Let us step into the pharmacy zone and find out what makes them an edge over other fine occupations. Come along let us discover how much is that pharmacist’s salary in South Africa.
You see, we all have come together and collectively agreed that studying pharmacy as a discipline is such a cool move.
But the question of every lip is how much exactly pharmacists make. Does their paycheck match the hype or just overrated?
Everyone still goes ahead to wonder if this whole stress of pharmacy school will be compensated in the salaries.
In places like South Africa where the cost of schooling is relatively high, it will not be an injustice to anyone if you decide to find out how much is a pharmacist salary in South Africa.
That is before you enroll yourself in a pharmacy school or advice, someone, to enroll.
Well, we are about to clear those concerns and give you a clear answer on how much a pharmacist takes home as the pay after a long whole month. So, stick around and let us indulge you.
Let us find out if it is actually a wise judgment to look into pharmacy schools in South Africa or just face another profitable direction.
Overview of Pharmacist salary in South Africa
According to findings, the truth of the matter is that there are levels to these things. For instance, the average salary of an experienced pharmacist who has been in the business for years will never be the same for a freshly out-of-school pharmacist.
Likewise, the average salary of a freshly graduated pharmacist will never be the same of a pharmacist intern.
Another thing to factor in before you make a final decision about a pharmacist salary in South Africa is the place of work.
A pharmacist working in a privately owned hospital and a pharmacist working in a government-owned hospital will never be the same.
The same goes for a private pharmaceutical company and a government-owned pharmaceutical company.
Meanwhile, let us break it down and call out the actual figures that these pharmacists take home in South Africa every month.
Now, a pharmacist with less than two years of experience earns 25,100 ZAR in a month.
While another pharmacist with at least a minimum of five to ten years of experience under his belt receives at least 44,500 ZAR in a month.
Then, another pharmacist that has bagged ten to fifteen years of experience under his belt takes home at least 55,100 ZAR.
Yet, another pharmacist with at least twenty years and above experience goes home monthly with the sum of 63,000 ZAR every month.
So, you decide if you love the profession alongside its payment or you prefer to admire it from a distance.
To be frank, pharmacist salary in South Africa shows to be largely dependent on years of experience. Well, you can still say that in all other professions too. In essence, you have to walk before you can run.
So this means that you should not allow the salary payments to be the only determining factor. That is if you want to choose pharmacy as a course for study. Or, you want to dust up your long-forgotten certificate to work as a pharmacist.
Pharmacist salary in Johannesburg
Now, it is important to know that all provinces are not the same or equal. Although they might be in the same country they still have their unique policies guiding them. This cuts across both jobs and every other aspect that make them a people.
For example, Eastern Cape and Limpopo are different provinces but they are under one country called South Africa.
Yet, they have different laws governing them and their way of life.
The same applies to jobs in each state. But remember, we are only speaking on the province level. So, this is not to forget that they all still have to surrender under the laws and authority of the South African Presidency at the federal level.
So, the pharmacist salary in Johannesburg will certainly not be the same in another province.
Arguably, they might be slightly similar but never the same because the work policies in each province differ from the other. For more clarification, let us go into the actual amount a pharmacist in Johannesburg goes home with at the end of every month.
Again, we are going to break it down according to their experience and how long a pharmacist has stayed on the job in Johannesburg.
Average pharmacist salary in South Africa based on work experience
To start with, the average monthly salary of a pharmacist with two years of experience and below is 27,400 ZAR.
- Two years to five years of experience gets you 34,600 ZAR.
- Five to ten years in the pharmacy joy will pay you 45,600 ZAR monthly.
- Ten to fifteen years of pharmaceutical experience collects 53,700 ZAR.
- Fifteen to twenty years on the pharmaceutical job gives you 59,400 ZAR.
- Twenty years and above as a pharmacist will pay you 63,200 ZAR monthly.
According to the degree level, a pharmacist salary in Johannesburg with a Bachelor’s degree is 35,400 ZAR per month while a pharmacist in the same Johannesburg with a Master’s degree earns 54,100 ZAR per month.
However, we can not overlook work organizations or places of work.
A pharmacist salary in Johannesburg in the private sector is 30,200 ZAR while another pharmacist in the same Johannesburg working in the public sector earns 32,300 ZAR monthly.
Truly, humans with the same qualifications, capable of doing the same work should be paid an equal amount of salary but sadly, it is not so. A male pharmacist earns on an average 8% more than a female colleague.
So, when it comes down to provinces, the determining factors are years of experience, level of degree, and generally gender.
Pharmacy schools in South Africa
South Africa has become one of the countries that are putting the African continent on the world map. In the education sector in Africa, the South African universities have rubbed shoulders with some high and mighty schools around the world.
In the same way, some top pharmacy schools in South Africa can comfortably compete with other schools on the international level.
