Pharmacist salary in Germany

Pharmacy: Doctorate is a key to top salaries

The current labour market situation helps: Pharmacists are in demand, face little risk of unemployment and can start their professional lives with the best job prospects. Pharmaceutical graduates have a range of career options after successfully completing their studies. Industry, public services, hospitals and pharmacies offer a variety of career challenges. Nevertheless, the vast majority of trained pharmacists are employed in public pharmacies. Women in particular opt for the traditional career path, earning a licence to practice medicine after graduating and then working in a pharmacy. 

Workplace pharmacy

The collective agreements of the pharmacy union Adexa provide an indication of the earning potential of pharmacists in state pharmacies. In individual cases, income also depends on location conditions and the size and income of the respective pharmacy.

Salaries of other pharmacists:

• Pharmacists in hospital pharmacies: approx. 3,500 to 7,000 euros gross
• Pharmacists in the pharmaceutical industry: approx. 4,000 to 15,000 euros gross
• Pharmacy owners: approx. 3–15% of sales

Salary of pharmacists in the civil service in Germany

While a doctoral degree is absolutely necessary for a scientific career, pharmacists in the civil service can also enter the profession without a doctorate. After graduation, there are various career options for pharmacists in the civil service, such as the state and district authorities, vocational schools, pharmacies, health insurance, universities or the Federal Armed Forces. 

The European Medicines Agency or the European Patent Office offers opportunities for an international career. In most state pharmacies, additional academic titles do not play a major role. Communication and teamwork skills are more important when working in the pharmacy.

Salary of pharmacists in the industrial sector in Germany

A doctorate has a decisive impact on career development in the industrial sector: A doctoral degree is associated with clear salary and entry position benefits after studying. A degree will also help to assess whether a candidate can work in the scientific field. Good exam grades are always important for entry into the industry, as employers tend to check grades. Other requirements placed on applicants include working hours and motivation – overtime is common and a high degree of flexibility is required. The starting salary in the pharmaceutical industry, as in all sectors, depends on how big the company is, whether it conducts research and where it is located.

Starting salaries in the pharmaceutical industry, which are not otherwise set out in a collective agreement, range from €3,500 to €4,000, according to Deutsche Aerzte Finanz. Graduates can expect to earn an additional €500 to €1,000 per month.

Comparison: Starting salary pharmaceuticals

In summary, a professional's salary and career will clearly benefit if they have a doctoral degree in this industry, especially in the field of research. The starting salaries of state pharmacists tend to vary the most and proportionally overlap the salaries of privately employed pharmacists, whether they have a doctoral degree or not. However, in the civil service, starting salaries are less flexible and less likely to increase, as shown in the direct comparison of starting salaries in the graph.