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How Much Does a Pharmacist Make?

A pharmacist in the US earns a median salary of $140,910 a year, or $67.75 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $140,920, and the middle half earn between $129,380 and $161,840.

Median a year $140,910
Median an hour $67.75
Median a month $11,743
Average a year $140,920

Pharmacist pay range

What pharmacists earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $99,290 $47.73
25th $129,380 $62.20
Median (50th) $140,910 $67.75
75th $161,840 $77.81
90th (top 10%) $174,230 $83.77

The median is 176% more than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 321,970 people work as pharmacists in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$2,710
Every two weeks
$5,420
Twice a month
$5,871
A month
$11,743

At the median salary, before tax.

Pharmacist salary by state

Sorted by average pay. California pays pharmacists the most, at $162,340 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
California $162,340 $164,610 34,030 After tax
Alaska $161,220 $167,310 560 After tax
Oregon $159,230 $165,960 3,250 After tax
Washington $159,100 $160,610 7,350 After tax
Hawaii $153,220 $163,220 1,190 After tax
Colorado $150,510 $156,030 4,560 After tax
Delaware $147,290 $152,880 790 After tax
Minnesota $147,060 $159,740 6,310 After tax
Wisconsin $146,010 $148,740 5,730 After tax
District of Columbia $144,970 $153,400 850 After tax
New Mexico $143,050 $147,000 1,730 After tax
Arizona $142,330 $146,930 6,900 After tax
South Dakota $142,330 $146,790 1,280 After tax
Virginia $141,990 $144,060 7,980 After tax
New Jersey $141,350 $137,620 9,420 After tax
Vermont $140,780 $136,270 530 After tax
Maryland $140,730 $138,990 5,400 After tax
New Hampshire $140,720 $143,020 1,130 After tax
New York $140,260 $142,090 19,760 After tax
Indiana $140,030 $144,290 6,430 After tax
Wyoming $139,830 $139,550 510 After tax
Nevada $139,530 $140,030 2,500 After tax
Idaho $139,410 $144,900 1,790 After tax
Connecticut $139,150 $141,290 3,490 After tax
Pennsylvania $138,740 $138,160 14,090 After tax
Massachusetts $138,660 $138,170 7,230 After tax
Maine $138,430 $140,930 1,380 After tax
Iowa $138,340 $138,860 3,230 After tax
Utah $138,140 $144,240 2,830 After tax
Illinois $138,070 $139,080 12,070 After tax
North Carolina $137,990 $138,860 11,430 After tax
Texas $137,510 $138,260 24,700 After tax
Montana $137,160 $142,080 1,190 After tax
North Dakota $137,110 $142,040 1,070 After tax
Missouri $137,030 $137,610 6,740 After tax
South Carolina $136,730 $135,700 5,320 After tax
Georgia $136,660 $137,120 10,530 After tax
Kentucky $136,480 $136,530 5,030 After tax
Nebraska $136,260 $139,330 2,450 After tax
Kansas $136,170 $137,800 3,500 After tax
Arkansas $135,780 $136,060 2,900 After tax
Michigan $135,380 $137,860 8,780 After tax
Oklahoma $133,630 $135,140 3,610 After tax
Alabama $132,750 $134,630 5,400 After tax
Ohio $132,420 $137,020 12,790 After tax
West Virginia $131,300 $133,430 2,260 After tax
Tennessee $131,270 $133,390 8,250 After tax
Louisiana $130,490 $132,410 5,610 After tax
Mississippi $130,320 $133,230 3,050 After tax
Florida $130,190 $135,970 21,540 After tax
Virgin Islands $128,030 $134,970 50
Guam $126,420 $129,090 70
Rhode Island $123,300 $128,180 1,510 After tax
Puerto Rico $103,470 $111,270 2,220

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other healthcare practitioners jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Pharmacists” (SOC 29-1051). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a pharmacist make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a pharmacist is $67.75, and the average is $67.75. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $47.73 an hour and the top 10% over $83.77.

How much does a pharmacist make a month?

At the median salary of $140,910, a pharmacist earns about $11,743 a month before tax, or $5,420 every two weeks.

Which state pays pharmacists the most?

California has the highest average pay for a pharmacist, at $162,340 a year. Next are Alaska and Oregon. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a pharmacist?

The lowest-paid 10% of pharmacists earn less than $99,290 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $129,380. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid pharmacists make?

The top 10% earn more than $174,230 a year, and the top 25% more than $161,840.