Pharmacist earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level pharmacist earnings begin at:

$72.65 per hour

$151,120 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level pharmacist earnings begin at:

$62.44 per hour

$129,880 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level pharmacist earnings begin at:

$55.45 per hour

$115,340 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level pharmacist earnings begin at:

$43.31 per hour

$90,090 per year

10th percentile

Starting level pharmacist earnings begin at:

$13.52 per hour

$28,130 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Pharmacist salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Puerto Rico $92,450
Alaska $144,670
California $144,660
Vermont $139,970
Oregon $137,620
Minnesota $136,540
Maine $135,510
Wisconsin $131,450
Washington $130,250
New Hampshire $129,410
Missouri $129,000
Nevada $128,290
Texas $128,260
Virginia $128,260
Arizona $127,800
New Mexico $127,610
Colorado $127,490
North Carolina $127,250
South Carolina $126,670
District of Columbia $126,110
Delaware $125,530
Tennessee $125,400
Mississippi $124,770
New York $124,220
Illinois $123,430
Idaho $123,120
West Virginia $122,980
Connecticut $122,767
Utah $122,730
Florida $122,540
Georgia $122,460
Kentucky $122,450
Maryland $122,450
Michigan $122,320
Wyoming $122,250
Rhode Island $122,170
Hawaii $121,780
Ohio $121,770
Nebraska $121,390
Kansas $120,730
Arkansas $120,641
Massachusetts $120,250
Alabama $120,211
Virgin Islands, U.S. $119,680
Louisiana $119,370
New Jersey $119,330
Oklahoma $119,120
Guam $118,510
South Dakota $118,140
Montana $117,580
Indiana $116,951
Iowa $116,160
North Dakota $115,340
Pennsylvania $111,019

How much does a Pharmacist earn?

According to Drug Topics' 2015 Salary Survey, the financial picture for pharmacists remains relatively positive. Over half of the respondents in the survey say that their pharmacist salary is based on an hourly wage - 44.1% of hourly employees report making between $50 and $60 each hour.

Compensation for salaried employees may also be on the rise. In 2013, 12% reported earning $141,000 or more each year. That number has grown to 14.4% this year. A greater percentage (42.6%) of salaried employees, however, report earning between $116,000 and $140,000 each year, with an additional 18.6% of salaried pharmacists making somewhere between $101,000 and $115,000.

Do Men or Women Earn More?

Being a pharmacist offers a six-figure salary - and the pay is nearly equal for men and women. "The position of pharmacist is probably the most egalitarian of all U.S. professions today," Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz wrote in a paper on the subject they published in September.

Women make up slightly more than 50% of all full-time pharmacists, according to Census data collected in 2011. Once you factor in pharmacists that work part-time, they make up around 55% of the profession. Full-time female pharmacists earned a median salary of $111,000 in 2011, about 92 cents to the dollar of their male counterparts.

Pharmacist Compensation by Geographical Region

Pharmacist salaries vary significantly depending on geographical location. According to the BLS (2015), the highest paying states are Alaska ($138,910), California ($135,750), New Hampshire ($128,490), Maine ($125,340), and Vermont ($123.650).

How do pharmacist salaries compare to similar careers?

Pharmacists earn about the same as related careers in North Dakota. On average, they make less than audiologists but more than informatics nurse specialists.

Career Median Salary
Audiologist salary $119K
Health services manager salary $100K
Anesthesiologist assistant salary $104K
Physician assistant salary $104K
Nurse practitioner salary $105K
Pharmacist salary $115K
Counseling psychologist salary $84K
Clinical psychologist salary $84K
Physical therapist salary $78K
Informatics nurse specialist salary $73K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)