South Africa has graduated students that are well-grounded in the field and confident enough to take up any pharmaceutical role anywhere in the world.
More so, South Africa has labs that are equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for proper learning.
Besides, we have other schools in Africa with quality education systems. But South Africa has groomed itself to a level where they can not be hushed again when you speak of good schools.
Moreover, pharmacy schools in South Africa did not go to sleep. They keep searching for ways to help themselves and become better at what they do.
They have achieved this great feat by going the extra mile to equip their laboratories, employ great hands, and fund their schools to the height they want them.
Moving forward, we have compiled a list of good pharmacy schools in South Africa just in case you want to enroll in one, you can begin your selection from here.
The University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg:
The university is located at York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. Witwatersrand is a leading school in pharmaceutical education, dedicated to providing high-quality teaching to her students.
It has become the home to a dynamic and innovative community of academic and support staff, postgraduates, undergraduates, and postdoctoral people.
Rhodes University School of Pharmaceuticals:
The Rhodes University is quite a small University but great in learning. It has built a good reputation for itself in academic excellence.
Rhodes University was established in 1904 but it has graduated the best pharmacy students in the country since then.
This school contributes to the country’s economic and social development goals.
For a small school of barely eight thousand students, Rhodes University School of Pharmaceuticals is doing excellently well for itself.
University of Pretoria College of Pharmacy:
The University of Pretoria College of Pharmacy is known for its research methods. It is located in Prinshof Campus that is South of the University of Pretoria.
This school strives so well to research the complex interplay between biological systems and the chemical entities that affect them.
University of Durban – Westville:
The University of Durban is a top-performing school where great research is been carried out. The University of Durban has produced well-off pharmaceutical professionals over the years.
This school equally provides the know-how you need for the preparation of pharmacoeconomists, clinical pharmacists, and drug utilization pharmacists.
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University:
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University is in North Pretoria, Gauteng province, South Africa. Founded in January 2015.
Formerly, it was known and called the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA). But later, it was named after South African ANC leader Sefako Makgatho.
This school is among the schools that offer online pharmaceutical degrees in South Africa. A perfect school for those that love the online learning facilities and also bridge the learning gap caused by COVID-19.
Health Science Academy:
Health Science Academy is an accredited provider of health training in South Africa. It has vast knowledge in the education sector. Mostly, their main focus is in the adult education and healthcare sector.
Other Pharmacy schools in South Africa:
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education:
The University was founded in 1869. currently, it is among the best pharmacy schools you can find in South Africa.
Also, they provide excellent pharmaceutical services in the country. The University boasts of professionalism in training their students and they also help promote healthcare in the country.
University of West Cape School of Pharmacy:
University of West Cape School of Pharmacy is located at Bellville. The University shows its strength in academic excellence and high performance in academic research.
University of Port Elizabeth school of Pharmacy:
Also known as Nelson Mandela University. Interestingly, the University offers an online pharmacy program for students that can not afford the travel expenses at the moment.
Mostly, they belong to the category of schools that graduate very high thoroughly bred graduates.
Stellenbosch University:
Stellenbosch University is an internationally recognized school. Certainly, it is among South Africa’s finest.
This University is home to thousands of foreign students across the world. They have the best staff that has been trained to teach excellently.
Requirements to study Pharmacy in South Africa
- Have an admission points score of 38
- Meet a minimum NSC requirement for degree entry
- Home language (English, Afrikaans, or isiXhosa)
- NSC achievement rating of at least 5(60-69%) for mathematics
- NSC achievement rating of t least 5 (60-69%) for physical sciences
- Applicants with an admission point score between 35 and 37 might have to write the Access Assessment Battery. That is before they can be considered for admission into the pharmacy.
Well, since we have all checked out the pharmacist salary in South Africa alongside the pharmacy schools in South Africa, you can go ahead to make your plans or give your advice to whoever needs the information.
Certainly, we can not underscore the fact that South Africa has one of the best Universities in the African continent.
Their willingness to get it right in terms of academics is so refreshing. Not just that, the way they give in everything to make ground-breaking research should be emulated by other African countries.
Also, you can count on their pharmacy schools to deliver the type of quality education that will set you apart from others. South Africa is a beautiful country with an amazing educational sector that should be celebrated.
Speaking of our recent salary findings. Firstly, studying pharmacy as a course in South Africa speaks volumes of how intellectually bright you are already.
This is not to talk of the prestige you get to enjoy as a pharmacy student. It will be wise to do your thing if actually, you love pharmacy. Don’t ever be discouraged by the salary level or the gender pay gap in the industry.
Also, if you do not build your years of experience, how on earth would you want to earn as high as the gurus in the industry?
A saying goes thus “never forget the days of little beginnings” we all have those days but remember that the little beginnings will not last forever.
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