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Retail pharmacist salary
Average retail pharmacist salary
$118,899
Understanding the Role of a Retail Pharmacist
Retail pharmacists play a crucial role in community healthcare, providing essential services such as medication management, health consultations, and patient education. Their expertise not only helps patients manage their prescriptions but also supports healthcare providers in ensuring effective treatment outcomes.
Salary Breakdown
As of October 2025, the average salary for a retail pharmacist stands at $118,899 annually. Salaries vary significantly by experience level, with entry-level pharmacists earning around $92,000, while those with extensive experience can earn upwards of $140,000.
Geographic Salary Variations
Geographic location plays a pivotal role in salary differences. States like California and New York offer higher salaries, often exceeding $130,000 per year. Additionally, urban areas typically provide better compensation than rural settings due to the higher demand for pharmacy services.
Job Opportunities and Career Growth
With a diverse range of employment settings, including retail chains, hospitals, and clinics, pharmacists have numerous avenues for career advancement. Many opt for additional certifications or specializations to enhance their skills and increase their earning potential. For those looking to enter this rewarding field, understanding salary expectations and market opportunities is vital for making informed career decisions.
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Where can a Retail Pharmacist earn more?
Retail pharmacist salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level retail pharmacist | $104,000 | $49.89 |
| Mid-level retail pharmacist | $125,000 | $59.90 |
| Senior-level retail pharmacist | $121,000 | $58.33 |
Retail pharmacist salary estimates from across the web
Average retail pharmacist salary by state
The average retail pharmacist salary in Oregon, California, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average retail pharmacist salary states are Arizona, Alabama, and Mississippi.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for retail pharmacists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania | $143,828 | $69.15 |
| 2 | Oregon | $159,527 | $76.70 |
| 3 | California | $158,965 | $76.43 |
| 4 | Washington | $145,577 | $69.99 |
| 5 | Wisconsin | $131,147 | $63.05 |
| 6 | Vermont | $136,260 | $65.51 |
| 7 | Alaska | $143,835 | $69.15 |
| 8 | Nevada | $142,389 | $68.46 |
| 9 | New Mexico | $133,622 | $64.24 |
| 10 | Rhode Island | $137,215 | $65.97 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $130,342 | $62.66 |
| 12 | Michigan | $128,135 | $61.60 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $131,413 | $63.18 |
| 14 | Idaho | $126,065 | $60.61 |
| 15 | Maryland | $137,019 | $65.87 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $117,633 | $56.55 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $126,975 | $61.05 |
| 18 | Illinois | $123,116 | $59.19 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $135,342 | $65.07 |
| 20 | North Carolina | $120,516 | $57.94 |
| 21 | New York | $136,836 | $65.79 |
| 22 | Utah | $125,379 | $60.28 |
| 23 | Indiana | $121,793 | $58.55 |
| 24 | Delaware | $123,895 | $59.56 |
| 25 | Missouri | $118,810 | $57.12 |
| 26 | Montana | $119,007 | $57.21 |
| 27 | Maine | $125,001 | $60.10 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $132,063 | $63.49 |
| 29 | Kansas | $119,810 | $57.60 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $112,290 | $53.99 |
| 31 | Virginia | $126,719 | $60.92 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $131,593 | $63.27 |
| 33 | Oklahoma | $114,472 | $55.03 |
| 34 | District of Columbia | $136,604 | $65.67 |
| 35 | Texas | $116,065 | $55.80 |
| 36 | Wyoming | $113,810 | $54.72 |
| 37 | Georgia | $116,785 | $56.15 |
| 38 | Ohio | $115,672 | $55.61 |
| 39 | Alabama | $108,327 | $52.08 |
| 40 | Colorado | $119,855 | $57.62 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $114,369 | $54.99 |
| 42 | Mississippi | $107,782 | $51.82 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $126,511 | $60.82 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $109,745 | $52.76 |
| 45 | Iowa | $104,211 | $50.10 |
| 46 | Florida | $113,435 | $54.54 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $111,799 | $53.75 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $90,644 | $43.58 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $110,332 | $53.04 |
| 50 | Arizona | $108,645 | $52.23 |
| 51 | South Dakota | $100,940 | $48.53 |
Highest paying cities for retail pharmacists
The highest-paying cities for retail pharmacists are Santa Rosa, CA, Reno, NV, and Philadelphia, PA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa, CA | $167,035 | $80.31 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $146,164 | $70.27 |
| 3 | Philadelphia, PA | $144,185 | $69.32 |
| 4 | New York, NY | $136,985 | $65.86 |
| 5 | Hartford, CT | $135,415 | $65.10 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $132,188 | $63.55 |
