Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified these details of pharmacist salary by state for the United States as of 2026:
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California has the highest pharmacist salary of $161,597
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Arkansas has the lowest pharmacist salary of $89,660
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The national average salary for pharmacists is $118,968
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The national hourly pay for pharmacists is $57.2
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary remains a critical factor for professionals across all demographics. For aspiring and current pharmacists, understanding local salary trends is essential for informed career decisions.
Several factors influence an individual pharmacist’s potential earnings, including experience, location, and type of employer. While there may be variations from state averages based on city specifics, these averages provide a reliable estimate of what pharmacists can expect to earn.
The state with the best salary for pharmacists, even with adjustments for cost of living and demand, is California.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for pharmacist salaries in 2026:
Let’s take a look at how we got here and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Pharmacists By State
| Rank | State | Average Pharmacist Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $161,597 | $124,000 | $209,000 |
| 2 | Oregon | $155,710 | $116,000 | $208,000 |
| 3 | Washington | $149,466 | $111,000 | $200,000 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $141,041 | $110,000 | $180,000 |
| 5 | Nevada | $140,869 | $107,000 | $183,000 |
| 6 | Maine | $139,517 | $109,000 | $178,000 |
| 7 | Vermont | $137,658 | $107,000 | $176,000 |
| 8 | Delaware | $136,276 | $106,000 | $173,000 |
| 9 | Maryland | $135,894 | $106,000 | $173,000 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $134,175 | $104,000 | $171,000 |
| 11 | Alaska | $134,044 | $114,000 | $156,000 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $131,978 | $103,000 | $168,000 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $131,960 | $103,000 | $168,000 |
| 14 | New Jersey | $131,698 | $103,000 | $168,000 |
| 15 | New York | $131,594 | $102,000 | $168,000 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $129,724 | $101,000 | $166,000 |
| 17 | New Mexico | $129,145 | $100,000 | $166,000 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $128,918 | $97,000 | $169,000 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $128,502 | $97,000 | $169,000 |
| 20 | Virginia | $128,380 | $101,000 | $162,000 |
| 21 | Hawaii | $128,245 | $108,000 | $151,000 |
| 22 | Arizona | $126,174 | $98,000 | $161,000 |
| 23 | Idaho | $125,760 | $93,000 | $169,000 |
| 24 | North Carolina | $125,068 | $98,000 | $158,000 |
| 25 | Michigan | $124,768 | $95,000 | $163,000 |
| 26 | Colorado | $120,986 | $92,000 | $158,000 |
| 27 | Illinois | $120,887 | $92,000 | $158,000 |
| 28 | Kansas | $118,122 | $90,000 | $153,000 |
| 29 | Ohio | $117,573 | $90,000 | $152,000 |
| 30 | Kentucky | $117,448 | $91,000 | $151,000 |
| 31 | Indiana | $117,338 | $90,000 | $152,000 |
| 32 | Missouri | $116,513 | $89,000 | $151,000 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $116,366 | $88,000 | $152,000 |
| 34 | Utah | $116,009 | $87,000 | $154,000 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $115,570 | $91,000 | $145,000 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $115,339 | $89,000 | $148,000 |
| 37 | Texas | $115,089 | $90,000 | $145,000 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $114,359 | $87,000 | $150,000 |
| 39 | Georgia | $114,118 | $90,000 | $143,000 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $112,879 | $88,000 | $144,000 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $112,326 | $84,000 | $148,000 |
| 42 | Montana | $111,924 | $84,000 | $148,000 |
| 43 | Iowa | $110,405 | $84,000 | $144,000 |
| 44 | Florida | $109,106 | $88,000 | $134,000 |
| 45 | Alabama | $106,271 | $84,000 | $134,000 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $105,677 | $83,000 | $133,000 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $102,542 | $81,000 | $129,000 |
| 48 | South Dakota | $100,246 | $75,000 | $132,000 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $98,951 | $76,000 | $127,000 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $89,660 | $69,000 | $115,000 |
Methodology: Pharmacist Salary By State
To better understand pharmacist pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various sources, including the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Federal Labor Commission (FLC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM). We supplement this data with actual salaries from job postings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average of these inputs to determine the average pay for pharmacists by state.
This average annual salary data for pharmacists allows us to rank each state based on their average pharmacist salary.
Pharmacist Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for pharmacists?
The highest-paid state for pharmacists is California, with an average salary of $161,597 per year.
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What city pays pharmacists the most?
Sacramento, CA pays pharmacists the most, with an average salary of $169,716 per year.
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What is the worst state for pharmacists?
The worst state for pharmacists is Arkansas, with an average salary of $89,660 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
