Locum PharmacistRates
Locum pharmacist rates: averages, day rates and what to charge
Average locum pharmacist hourly rates across the UK, day rates with paid and unpaid breaks, and how to work out what you should charge.
Locum pharmacists are paid by the hour, and the rate you charge, together with how many hours you work, decides your income. This guide covers what rates look like now, how hourly rates turn into day rates, and how to work out what you should charge.
Average locum pharmacist rates
An analysis of more than 200,000 shifts booked through a large locum booking platform between June 2024 and July 2025 put the average hourly rate at £30.55 in England, £35.80 in Scotland, £36.29 in Wales and £28.05 in Northern Ireland. England's average had fallen 11.9% in a year. City averages ranged from £25.38 in London to £44.29 in Inverness.
Rates within any area vary with the day, the notice and the pharmacy. More in how much locum pharmacists earn.
Day rates
A day rate is the hourly rate times the paid hours. Whether the lunch break is paid makes a real difference:
| Hourly rate | 8 hours | 8.5 hours (9 to 6, 30 min unpaid) | 9 hours (9 to 6, break paid) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £25 | £200 | £213 | £225 |
| £30 | £240 | £255 | £270 |
| £35 | £280 | £298 | £315 |
| £40 | £320 | £340 | £360 |
How much should I charge?
Work backwards from what you need, not forwards from what one pharmacy offers. Three questions:
- What do you want to take home in a year? After tax, National Insurance, any student loan and pension.
- How many days can you realistically fill? Allow for holidays, bank holidays, training, sick days and quiet weeks. 46 working weeks is a common starting point.
- What does the business cost you? Indemnity, the GPhC fee, memberships, CPD, travel and an accountant.
| £25 an hour: £36,800 gross | £29,020 take-home |
|---|---|
| £30 an hour: £44,160 gross | £34,467 take-home |
| £35 an hour: £51,520 gross | £39,913 take-home |
| £40 an hour: £58,880 gross | £44,302 take-home |
England, Wales or Northern Ireland, 2026/27, no student loan or pension.
Remember that a locum rate has to cover what an employer would otherwise pay for: holidays, sick pay, a pension contribution and training time. A locum rate equal to an employed pharmacist's hourly pay is, in practice, a pay cut.
When to charge more
- Short notice, especially the same or next day.
- Weekends, evenings and bank holidays.
- Long journeys, unless travel is paid separately.
- Very busy pharmacies, or ones with thin staffing.
- Services you are trained to provide that the pharmacy needs on the day.
Try the numbers in the rate calculator, then read how to negotiate your rate.
Sources
- Pharmacy Magazine: Inverness still best-paid city for locums as rates in England plummet (7 October 2025)
- Chemist+Druggist: Average hourly locum rate drops 12% in England
General information for the 2026/27 tax year, not personal tax or financial advice.