least four years' full-time community pharmacy experience, earns at least $1,737.40.5
Hospital and health-service pharmacists are usually under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, which lists pharmacy at AQF level 7: $1,308.80 a week in the first year, from 1 October 2026; state public sector award employees are outside it.16 Pharmacists' median full-time earnings were $1,956 a week, or $52 an hour, in May 2025, nationally.4
Full-time minimum rates: Pharmacy Industry Award from 1 July 2026; Health Professionals and Support Services Award from 1 October 2026.5,16
| Award and classification | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Industry Award, pharmacist | $1,586.305 | $41.74 |
| Pharmacy Industry Award, experienced pharmacist | $1,737.40 | $45.72 |
| Pharmacy Industry Award, pharmacist in charge | $1,778.40 | $46.80 |
| Pharmacy Industry Award, pharmacist manager | $1,981.60 | $52.15 |
| HPSS Award, Level 1, AQF level 7, 1st year | $1,308.8016 | $34.44 |
Where are pharmacists in demand?
Queensland and Victoria carry the most pharmacist ads, with Victoria the only large state to rise over the year. New South Wales fell from 144 to 118 a month, and ads in Tasmania and the Northern Territory more than halved.2
The fall was sharper in the regions. Regional ads dropped from 255 to 190 a month while major-city ads edged up, but regional areas still account for 35% of pharmacist ads with a location, against 29% for all jobs.3
Online job ads for pharmacists by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.2
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Queensland | 1722 | 175 |
| Victoria | 163 | 156 |
| New South Wales | 118 | 144 |
| South Australia | 55 | 57 |
| Western Australia | 29 | 40 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 11 | 19 |
| Northern Territory | 7 | 15 |
| Tasmania | 5 | 13 |
Which pharmacist roles do we recruit?
Open a setting for the work, the award and what to put in your brief.
Community pharmacy
Pharmacists for independent and banner-group pharmacies in regional towns.
- The work
- Dispensing after checking medicine histories and dosage, advising on non-prescription medicines and supervising technicians and assistants.4
- Award position
- The Pharmacy Industry Award covers community pharmacy, with higher minimums for experienced pharmacists, pharmacists in charge and managers.5
- Shortage
- Retail Pharmacist, the community pharmacy occupation, is rated in shortage nationally for 2026.1
- What to tell us
- Trading hours and weekend roster, script volume, whether the pharmacist works alone, vaccination and other services, and the support staff on each shift.
Hospital and health service pharmacy
Pharmacists for private and regional hospitals, day surgeries and health services.
- The work
- Dispensing in a hospital pharmacy, reviewing patients' medicine therapy and advising prescribers on interactions and contra-indications.4
- Award position
- Health-industry employers are usually under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award at AQF level 7; state public sector award employees are outside it.16
- Shortage
- Hospital Pharmacist is rated in regional shortage for 2026.1
- What to tell us
- Bed numbers and units served, clinical ward work, on-call duties, and the senior support available.
Pharmacist in charge and manager
Senior pharmacists who run the pharmacy day to day or report to the owner on the whole business.
- The role
- A pharmacist in charge supervises the day-to-day running of the pharmacy; a pharmacist manager answers to the owner for all aspects of the business.5
- Pay floor
- From 1 July 2026 the minimum is $1,778.40 a week for a pharmacist in charge and $1,981.60 for a pharmacist manager.5
- Premises rules
- State and territory regulators register or license the pharmacy and, in the Northern Territory, must be told who the pharmacist in charge is.14
- What to tell us
- Staff numbers, stock and rostering responsibilities, business targets, and any path to partnership or ownership.
How we help you hire a pharmacist
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Rosters, sole-pharmacist shifts and relocation
In a regional pharmacy the pharmacist may be the only one on shift, and weekend and late trading fall to a small team. Candidates weigh those against city roles with more cover, so spell out the roster, the support staff and any locum help for leave.
We search first among pharmacists who already live in or have ties to your region, then among those planning a move. Relocation help and housing support matter most in that second group. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a pharmacy role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your registration, the community or hospital settings you have worked in, and where you would like to work. Newly registered and experienced pharmacists are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next pharmacist hire
Tell us the role, the pharmacy or service, the location and your start date.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
What does a pharmacist earn under the award?
In community pharmacy, the Pharmacy Industry Award sets a full-time minimum of $1,586.30 a week from 1 July 2026, or $1,737.40 for an experienced pharmacist.5 The national median for pharmacists was $1,956 a week in May 2025.4 Hire Australia discusses your pay range and roster before the search starts.
Which award covers a hospital pharmacist?
The Pharmacy Industry Award doesn't cover pharmacies owned by a hospital or public institution.5 Health-industry employers usually use the Health Professionals and Support Services Award, where a first-year pharmacist earns at least $1,308.80 a week from 1 October 2026.16 Hire Australia works with the award and pay structure you already use.
Can we take on an intern pharmacist?
Yes, if you can supervise one. An intern holds provisional registration, completes at least 1,575 hours of supervised practice with an approved preceptor and premises, and passes the Board's written and oral examinations before general registration.7 Hire Australia recruits interns when the pharmacy can name the preceptor and supervision arrangements.
Are pharmacists hard to recruit in regional Australia?
Retail Pharmacist is rated in shortage nationally and Hospital Pharmacist in regional shortage for 2026.1 Regional pharmacist ads fell to 190 a month in the three months to September 2026.3 Hire Australia starts each regional search with pharmacists who have ties to your area and plans around your start date.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply to every pharmacist role Hire Australia recruits, from newly registered pharmacists to managers.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Sources (16)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings for 6-digit ANZSCO 2022 occupations, October 2026. S shortage, R regional shortage, NS no shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Median full-time earnings: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national; 4-digit occupation groups. Employment: February 2026, trend. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pharmacy Industry Award 2020 [MA000012], clause 16.1 minimum rates. Rates from 1 July 2026, as in the pay guide of 24 June 2026. Covers community pharmacy, not hospital or government pharmacies (clause 4). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Pharmacy Board of Australia, Registration. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Pharmacy Board of Australia, Internships. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Health Professional Councils Authority, NSW, Pharmacy Council of New South Wales (regulates pharmacy practitioners and businesses). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Victorian Pharmacy Authority, home page (regulates the ownership and operation of pharmacy businesses). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Queensland Health, Pharmacy ownership in Queensland (Pharmacy Business Ownership Act 2024; last updated 3 November 2025). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Pharmacy Registration Board of Western Australia, home page (regulation of pharmacy premises). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- South Australian Legislation, Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (South Australia) Regulations 2025, regulation 7 (registration of premises as pharmacy; PRASA). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Health, Tasmania, Department of Health (Tasmania), Tasmanian Pharmacy Authority. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- NT Health, Pharmacy Premises Committee, Forms and Standards. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- ACT Government, Health and Community Services Directorate, Apply for a community pharmacy licence (last updated 5 March 2026). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clause 17 and Schedule B. Rates from 1 October 2026 (PR814029), as in the pay guide of 22 October 2026. Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