How Much Do Pharmacists Make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the pharmacists earn $128,710 or $61.88 per hour on average. To place this into perspective, the median salary of workers during the same year was $41,950. This equates to pharmacists earning more than triple that of the average worker in the United States. 

Do Pharmacists Get Paid Well?

Pharmacists earn extremely well given the data that pharmacists are paid more than thrice the standard worker in the United States. Alaska and California are two of the highest paying destinations for pharmacists providing a yearly salary of $147,040 and $146,070, respectively.

The top three metropolitan areas that offer the highest yearly salaries are Madera, CA ($165,350); Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA ($162,540); and Vallejo, Fairfield, CA ($161,120).  

How Much Do Pharmacists Get Paid Starting Out?

The BLS data states that no on-the-job Training and work experience is required for starting pharmacists. 

However, BLS indicates that the lower 25% of the estimated annual mean wage for pharmacists is $112,690 or $54.18 while the lower 10% is estimated at $85,210 or $40.96 which are still more than twice the median of the average worker.   

How Many Pharmacists Are There In The United States?

BLS estimates that there are about 315,470 professional pharmacists in the US that account for about 1.1% of the total employment. The three states with the highest employment levels in pharmacists are California, Texas, and Florida. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago are the metropolitan areas with the highest level of employment for pharmacists. 

Is Going to Pharmacy School Worth It?

To become a licensed pharmacist, one must finish a 4-year professional degree, obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), and pass two licensure examinations. The degree of difficulty and the hard work it entails requires diligence and dedication to the profession and the cause. 

Every career is worthwhile and every process of going through a formal educational process to attain a profession is worth it. The passion to contribute to society through assisting in the dispensing of prescription medication, through providing proper medication information to patients, and all the responsibilities of a pharmacist must be atop the priority and interest of an aspiring pharmacist.  

Because of the pharmaceutical industry’s importance in society and the health sector, the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) provide board certification for the most qualified in the field; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) was established to assist in the creation and regulation of education and licensure standards among aspiring pharmacists for the protection of the public health; and a professional organization of pharmacists, American Pharmacists Association (APhA), was founded. You can view the BPS page for more board information.

To search for pharmacist job opportunities in the US and around your area of residence, visit HealthJob’s pharmacist job board.