Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants salary in the UK
The median full-time salary for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants in the UK is £23,783 (ONS, 2025). After tax and National Insurance at 2026/27 rates that is about £1,720 a month.
Pay range for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants
This is the ONS occupation group "Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants" (SOC 2020 code 7114). ONS figures for 2025 show that one in ten earn less than £19,274, a quarter earn less than £21,536 and half earn less than £23,783.
| Point in the pay range | Gross a year | Gross a month | Take-home a year | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | £19,274 | £1,606 | £17,397 | £1,450 |
| 25th percentile | £21,536 | £1,795 | £19,026 | £1,585 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £23,783 | £1,982 | £20,643 | £1,720 |
| 75th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 90th percentile | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Take-home at England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates. Not published means ONS did not publish that figure because the estimate is not reliable enough. ONS rates the median for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants as precise: its sampling error (coefficient of variation) is 4.1%. ONS estimates about 22,000 full-time employee jobs in this occupation. ONS says job counts like this are indicative only.
Where pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants rank
The median for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants ranks 353rd of 362 occupations on this site, in the bottom quarter, and 15th of 15 in sales and customer service occupations. It is £15,256 (39.1%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs. ONS change on the previous year: the median for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants rose 6.1%, more than the 4.3% rise in the UK median for all full-time jobs.
Jobs with the nearest medians: Cooks (£24,228), Cleaners and domestics (£24,130), Beauticians and related occupations (£24,124), Early education and childcare practitioners (£23,717), Launderers, dry cleaners and pressers (£23,331) and Bar staff (£23,182).
How spread out pay is
ONS published the 25th percentile (£21,536) but not the 75th, so we cannot show the middle half of the range for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants.
The mean for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants (total pay divided by the number of employees) is £23,588, which is £195 (0.8%) lower than the median. The two are close, so very high or very low salaries are not pulling the average far from the middle. For all UK full-time jobs the mean is 24.3% above the median, so the gap for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants is smaller.
Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants and related jobs
Among these 5 jobs in the same ONS minor group, this one has the lowest median. The highest median among them is £31,851 (vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers) and the lowest £23,783 (pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants).
| Job | SOC code | Median salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle and parts salespersons and advisers | 7115 | £31,851 | £2,204 |
| Telephone salespersons | 7113 | £30,495 | £2,123 |
| Sales and retail assistants | 7111 | £25,056 | £1,797 |
| Retail cashiers and check-out operators | 7112 | £24,622 | £1,771 |
| Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants | 7114 | £23,783 | £1,720 |
Take-home pay against all jobs
At the median, pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants take home about £1,720 a month, against £2,636 on the UK median for all jobs. Scotland has its own income tax bands, so take-home pay on the same salary is different there.
| Group | Median a year | Take-home a month | Take-home a month in Scotland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants | £23,783 | £1,720 | £1,724 |
| All full-time employee jobs, UK | £39,039 | £2,636 | £2,631 |
Related pages
All jobs in the Sales and customer service occupations table, average salary by area, the take home pay calculator, salary to hourly calculator and pay rise calculator.
How this is worked out
Pay: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), 2025 provisional, SOC 2020 unit group 7114. Take-home: 2026/27 rates, tax code 1257L, no pension or student loan. How to read these figures.
Sources
- ASHE Table 14: earnings by occupation (4-digit SOC), 2025 provisional (ONS)
- ASHE Table 7: earnings by place of work, local authority, 2025 provisional (ONS)
- SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions of unit groups (ONS)
- Income Tax rates and Personal Allowances (GOV.UK)
- Scottish Income Tax (GOV.UK)
- National Insurance: how much you pay (GOV.UK)
Figures checked on 12 October 2026. ONS plans to publish its next ASHE figures on 22 October 2026. Read how we calculate or tell us about a mistake.
Frequently asked questions
On the median full-time salary of £23,783, take-home pay is about £1,720 a month (£20,643 a year) after 2026/27 income tax and National Insurance, with tax code 1257L and no pension or student loan. In Scotland, where income tax is different, it is about £1,724 a month.
ONS figures for full-time jobs (2025) show that one in ten earn less than £19,274, a quarter earn less than £21,536 and half earn less than £23,783. ONS did not publish every point in the range because some estimates are not reliable enough.
No. The median for pharmacy and optical dispensing assistants is £23,783, which is £15,256 (39.1%) lower than the UK median of £39,039 for all full-time employee jobs (ONS, 2025). It ranks 353rd of 362 occupations on this site.