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Pharmacists

How to become a Pharmacist

Works as a medicines expert in hospitals, pharmacies and elsewhere, preparing medicines, advising patients on taking them and managing them.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university or a master's degree is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

When you pass the national pharmacist exam, you apply to be entered on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's register of pharmacists and receive a pharmacist licence from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. As a rule the exam is open only to graduates of six-year pharmacy courses, so you need to go to a university that offers one. Students must do 11 weeks of practical training in a hospital and 11 weeks in a pharmacy. New drugs are developed and technology advances quickly in this field, so it is important to keep collecting and learning the latest information on medicines. In hospitals and pharmacies you also need to deal smoothly with patients and customers while making sound decisions about the use of medicines and giving the information they need.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Pharmacist?

When you pass the national pharmacist exam, you apply to be entered on the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's register of pharmacists and receive a pharmacist licence from the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare. As a rule the exam is open only to graduates of six-year pharmacy courses, so you need to go to a university that offers one. Students must do 11 weeks of practical training in a hospital and 11 weeks in a pharmacy. New drugs are developed and technology advances quickly in this field, so it is important to keep collecting and learning the latest information on medicines. In hospitals and pharmacies you also need to deal smoothly with patients and customers while making sound decisions about the use of medicines and giving the information they need.

How much does a Pharmacist earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,667,900 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become a Pharmacist?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 100% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Pharmacist?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026