Job prospects Pharmacist in Nova Scotia

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "pharmacist" in Nova Scotia or across Canada.

Job opportunities in Nova Scotia

These outlooks were updated on November 29, 2023.

Prospects over the next 3 years

The employment outlook will be moderate for Pharmacists (NOC 31120) in Nova Scotia for the 2023-2025 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• Recent graduates from fields of study related to this occupation have found it difficult to find work.

Jobseekers may experience some difficulty in finding employment, and may have to consider moving to take advantage of opportunities in smaller communities. There are typically a larger number of candidates for vacancies in Halifax. Industry changes in recent years have contributed to little wage growth and weak demand, particularly in the hospital system. Current labour market conditions may require jobseekers to accept part-time employment to gain experience. Some opportunities are shift-work, which can include evenings, weekends, and long shifts.

Here are some key facts about Pharmacists in Nova Scotia:

• Approximately 1,000 people work in this occupation.
• Pharmacists mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 85%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 13%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 78% compared to 82% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 22% compared to 18% for all occupations
• 81% of pharmacists work all year, while 19% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
• 9% of pharmacists are self-employed compared to an average of 11% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 26% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 74% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: n/a
  • high school diploma or equivalent: less than 5% compared to 27% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: less than 5% compared to 22% for all occupations
  • bachelor's degree: 80% compared to 20% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 18% compared to 10% for all occupations

Breakdown by region

Explore job prospects in Nova Scotia by economic region.

Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology

Job prospects elsewhere in Canada

Explore current and future job prospects for people working as a "pharmacist" Pharmacists (NOC 31120) or across Canada.

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