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Best states for a pharmacist
Quoted expert
Dr. Jeff Goad
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to pharmacist jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. In order to help you decide which state is the best for pharmacists, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for pharmacist jobs.
To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for pharmacists.We found that the South is best for pharmacists, and the Northeast is the worst. Sacramento, CA is the best city in the country for pharmacist jobs, where as Maine is the best state in the country.
10 best states for pharmacists in 2026
1. Maine
Total pharmacist jobs: 258 Average annual salary: $139,517 Lowest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $178,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
2. New Hampshire
Total pharmacist jobs: 309 Average annual salary: $141,041 Lowest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
3. California
Total pharmacist jobs: 4,547 Average annual salary: $161,597 Lowest 10 percent earn: $124,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $209,000 Location Quotient: 1.02
4. Vermont
Total pharmacist jobs: 136 Average annual salary: $137,658 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $176,000 Location Quotient: 1.16
5. Washington
Total pharmacist jobs: 1,051 Average annual salary: $149,466 Lowest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $200,000 Location Quotient: 0.95
6. Oregon
Total pharmacist jobs: 501 Average annual salary: $155,710 Lowest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $208,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
7. Delaware
Total pharmacist jobs: 199 Average annual salary: $136,276 Lowest 10 percent earn: $106,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.04
8. Pennsylvania
Total pharmacist jobs: 2,018 Average annual salary: $129,724 Lowest 10 percent earn: $101,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 1.14
9. Nevada
Total pharmacist jobs: 257 Average annual salary: $140,869 Lowest 10 percent earn: $107,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $183,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
10. Wisconsin
Total pharmacist jobs: 870 Average annual salary: $128,918 Lowest 10 percent earn: $97,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $169,000 Location Quotient: 1.03
Pharmacist jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a pharmacist
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a pharmacist
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $139,517 | $109,000 | 1,335,907 | 258 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $141,041 | $110,000 | 1,342,795 | 309 |
| 3 | California | $161,597 | $124,000 | 39,536,653 | 4,547 |
| 4 | Vermont | $137,658 | $107,000 | 623,657 | 136 |
| 5 | Washington | $149,466 | $111,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,051 |
| 6 | Oregon | $155,710 | $116,000 | 4,142,776 | 501 |
| 7 | Delaware | $136,276 | $106,000 | 961,939 | 199 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $129,724 | $101,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,018 |
| 9 | Nevada | $140,869 | $107,000 | 2,998,039 | 257 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $128,918 | $97,000 | 5,795,483 | 870 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $131,960 | $103,000 | 1,059,639 | 183 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $131,978 | $103,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,659 |
| 13 | Michigan | $124,768 | $95,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,360 |
| 14 | New York | $131,594 | $102,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,656 |
| 15 | Arizona | $126,174 | $98,000 | 7,016,270 | 961 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $134,175 | $104,000 | 3,588,184 | 464 |
| 17 | Ohio | $117,573 | $90,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,861 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $128,502 | $97,000 | 5,576,606 | 952 |
| 19 | Alaska | $134,044 | $114,000 | 739,795 | 105 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $125,068 | $98,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,347 |
| 21 | Maryland | $135,894 | $106,000 | 6,052,177 | 847 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $115,339 | $89,000 | 1,815,857 | 298 |
| 23 | Idaho | $125,760 | $93,000 | 1,716,943 | 213 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $129,145 | $100,000 | 2,088,070 | 229 |
| 25 | Indiana | $117,338 | $90,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,071 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $117,448 | $91,000 | 4,454,189 | 594 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $131,698 | $103,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,010 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $128,245 | $108,000 | 1,427,538 | 140 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $115,570 | $91,000 | 5,024,369 | 831 |
| 30 | Illinois | $120,887 | $92,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,854 |
| 31 | Virginia | $128,380 | $101,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,219 |
| 32 | Kansas | $118,122 | $90,000 | 2,913,123 | 417 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $112,879 | $88,000 | 6,715,984 | 958 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $134,115 | $105,000 | 693,972 | 104 |
| 35 | Missouri | $116,513 | $89,000 | 6,113,532 | 910 |
| 36 | Texas | $115,089 | $90,000 | 28,304,596 | 2,869 |
| 37 | Colorado | $120,986 | $92,000 | 5,607,154 | 643 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $116,366 | $88,000 | 1,920,076 | 228 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $105,677 | $83,000 | 2,984,100 | 390 |
| 40 | Alabama | $106,271 | $84,000 | 4,874,747 | 713 |
| 41 | Montana | $111,924 | $84,000 | 1,050,493 | 174 |
| 42 | Utah | $116,009 | $87,000 | 3,101,833 | 301 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $102,542 | $81,000 | 4,684,333 | 600 |
| 44 | Iowa | $110,405 | $84,000 | 3,145,711 | 484 |
| 45 | Georgia | $114,118 | $90,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,363 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $114,359 | $87,000 | 755,393 | 74 |
| 47 | Florida | $109,106 | $88,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,305 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $112,326 | $84,000 | 579,315 | 54 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $98,951 | $76,000 | 3,930,864 | 437 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $100,246 | $75,000 | 869,666 | 101 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $89,660 | $69,000 | 3,004,279 | 332 |
Highest paying states for pharmacists
| Rank | State | Avg. Pharmacist Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $139,517 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $141,041 |
| 3 | California | $161,597 |
| 4 | Vermont | $137,658 |
| 5 | Washington | $149,466 |
| 6 | Oregon | $155,710 |
| 7 | Delaware | $136,276 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $129,724 |
| 9 | Nevada | $140,869 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $128,918 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $131,960 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $131,978 |
| 13 | Michigan | $124,768 |
| 14 | New York | $131,594 |
| 15 | Arizona | $126,174 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $134,175 |
| 17 | Ohio | $117,573 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $128,502 |
| 19 | Alaska | $134,044 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $125,068 |
| 21 | Maryland | $135,894 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $115,339 |
| 23 | Idaho | $125,760 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $129,145 |
| 25 | Indiana | $117,338 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $117,448 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $131,698 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $128,245 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $115,570 |
| 30 | Illinois | $120,887 |
| 31 | Virginia | $128,380 |
| 32 | Kansas | $118,122 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $112,879 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $134,115 |
| 35 | Missouri | $116,513 |
| 36 | Texas | $115,089 |
| 37 | Colorado | $120,986 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $116,366 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $105,677 |
| 40 | Alabama | $106,271 |
| 41 | Montana | $111,924 |
| 42 | Utah | $116,009 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $102,542 |
| 44 | Iowa | $110,405 |
| 45 | Georgia | $114,118 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $114,359 |
| 47 | Florida | $109,106 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $112,326 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $98,951 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $100,246 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $89,660 |
Expert opinions on the best states for pharmacists
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for pharmacists to find work opportunities?
Dr. Jeff Goad
Professor, Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Chapman University
If graduates are mobile, they'll always find opportunities around the country. One of the most significant growth areas for pharmacy graduates is in Ambulatory Care. Healthcare systems and health plans are beginning to realize the value of pharmacists managing patients' medication therapy needs and chronic health issues to provide the best health outcomes cost-effectively.
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Updated January 8, 2025