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Staff pharmacist salary

Quoted expert
Michael J. Avaltroni Ph.D.

Average staff pharmacist salary

$118,844

$57.14 hourly rate

Entry-level staff pharmacist salary
$93,000 yearly salary
Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Staff Pharmacist Salaries

The average salary for a Staff Pharmacist in the United States is $118,844 annually, which translates to about $57 per hour. Salaries in this field are influenced by various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific healthcare setting. For instance, pharmacists working in metropolitan areas tend to earn higher wages compared to those in rural settings.

Salary by Experience Level

Entry-level pharmacists can expect to earn less than their seasoned counterparts. As experience increases, so do salary prospects. For example, pharmacists with over 10 years of experience often see salaries exceeding $130,000 annually. This trend emphasizes the importance of career development and continuing education.

State Salary Comparisons

Some states offer significantly higher salaries for staff pharmacists. States like California, New York, and Texas are among the highest-paying, often exceeding the national average. Understanding these state-by-state variations is crucial for job seekers considering relocation or new job opportunities.

Job Opportunities

In addition to traditional retail settings, staff pharmacists have opportunities in hospitals, clinics, and pharmaceutical companies, each providing unique salary potentials and benefits. Exploring these options can lead to a rewarding career in pharmacy.

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Where can a Staff Pharmacist earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
199k
179k
159k
139k
119k
99k
79k
Columbus, OH$171,899
Columbia, SC$108,572
Compare salary by company
Vs
158k
138k
118k
98k
Safeway$140,931
Carlsbad Medical Center$128,191

Staff pharmacist salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level staff pharmacist$104,000$49.87
Mid-level staff pharmacist$125,000$59.87
Senior-level staff pharmacist$121,000$58.30

Staff pharmacist salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com and Indeed, the average salary for a staff pharmacist typically falls between $118,844 and $128,120.
zippia
$118,844yearly
indeed[1]
$128,120yearly
Salary.com[2]
$123,489yearly

Average staff pharmacist salary by state

The average staff pharmacist salary in California, Oregon, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average staff pharmacist salary states are Kentucky, Missouri, and Iowa.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for staff pharmacists

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Washington$146,951$70.65
2Oregon$148,752$71.52
3Wisconsin$129,032$62.03
4New Mexico$132,464$63.68
5Vermont$136,422$65.59
6Minnesota$129,322$62.17
7Rhode Island$137,164$65.94
8Massachusetts$137,115$65.92
9Alaska$143,333$68.91
10California$163,515$78.61
11Idaho$125,051$60.12
12Nevada$128,294$61.68
13New Hampshire$131,332$63.14
14North Carolina$122,911$59.09
15Maryland$131,389$63.17
16Maine$124,925$60.06
17Nebraska$125,346$60.26
18New Jersey$131,522$63.23
19Connecticut$131,601$63.27
20New York$131,401$63.17
21Arizona$127,308$61.21
22Kansas$118,096$56.78
23Michigan$125,325$60.25
24District of Columbia$132,311$63.61
25Pennsylvania$122,570$58.93
26West Virginia$109,424$52.61
27Indiana$120,791$58.07
28Texas$116,769$56.14
29Virginia$121,987$58.65
30Alabama$107,680$51.77
31Tennessee$109,296$52.55
32Hawaii$129,623$62.32
33Colorado$117,929$56.70
34Delaware$123,814$59.53
35Montana$111,621$53.66
36Illinois$119,585$57.49
37Oklahoma$113,379$54.51
38Kentucky$105,536$50.74
39North Dakota$114,298$54.95
40Utah$112,044$53.87
41Missouri$103,331$49.68
42Georgia$106,831$51.36
43Ohio$111,015$53.37
44Wyoming$112,218$53.95
45Iowa$103,252$49.64
46Arkansas$89,660$43.11
47South Carolina$108,502$52.16
48Mississippi$107,106$51.49
49Florida$107,445$51.66
50Louisiana$90,484$43.50
51South Dakota$100,300$48.22

Highest paying cities for staff pharmacists

The highest-paying cities for staff pharmacists are Richmond, CA, Eugene, OR, and Seattle, WA.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Richmond, CA$171,899$82.64
2Eugene, OR$151,953$73.05
3Seattle, WA$147,567$70.95
4Carson City, NV$132,379$63.64
5New York, NY$131,641$63.29
6Fort Lee, NJ$131,579$63.26
7Columbia, MD$131,397$63.17
8Yuma, AZ$127,822$61.45
9Detroit, MI$125,534$60.35
10Portland, ME$124,995$60.09
11Newark, DE$123,779$59.51
12Philadelphia, PA$122,865$59.07
13Charlotte, NC$122,674$58.98
14Richmond, VA$122,008$58.66
15Richmond, IN$121,414$58.37
16Chicago, IL$119,724$57.56
17El Paso, TX$118,869$57.15
18Newark, OH$111,355$53.54
19Columbia, TN$109,284$52.54
20Columbia, SC$108,572$52.20

