SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 29-1051.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $99,290 | $8,274 | $1,909 | $47.73 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $129,380 | $10,782 | $2,488 | $62.20 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $140,910 | $11,742 | $2,710 | $67.75 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $161,840 | $13,487 | $3,112 | $77.81 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $174,230 | $14,519 | $3,351 | $83.77 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Pharmacists is $140,910, which is 176% higher. Among the 71 occupations of the field Healthcare Practitioners and Technical, it ranks number 26 by median pay. With 321,970 jobs, it makes up about 21 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Pharmacists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($167,310), Oregon ($165,960) and California ($164,610). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($111,270), Rhode Island ($128,180) and Guam ($129,090). The most jobs were in California (34,030), Texas (24,700) and Florida (21,540). The occupation is most concentrated in West Virginia, where its share of all jobs is 1.6 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 560 | $167,310 | $161,220 | $80.44 |
| Oregon | 3,250 | $165,960 | $159,230 | $79.79 |
| California | 34,030 | $164,610 | $162,340 | $79.14 |
| Hawaii | 1,190 | $163,220 | $153,220 | $78.47 |
| Washington | 7,350 | $160,610 | $159,100 | $77.22 |
| Minnesota | 6,310 | $159,740 | $147,060 | $76.80 |
| Colorado | 4,560 | $156,030 | $150,510 | $75.01 |
| District of Columbia | 850 | $153,400 | $144,970 | $73.75 |
| Delaware | 790 | $152,880 | $147,290 | $73.50 |
| Wisconsin | 5,730 | $148,740 | $146,010 | $71.51 |
| New Mexico | 1,730 | $147,000 | $143,050 | $70.67 |
| Arizona | 6,900 | $146,930 | $142,330 | $70.64 |
| South Dakota | 1,280 | $146,790 | $142,330 | $70.57 |
| Idaho | 1,790 | $144,900 | $139,410 | $69.66 |
| Indiana | 6,430 | $144,290 | $140,030 | $69.37 |
| Utah | 2,830 | $144,240 | $138,140 | $69.34 |
| Virginia | 7,980 | $144,060 | $141,990 | $69.26 |
| New Hampshire | 1,130 | $143,020 | $140,720 | $68.76 |
| New York | 19,760 | $142,090 | $140,260 | $68.31 |
| Montana | 1,190 | $142,080 | $137,160 | $68.31 |
| North Dakota | 1,070 | $142,040 | $137,110 | $68.29 |
| Connecticut | 3,490 | $141,290 | $139,150 | $67.93 |
| Maine | 1,380 | $140,930 | $138,430 | $67.75 |
| Nevada | 2,500 | $140,030 | $139,530 | $67.32 |
| Wyoming | 510 | $139,550 | $139,830 | $67.09 |
| Nebraska | 2,450 | $139,330 | $136,260 | $66.99 |
| Illinois | 12,070 | $139,080 | $138,070 | $66.86 |
| Maryland | 5,400 | $138,990 | $140,730 | $66.82 |
| Iowa | 3,230 | $138,860 | $138,340 | $66.76 |
| North Carolina | 11,430 | $138,860 | $137,990 | $66.76 |
| Texas | 24,700 | $138,260 | $137,510 | $66.47 |
| Massachusetts | 7,230 | $138,170 | $138,660 | $66.43 |
| Pennsylvania | 14,090 | $138,160 | $138,740 | $66.42 |
| Michigan | 8,780 | $137,860 | $135,380 | $66.28 |
| Kansas | 3,500 | $137,800 | $136,170 | $66.25 |
| New Jersey | 9,420 | $137,620 | $141,350 | $66.16 |
| Missouri | 6,740 | $137,610 | $137,030 | $66.16 |
| Georgia | 10,530 | $137,120 | $136,660 | $65.92 |
| Ohio | 12,790 | $137,020 | $132,420 | $65.87 |
| Kentucky | 5,030 | $136,530 | $136,480 | $65.64 |
| Vermont | 530 | $136,270 | $140,780 | $65.52 |
| Arkansas | 2,900 | $136,060 | $135,780 | $65.41 |
| Florida | 21,540 | $135,970 | $130,190 | $65.37 |
| South Carolina | 5,320 | $135,700 | $136,730 | $65.24 |
| Oklahoma | 3,610 | $135,140 | $133,630 | $64.97 |
| Virgin Islands | 50 | $134,970 | $128,030 | $64.89 |
| Alabama | 5,400 | $134,630 | $132,750 | $64.72 |
| West Virginia | 2,260 | $133,430 | $131,300 | $64.15 |
| Tennessee | 8,250 | $133,390 | $131,270 | $64.13 |
| Mississippi | 3,050 | $133,230 | $130,320 | $64.05 |
| Louisiana | 5,610 | $132,410 | $130,490 | $63.66 |
| Guam | 70 | $129,090 | $126,420 | $62.06 |
| Rhode Island | 1,510 | $128,180 | $123,300 | $61.63 |
| Puerto Rico | 2,220 | $111,270 | $103,470 | $53.50 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Dentists, General$170,950 a year
- Podiatrists$160,300 a year
- Medical Dosimetrists$147,470 a year
- Optometrists$136,570 a year
- Physician Assistants$135,880 a year
- Nurse Midwives$134,040 a year
Common questions
How much do Pharmacists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $140,910 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $99,290 and the highest-paid 10% more than $174,230.
How many people work as Pharmacists?
About 321,970 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.
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