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The national median salary for Pharmacists is $137,488 per year ($66.10/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $127,254 and $158,621 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $172,037 per year. There are approximately 328,870 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
126K
$131,640
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
93K
$149,490
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
24K
$138,130
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
21K
$145,210
Outpatient Care Centers
NAICS 621400
8K
$175,180
Wage range across top 5 industries: $131,640 to $175,180 (33% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$41.80
$86,944
P25
$61.18
$127,254
P50MEDIAN
$66.10
$137,488
P75
$76.26
$158,621
P90
$82.71
$172,037
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 $137,488 per year ($66.10/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $127,254 and $158,621 annually.
How much do top-earning pharmacists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Pharmacists is $172,037 per year ($82.71/hr). The 75th percentile is $158,621 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for pharmacists?
Entry-level Pharmacists (10th percentile) earn approximately $86,944 per year ($41.80/hr). The 25th percentile is $127,254 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 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.