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The national median salary for Pharmacists is $140,920 per year ($67.75/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $129,376 and $161,845 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $174,242 per year. There are approximately 321,970 pharmacists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.6%
Faster than average
Annual openings
14K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
335K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
11% from new growth89% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Health and Personal Care Retailers
NAICS 456100
122K
$132,940
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
96K
$157,440
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
21K
$151,370
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
20K
$144,000
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
9K
$151,380
Wage range across top 5 industries: $132,940 to $157,440 (18% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$47.73
$99,278
P25
$62.20
$129,376
P50MEDIAN
$67.75
$140,920
P75
$77.81
$161,845
P90
$83.77
$174,242
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average pharmacists salary?
The national median salary for Pharmacists is $140,920 per year ($67.75/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $129,376 and $161,845 annually.
How much do top-earning pharmacists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Pharmacists is $174,242 per year ($83.77/hr). The 75th percentile is $161,845 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for pharmacists?
Entry-level Pharmacists (10th percentile) earn approximately $99,278 per year ($47.73/hr). The 25th percentile is $129,376 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.