A new C+D survey of 189 community pharmacist branch managers has revealed that their average annual salary stood at £52,175.21 in 2023 - up by about £1,500 from £50,589.52 the previous year.

It also found that six in ten (61%) of 179 respondents who answered the question had experienced a salary increase in the previous 12 months, while 36% said their pay had stayed the same and just 3% had seen a drop.

Of those who had experienced a pay rise, a quarter (25%) had seen a 5% increase and almost a fifth (17%) had experienced a 3% increase.

 

Pay (dis)satisfaction?

 

However, almost four in ten (37%) out of 176 pharmacist branch manager respondents described themselves as ‘dissatisfied’ with their salary.

Just 22% said they were ‘very’ or ‘more than satisfied’, while just over four in ten (41%) said they were ‘fairly satisfied’.

Of those who were dissatisfied, 52% blamed their employer while 26% blamed the government for not providing enough funding to the sector.

Read more: Revealed: The average locum pharmacist pay rate in 2023

One respondent said that although there “has been only [funding] cuts for years”, because of doctor shortages “more is expected from [pharmacists]”.

Another survey participant blamed their employer, the government and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), adding that the regulator should “raise [its] voice as [it plays] an important role in defining the expected pharmacist duties”.

They added that the GPhC also influences pharmacists’ “minimum salary based on experience and up-to-date training”.

 

“A continuous bombardment of workload”

 

Meanwhile, more than half (55%) of 172 pharmacist branch manager respondents told C+D that they had received a bonus from their employer in the past year.

One said that they had received a £12,500 bonus, while another had received £120.

However, many others had not received a bonus, including one anonymous branch manager who said they were “supposed to” but the bonus had “not been calculated yet due to over-pressure”.

Read more: At a glance: How do locum rates vary across Great Britain?

Another respondent told C+D that their pharmacy was “a continuous bombardment of workload” and that “no other profession has to fulfil such [a large] amount of work in such a short space of time”.

“And the training…what training? Online certificate and you’re good to go,” they added.

“Remember to work within your competency on those poorly set up region-specific services that are mandatory,” they said. “It's an utter joke that isn't funny.”

Read more: Who is to blame for 2023’s diminishing locum returns?

One branch manager told C+D that their pay had “technically decreased” because their employer “takes both [the] employer and employee pension contribution from [their] salary.”

And another respondent said that they had only two weeks’ holiday because of increased work hours as their employer refused to pay for a locum.

Meanwhile, one branch manager told C+D they received a “£1 bonus per completed blood pressure check”, while others received bonuses for additional services including flu vaccinations and a “£500 Christmas bonus”.

The C+D Salary Survey 2023 ran between October 27 2023 and January 8 2024 and was completed by a total of 1,261 pharmacists and pharmacy staff. 

See all the coverage so far on the C+D Salary Survey hub.