Staff pharmacist salary details

A staff pharmacist's salary ranges from $93,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average staff pharmacist salary graph
Average staff pharmacist salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a staff pharmacist's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$151,000$12,583$73
75th Percentile$135,000$11,250$65
Average$118,844$9,904$57
25th Percentile$104,000$8,667$50
10th Percentile$93,000$7,750$45

Highest paying staff pharmacist jobs

The highest paying types of staff pharmacists are pharmacist in charge, pharmacist, and retail pharmacist.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Pharmacy Internship$80,116$6,676$38.5289,197
Pharmacist Consultant$80,637$6,720$38.7751,701
Pharmacist Supervisor$117,023$9,752$56.2647,807
Pharmacist In Charge$120,281$10,023$57.8355,466
Outpatient Pharmacist Manager$87,778$7,315$42.2052,894
Pharmacist Manager$93,996$7,833$45.1961,178

How would you rate the starting salaries for staff pharmacists, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?

Michael J. Avaltroni Ph.D.

Dean, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Starting salaries for pharmacists are typically among the highest of any profession, with averages exceeding $125k per year, and the unemployment rate for pharmacists has been perennially very low. The salary structure provides a great opportunity for new graduates, and there is room for growth and advancement in every area of pharmacy, from community retail to hospital to industry. Upward mobility exists in many areas of practice, and the prospect for expanded leadership roles in pharmacy and healthcare practice should serve the profession well in promoting additional growth opportunities.

Top companies hiring staff pharmacists now:

  1. Safeway jobs (267)
  2. Rite Aid jobs (1,212)
  3. Costco Wholesale jobs (46)
  4. H-E-B jobs (44)
  5. Walmart jobs (616)

Which companies pay staff pharmacists the most?

Staff pharmacist salaries at Safeway and Mayo Clinic are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average staff pharmacist salary at companies like Vons and Smith's Food and Drug are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Safeway$140,931$67.76
2Mayo Clinic$139,674$67.15
3Vons$136,853$65.79
4Smith's Food and Drug$135,533$65.16
5Hannaford Supermarkets$135,411$65.10
6Rite Aid$135,401$65.10
7Amazon$135,142$64.97
8H-E-B$134,729$64.77
9Walmart$134,724$64.77
10Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32$134,291$64.56
11Albertsons Companies$133,589$64.23
12Kaleida Health$132,879$63.88
13Harris Teeter$131,999$63.46
14Albertsons$131,330$63.14
15Save Mart Supermarkets$131,064$63.01
16Raley's$130,491$62.74
17UCSF Health$130,082$62.54
18Kroger$129,386$62.20
19University of Maryland Medical System$128,944$61.99
20Carlsbad Medical Center$128,191$61.63

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$96,000$95,400$94,800$94,200$93,600$93,000
MaleFemale

Staff pharmacist salary trends

The average staff pharmacist salary has risen by $14,145 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average staff pharmacist earned $104,699 annually, but today, they earn $118,844 a year. That works out to a 5% change in pay for staff pharmacists over the last decade.

Compare staff pharmacist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average staff pharmacist salary over time

Compare staff pharmacist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Staff pharmacist salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2026$119,000$57.14+0.5%
2025$118,000$56.86+1.5%
2024$116,000$55.99+1.5%
2023$115,000$55.12+1.6%
2022$113,000$54.26+0.6%

Recently added staff pharmacist salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Guardian PharmacyStaff PharmacistSalt Lake City, UT06/30/2025$99,840
Essentia HealthStaff Pharmacist Prescription Service Center (Mail Order)Superior, WI06/29/2025$94,773
SearhcStaff Pharmacist HotWrangell, AK06/29/2025$130,771
CVS HealthStaff PharmacistBessemer, AL06/28/2025$125,220
CVS HealthStaff PharmacistWashington, DC06/28/2025$135,655
CVS HealthStaff PharmacistMinneapolis, MN06/28/2025$125,220
Wal-MartStaff PharmacistSioux City, IA06/28/2025$98,000
Wal-Mart(USA) Staff PharmacistLeominster, MA06/28/2025$98,000
Wal-MartStaff PharmacistBoise, ID06/28/2025$98,000
Wal-MartStaff PharmacistLas Cruces, NM06/28/2025$98,000

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