| 7 | Milwaukee, WI | $131,700 | $63.32 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $131,584 | $63.26 |
| 9 | Minneapolis, MN | $130,357 | $62.67 |
| 10 | Omaha, NE | $126,865 | $60.99 |
| 11 | Springfield, VA | $126,624 | $60.88 |
| 12 | Newark, DE | $123,888 | $59.56 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $123,245 | $59.25 |
| 14 | Jeffersonville, IN | $122,705 | $58.99 |
| 15 | Springfield, MO | $119,732 | $57.56 |
| 16 | Greeley, CO | $117,840 | $56.65 |
| 17 | Fort Worth, TX | $116,700 | $56.11 |
| 18 | Dublin, OH | $115,908 | $55.73 |
| 19 | Bismarck, ND | $113,848 | $54.73 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $113,618 | $54.62 |
Retail pharmacist salary details
A retail pharmacist's salary ranges from $93,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a retail 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 | $118,899 | $9,908 | $57 |
| 25th Percentile | $104,000 | $8,667 | $50 |
| 10th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
Highest paying retail pharmacist jobs
The highest paying types of retail pharmacists are pharmacist in charge, pharmacist, and staff pharmacist.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Internship | $80,116 | $6,676 | $38.52 | 89,197 |
| Licensed Pharmacist Technician | $51,176 | $4,265 | $24.60 | 83,479 |
| Pharmacist Consultant | $80,637 | $6,720 | $38.77 | 51,701 |
| Pharmacist Supervisor | $117,023 | $9,752 | $56.26 | 47,807 |
| Pharmacist In Charge | $120,281 | $10,023 | $57.83 | 55,466 |
| Outpatient Pharmacist Manager | $87,778 | $7,315 | $42.20 | 52,894 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for retail pharmacists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael J. Avaltroni Ph.D.
Top companies hiring retail pharmacists now:
Which companies pay retail pharmacists the most?
Retail pharmacist salaries at Hy-Vee and Costco Wholesale are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average retail pharmacist salary at companies like Kroger and Baystate Health are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hy-Vee | $137,993 | $66.34 |
| 2 | Costco Wholesale | $133,008 | $63.95 |
| 3 | Kroger | $127,634 | $61.36 |
| 4 | Baystate Health | $127,606 | $61.35 |
| 5 | Rady Children's Hospital And Health Center | $126,664 | $60.90 |
| 6 | St Luke's Hospital & Health Network Inc | $124,566 | $59.89 |
| 7 | Meijer | $123,337 | $59.30 |
| 8 | Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital | $122,501 | $58.89 |
| 9 | White Plains Hospital | $122,133 | $58.72 |
| 10 | Mercy Health | $121,080 | $58.21 |
| 11 | Munson Healthcare | $119,814 | $57.60 |
| 12 | Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | $119,575 | $57.49 |
| 13 | Kinney Drugs | $118,819 | $57.12 |
| 14 | Inspira Health Network | $118,730 | $57.08 |
| 15 | Ballad Health | $118,378 | $56.91 |
| 16 | Jennie Stuart Health | $118,365 | $56.91 |
| 17 | Dean Health Plan | $117,759 | $56.61 |
| 18 | CVS Health | $117,598 | $56.54 |
| 19 | Huntsville Hospital | $117,495 | $56.49 |
| 20 | Nantucket Cottage Hospital | $117,355 | $56.42 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Retail pharmacist salary trends
The average retail pharmacist salary has risen by $14,152 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average retail pharmacist earned $104,747 annually, but today, they earn $118,899 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for retail pharmacists over the last decade.
Compare retail pharmacist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average retail pharmacist salary over time
Compare retail pharmacist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Retail pharmacist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $119,000 | $57.16 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | $118,000 | $56.89 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | $117,000 | $56.01 | +1.5% |
| 2022 | $115,000 | $55.15 | +1.6% |
| 2021 | $113,000 | $54.29 | +0.6% |
Recently added retail pharmacist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baptist Health South Florida | Pharmacist Retail 1, BH Retail Pharmacy 101, Per Diem, 9A P | Miami, FL | 06/29/2025 | $106,040 |
| Cardinal Health | Retail Pharmacy Manager | Anna, IL | 06/28/2025 | $109,900 |
| Essentia Health | Retail Pharmacy Site Supervisor-Deer | Deer River, MN | 06/28/2025 | $157,955 |
| Cardinal Health | Retail Pharmacy Technician | Laurel, MD | 06/27/2025 | $37,775 |
| Gundersen Health System | Pharmacist | Retail | La Crosse, WI | 06/27/2025 | $124,238 |
| Evergreen Healthcare | Supervisor-Outpatient & Retail Pharmacy | Kirkland, WA | 06/27/2025 | $160,076 |
| The Duluth Clinic | Retail Pharmacy Site Supervisor-Deer | Deer River, MN | 06/27/2025 | $157,955 |
| Cardinal Health | PRN Retail Pharmacy Clerk | Santa Rosa, CA | 06/26/2025 | $33,392 |
| Multicare Health System | Pharmacist-Ambulatory/Retail | Yakima, WA | 06/26/2025 | $137,053 |
| White Plains Hospital Center | Registered Pharmacist | White Plains, NY | 06/26/2025 | $111,377 |
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