Pharmacists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for pharmacistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $140,920 ≈ $68/hr
National median salary $140,910
Total employment 321,970 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +4.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings 14,200 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 335,100 → 350,500 (+15,400)
Typical entry education Doctoral or professional degree
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$162,340
- Alaska$161,220
- Oregon$159,230
- Washington$159,100
- Hawaii$153,220
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Rhode Island$123,300
- Florida$130,190
- Mississippi$130,320
- Louisiana$130,490
- Tennessee$131,270
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $162,340 | $164,610 | $78 | +15.2% | 34,030 |
| 2 | Alaska | $161,220 | $167,310 | $78 | +14.4% | 560 |
| 3 | Oregon | $159,230 | $165,960 | $77 | +13% | 3,250 |
| 4 | Washington | $159,100 | $160,610 | $76 | +12.9% | 7,350 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $153,220 | $163,220 | $74 | +8.7% | 1,190 |
| 6 | Colorado | $150,510 | $156,030 | $72 | +6.8% | 4,560 |
| 7 | Delaware | $147,290 | $152,880 | $71 | +4.5% | 790 |
| 8 | Minnesota | $147,060 | $159,740 | $71 | +4.4% | 6,310 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $146,010 | $148,740 | $70 | +3.6% | 5,730 |
| 10 | District of Columbia | $144,970 | $153,400 | $70 | +2.9% | 850 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $143,050 | $147,000 | $69 | +1.5% | 1,730 |
| 12 | Arizona | $142,330 | $146,930 | $68 | +1% | 6,900 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $142,330 | $146,790 | $68 | +1% | 1,280 |
| 14 | Virginia | $141,990 | $144,060 | $68 | +0.8% | 7,980 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $141,350 | $137,620 | $68 | +0.3% | 9,420 |
| 16 | Vermont | $140,780 | $136,270 | $68 | -0.1% | 530 |
| 17 | Maryland | $140,730 | $138,990 | $68 | -0.1% | 5,400 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $140,720 | $143,020 | $68 | -0.1% | 1,130 |
| 19 | New York | $140,260 | $142,090 | $67 | -0.5% | 19,760 |
| 20 | Indiana | $140,030 | $144,290 | $67 | -0.6% | 6,430 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $139,830 | $139,550 | $67 | -0.8% | 510 |
| 22 | Nevada | $139,530 | $140,030 | $67 | -1% | 2,500 |
| 23 | Idaho | $139,410 | $144,900 | $67 | -1.1% | 1,790 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $139,150 | $141,290 | $67 | -1.3% | 3,490 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania | $138,740 | $138,160 | $67 | -1.5% | 14,090 |
| 26 | Massachusetts | $138,660 | $138,170 | $67 | -1.6% | 7,230 |
| 27 | Maine | $138,430 | $140,930 | $67 | -1.8% | 1,380 |
| 28 | Iowa | $138,340 | $138,860 | $67 | -1.8% | 3,230 |
| 29 | Utah | $138,140 | $144,240 | $66 | -2% | 2,830 |
| 30 | Illinois | $138,070 | $139,080 | $66 | -2% | 12,070 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $137,990 | $138,860 | $66 | -2.1% | 11,430 |
| 32 | Texas | $137,510 | $138,260 | $66 | -2.4% | 24,700 |
| 33 | Montana | $137,160 | $142,080 | $66 | -2.7% | 1,190 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $137,110 | $142,040 | $66 | -2.7% | 1,070 |
| 35 | Missouri | $137,030 | $137,610 | $66 | -2.8% | 6,740 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $136,730 | $135,700 | $66 | -3% | 5,320 |
| 37 | Georgia | $136,660 | $137,120 | $66 | -3% | 10,530 |
| 38 | Kentucky | $136,480 | $136,530 | $66 | -3.2% | 5,030 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $136,260 | $139,330 | $66 | -3.3% | 2,450 |
| 40 | Kansas | $136,170 | $137,800 | $65 | -3.4% | 3,500 |
| 41 | Arkansas | $135,780 | $136,060 | $65 | -3.6% | 2,900 |
| 42 | Michigan | $135,380 | $137,860 | $65 | -3.9% | 8,780 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $133,630 | $135,140 | $64 | -5.2% | 3,610 |
| 44 | Alabama | $132,750 | $134,630 | $64 | -5.8% | 5,400 |
| 45 | Ohio | $132,420 | $137,020 | $64 | -6% | 12,790 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $131,300 | $133,430 | $63 | -6.8% | 2,260 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $131,270 | $133,390 | $63 | -6.8% | 8,250 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $130,490 | $132,410 | $63 | -7.4% | 5,610 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $130,320 | $133,230 | $63 | -7.5% | 3,050 |
| 50 | Florida | $130,190 | $135,970 | $63 | -7.6% | 21,540 |
| 51 | Rhode Island | $123,300 | $128,180 | $59 | -12.5% | 1,510 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 519 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa, CA | $200,580 | $186,750 | 180 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $199,040 | $190,370 | 1,960 |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $177,410 | $184,540 | 3,670 |
| 4 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $173,340 | $171,050 | 50 |
| 5 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $172,860 | $168,490 | 240 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $172,680 | $169,660 | 2,310 |
| 7 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $172,630 | $170,930 | 70 |
| 8 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $172,080 | $173,230 | 150 |
| 9 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $171,900 | $163,300 | 90 |
| 10 | Vallejo, CA | $170,870 | $169,600 | 350 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing pharmacistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $171,320 | $171,130 | 110 |
| 2 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $171,320 | $171,130 | 110 |
| 3 | Outpatient Care Centers | $170,700 | $166,820 | 7,030 |
| 4 | Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles | $169,940 | $179,390 | 40 |
| 5 | Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds | $169,940 | $179,390 | 40 |
| 6 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $169,810 | $153,170 | 610 |
| 7 | Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly | $168,820 | $164,280 | 80 |
| 8 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $167,510 | $167,200 | 970 |
| 9 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $162,800 | $146,080 | — |
| 10 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $161,620 | $158,960 | 7,240 |
| 11 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $161,620 | $158,170 | 5,660 |
| 12 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $158,330 | $157,100 | 9,350 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Workforce Snapshot
Employment 2014→2023 +31.2% 321,500 → 421,722
Average age43.7
Avg hours / week34.4
Gender split (2023) 60.7% / 39.3% women / men
SUPPLEMENTARY ONLY. Salary of record is BLS OEWS (pharmacist.json). ACS self-reported wages run lower; use for employment trend, age, hours, gender split.
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do pharmacists make in the U.S.?
The median pharmacists salary in the United States is $140,910 per year (mean $140,920), and about 80% earn between $99,290 and $174,230.
How much do pharmacists make per hour?
Roughly $68 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $140,920 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays pharmacists the most?
California has the highest average pay for pharmacists at $162,340 per year (median $164,610).
What is the job outlook for pharmacists?
Employment is projected to change +4.6% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 14,200 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.
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