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Pharmacist salary
Average pharmacist salary
$118,968
Understanding Pharmacist Salaries
The average salary for pharmacists in the U.S. is approximately $118,968 annually. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as state, experience, and specialty. For instance, pharmacists in states like California and New York often see higher compensation compared to those in other regions.
Factors Influencing Salaries
Experience plays a vital role; entry-level pharmacists typically earn less than those with years of expertise. Furthermore, pharmacists who specialize in fields such as clinical pharmacy or nuclear pharmacy may command higher salaries. Understanding these dynamics can help prospective pharmacists gauge their earning potential and make informed career choices.
Job Opportunities
Pharmacists have diverse job opportunities ranging from retail to clinical settings. Many hospitals and healthcare systems offer competitive salaries and benefits. To maximize earning potential, consider seeking positions in high-demand areas or pursuing advanced certifications.
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Where can a Pharmacist earn more?
Pharmacist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level pharmacist | $104,000 | $49.92 |
| Mid-level pharmacist | $125,000 | $59.93 |
| Senior-level pharmacist | $121,000 | $58.36 |
Pharmacist salary estimates from across the web
Average pharmacist salary by state
The highest-paying states for pharmacists are California, Oregon, and Washington. The lowest average pharmacist salary states are Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for pharmacists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine | $139,517 | $67.08 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $141,041 | $67.81 |
| 3 | California | $161,597 | $77.69 |
| 4 | Vermont | $137,658 | $66.18 |
| 5 | Washington | $149,466 | $71.86 |
| 6 | Oregon | $155,710 | $74.86 |
| 7 | Delaware | $136,276 | $65.52 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $129,724 | $62.37 |
| 9 | Nevada | $140,869 | $67.73 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $128,918 | $61.98 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $131,960 | $63.44 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $131,978 | $63.45 |
| 13 | Michigan | $124,768 | $59.98 |
| 14 | New York | $131,594 | $63.27 |
| 15 | Arizona | $126,174 | $60.66 |
| 16 | Connecticut | $134,175 | $64.51 |
| 17 | Ohio | $117,573 | $56.53 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $128,502 | $61.78 |
| 19 | Alaska | $134,044 | $64.44 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $125,068 | $60.13 |
| 21 | Maryland | $135,894 | $65.33 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $115,339 | $55.45 |
| 23 | Idaho | $125,760 | $60.46 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $129,145 | $62.09 |
| 25 | Indiana | $117,338 | $56.41 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $117,448 | $56.47 |
| 27 | New Jersey | $131,698 | $63.32 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $128,245 | $61.66 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $115,570 | $55.56 |
| 30 | Illinois | $120,887 | $58.12 |
| 31 | Virginia | $128,380 | $61.72 |
| 32 | Kansas | $118,122 | $56.79 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $112,879 | $54.27 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $134,115 | $64.48 |
| 35 | Missouri | $116,513 | $56.02 |
| 36 | Texas | $115,089 | $55.33 |
| 37 | Colorado | $120,986 | $58.17 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $116,366 | $55.95 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $105,677 | $50.81 |
| 40 | Alabama | $106,271 | $51.09 |
| 41 | Montana | $111,924 | $53.81 |
| 42 | Utah | $116,009 | $55.77 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $102,542 | $49.30 |
| 44 | Iowa | $110,405 | $53.08 |
| 45 | Georgia | $114,118 | $54.86 |
| 46 | North Dakota | $114,359 | $54.98 |
| 47 | Florida | $109,106 | $52.45 |
| 48 | Wyoming | $112,326 | $54.00 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $98,951 | $47.57 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $100,246 | $48.20 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $89,660 | $43.11 |
Highest paying cities for pharmacists
The highest-paying cities for pharmacists are Sacramento, CA, Vancouver, WA, and Portland, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $169,716 | $81.59 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $154,068 | $74.07 |
| 3 | Portland, OR | $154,022 | $74.05 |
| 4 | Portland, ME | $139,656 | $67.14 |
| 5 | Newark, DE | $136,264 | $65.51 |
| 6 | Baltimore, MD | $135,965 | $65.37 |
| 7 | Bridgeport, CT | $134,224 | $64.53 |
| 8 | Washington, DC | $134,157 | $64.50 |
| 9 | Boston, MA | $132,014 | $63.47 |
| 10 | New York, NY | $131,758 | $63.35 |
| 11 | Washington, NJ | $131,731 | $63.33 |
| 12 | Philadelphia, PA | $130,061 | $62.53 |
| 13 | Albuquerque, NM | $129,520 | $62.27 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $129,412 | $62.22 |
| 15 | Arlington, VA | $128,336 | $61.70 |
| 16 | Yuma, AZ | $126,749 | $60.94 |
| 17 | Jacksonville, NC | $125,155 | $60.17 |
| 18 | Detroit, MI | $125,015 | $60.10 |
| 19 | Chicago, IL | $121,021 | $58.18 |
| 20 | Denver, CO | $120,631 | $58.00 |
Pharmacists are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Pharmacist salary details
A pharmacist's salary ranges from $93,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a pharmacist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $135,000 | $11,250 | $65 |
| Average | $118,968 | $9,914 | $57 |
| 25th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
Highest paying pharmacist jobs
The highest paying types of pharmacists are pharmacist in charge, retail pharmacist, and staff pharmacist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outpatient Pharmacist Manager | $87,778 | $7,315 | $42.20 | 52,894 |
| Pharmacy Internship | $80,116 | $6,676 | $38.52 | 89,197 |
| Clinical Staff Pharmacist | $77,646 | $6,470 | $37.33 | 162,262 |
| Director Of Pharmacist | $88,811 | $7,401 | $42.70 | 58,823 |
| Pharmacist Consultant | $80,637 | $6,720 | $38.77 | 51,701 |
| Pharmacist Supervisor | $117,023 | $9,752 | $56.26 | 47,807 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for pharmacists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael J. Avaltroni Ph.D.
