How to become 薬剤師education, training, experience, licenses and the steps to enter
Average annual pay
¥5.67M
≈ $36,044
Top pay (est.)
¥9.77M
Top 10% ¥8.40M
Pay in 5 years
¥6.42Mest.
2031
Pay in 10 years
¥7.27Mest.
¥6.25M–¥8.44M
Outlook score
54/100
★★★☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
41%
Moderate
Labor demand
High
Openings-to-applicants 1.95x
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)
薬剤師国家試験に合格すると、申請により厚生労働省の薬剤師名簿に登録され、厚生労働大臣から薬剤師免許が与えられる。受験資格は原則として6年制学部・学科の薬学課程を卒業した人に限られるので、これらの大学に進学することが必要である。学生は、病院及び薬局の現場でそれぞれ11週間ずつ実務実習が義務づけられている。
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。
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。
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
Getting InformationUpdating and Using Relevant KnowledgeAssisting and Caring for OthersCommunicating with Supervisors, Peers, or SubordinatesEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsInterpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsWorking with Computers
Important abilities
Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionProblem SensitivityWritten ExpressionWritten ComprehensionSelective Attention
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)
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.
Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: Basic Survey on Wage Structure (2025), Population Census and Hello Work employment statistics as published on the MHLW job tag site (retrieved Nov 1, 2026); Occupational Information Database (JILPT). Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.