薬剤師 薬剤師
What 薬剤師 do
An English description is being prepared. Japanese description:
最も代表的な仕事は「調剤」であり、医師が出した処方を確認して正確に薬を調合する。また、処方された薬の副作用や、併用薬との相互作用などについて、患者の体質やアレルギー歴などと照らし合わせ、問題なく服用できるかを確認する。
個々の患者に合わせて、薬の効果や服用方法をわかりやすく説明する「服薬指導」も重要である。
病院では、医薬品の在庫管理・記録を行うほか、病院と密接に連携し、患者の体調変化を評価して薬の量の変更を医師に提案したり、薬剤師外来で副作用管理のための服薬指導なども行う。
病院や薬局以外では、製薬会社の社員として新しい薬の開発や実験を担当したり、薬の製造工程を管理したり、医療機関に自社製品の学術情報などを提供するＭＲ（医薬情報担当者）とよばれる仕事に従事したり、国や都道府県の職員として、薬事関係の許認可や監視指導、食品や飲料水の検査・分析業務などを行う人もいる。
薬剤師法では薬剤師の任務は、「薬剤師は、調剤、医薬品の供給その他薬事衛生をつかさどることによって、公衆衛生の向上及び増進に寄与し、もつて国民の健康な生活を確保する」とされている。
なお、近年では「かかりつけ薬剤師」が普及しており、個人の薬の重複や飲み合わせ、処方内容の確認や薬に関する相談業務など患者の安全性や薬剤の有効性の向上につながる取組を行っている。
◇ よく使う道具、機材、情報技術等
パソコン、レジ（小売店、レストラン等）
Employment type of workers
薬剤師 salary
The average annual pay for 薬剤師 in Japan is ¥5.67M (≈ $36,044; Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), national). The estimated median is ¥5.27M, the typical range is ¥3.84M–¥9.77M and the top 10% earn about ¥8.40M.
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The distribution is estimated from Japan's national wage statistics, including pay differences by age.
Pay by ageest.
Estimated from the average pay and average age (40.1) using the age-wage curve of the Basic Survey on Wage Structure.
Pay by experienceest.
Pay by employment typeest.
The average hourly wage of ¥2,828 is 2.4× Japan's national average minimum wage of ¥1,177 (fiscal 2026). Minimum wage by prefecture →
Japanese pay is shown in yen (¥5.57M = 5.57 million yen ≈ 557万円). Dollar figures use the current rate of 157.25 yen per dollar and are for reference only; purchasing power differs.
Pay over time
| Year | Average pay | Employment | Openings ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | ¥5.81M | — | — |
| 2022 | ¥5.83M | — | — |
| 2023 | ¥5.78M | — | 2.18x |
| 2024 | ¥5.99M | — | 2.21x |
| 2025 | ¥5.67M | — | 1.95x |
Projected pay for 薬剤師 (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today ¥5.67M → in 3 years ¥6.11M → in 5 years ¥6.42M → in 10 years ¥7.27M (10-year range ¥6.25M–¥8.44M). The model assumes pay growth of +2.5% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (the job-openings-to-applicants ratio), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for 薬剤師
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace 薬剤師? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using the MHLW job tag survey on work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for 薬剤師
A ratio above 1.0 means there are more job openings than applicants (a labor shortage). The 5- and 10-year figures are estimates from the openings ratio, wage momentum and AI replacement risk.
The same job in the United States
| 薬剤師 Japan | Pharmacists United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | ¥5.67M ≈ $36,044 | $140,910 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | ¥7.27M | $189,400 |
| Outlook score | 54 | 59 |
| AI replacement risk | 41% Moderate | 52% Moderate |
| Workers | — | 322K |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for 薬剤師
Key skills
Skill levels from the MHLW job tag worker survey.
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Licenses and certifications (Japan)
- 薬剤師 National license
Related qualifications listed on job tag (names in Japanese). Some are mandatory, others recommended.
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Difficulty of entry: ★★★★☆ Demanding (from education, training, experience, licenses)
How to become 薬剤師
The typical path in Japan is shown by the education, training and experience of current workers above and in the Japanese guidance below. A detailed English guide for this occupation is being prepared.
Guidance from job tag (Japanese)
医薬の分野は、新製品の開発や技術進歩のスピードが速いので、常に薬に関する最新の情報を収集し、身につけることが重要である。また、病院や薬局などでは、患者や消費者に円滑に応対しながら薬の使用について的確な判断を行い、必要な情報を提供する能力が求められる。
Career path and how to earn more as 薬剤師
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by experience is shown in the Pay section.