Top companies hiring pharmacists now:
Which companies pay pharmacists the most?
Pharmacist salaries at Safeway and QFC Quality Food Center are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pharmacist salary at companies like Mayo Clinic and Rite Aid are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safeway | $140,576 | $67.58 |
| 2 | QFC Quality Food Center | $140,140 | $67.38 |
| 3 | Mayo Clinic | $139,331 | $66.99 |
| 4 | Rite Aid | $135,215 | $65.01 |
| 5 | Stanford Health Care | $135,181 | $64.99 |
| 6 | Smith's Food and Drug | $135,023 | $64.91 |
| 7 | Hannaford Supermarkets | $134,989 | $64.90 |
| 8 | Food City | $134,851 | $64.83 |
| 9 | Walmart | $134,750 | $64.78 |
| 10 | Amazon | $134,724 | $64.77 |
| 11 | Chewy | $134,175 | $64.51 |
| 12 | Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32 | $133,848 | $64.35 |
| 13 | Albertsons Companies | $133,231 | $64.05 |
| 14 | Eastern Connecticut Health Network (echn) | $132,567 | $63.73 |
| 15 | Bashas' | $132,565 | $63.73 |
| 16 | Harris Teeter | $131,837 | $63.38 |
| 17 | Schnucks | $131,736 | $63.33 |
| 18 | Parkview Health | $131,282 | $63.12 |
| 19 | Albertsons | $130,979 | $62.97 |
| 20 | Community Medical Center | $130,601 | $62.79 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Pharmacist salary by industry
The average pharmacist salary varies across industries:
- The average pharmacist salary in the retail industry is $122,179, the highest of any industry.
- The average pharmacist salary in the finance industry is $111,068.
- Pharmacists in the government industry earn an average salary of $78,448, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for pharmacists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail | $122,179 | $58.74 |
| 2 | Health Care | $111,068 | $53.40 |
| 3 | Agriculture | $98,320 | $47.27 |
| 4 | Government | $78,448 | $37.72 |
High paying pharmacist jobs
Pharmacist salary trends
The average pharmacist salary has risen by $14,161 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pharmacist earned $104,807 annually, but today, they earn $118,968 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for pharmacists over the last decade.
Compare pharmacist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average pharmacist salary over time
Compare pharmacist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Pharmacist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $119,000 | $57.20 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | $118,000 | $56.92 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $117,000 | $56.05 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $115,000 | $55.18 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $113,000 | $54.32 | +0.6% |
Recently added pharmacist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutterhealth | Ambulatory Infusion Pharmacy Buyer | Santa Barbara, CA | 06/30/2025 | $62,673 |
| Sutterhealth | Pharmacist | Jackson, MS | 06/30/2025 | $189,854 |
| Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic | Pharmacist | Astoria, OR | 06/30/2025 | $174,500 |
| Guardian Pharmacy | Seasonal Pharmacist | Anaheim, CA | 06/30/2025 | $135,655 |
| CSI Pharmacy | Pharmacist | Enfield, CT | 06/30/2025 | $135,000 |
| CSI Pharmacy | Pharmacy Scheduler | Plano, TX | 06/30/2025 | $50,088 |
| Vizient | Pharmacy Executive IV-Pharmacy Advisory | Philadelphia, PA | 06/30/2025 | $135,200 |
| Healthsouth | Pharmacist | Lake Worth, FL | 06/29/2025 | $139,194 |
| Healthsouth | Pharmacist | Rockford, IL | 06/29/2025 | $141,916 |
| Healthsouth | Pharmacist | Middletown, DE | 06/29/2025 | $125,220 |
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