Pharmacists
Dispense medications, check for interactions, and advise patients and doctors on drugs.
At a glance
Pay for Pharmacists centers on a $140,910 median, $73,720 above the typical occupation we cover, and 44% above the Healthcare Practitioners median. Next to Pharmacy Technicians, the median wage here is $95,160 higher. Projected employment change for 2025 to 2035 is +5.2%, 1.5 points above the typical occupation we cover. Hiring volume is roughly 12,500 openings a year. Typical entry-level education is a pharmacy doctorate plus a license. Modeled AI exposure for Pharmacists ranks at the 42nd percentile; displacement risk is very low and works-with-AI 37/100, closer to help than to displacement.
Related careers
Similar pay in Healthcare Practitioners
Key skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
Pay and jobs by state
BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's.
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 34,030 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $165k |
| Texas | 24,700 | 1.8 | 0.8× | $138k |
| Florida | 21,540 | 2.2 | 1.1× | $136k |
| New York | 19,760 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $142k |
| Pennsylvania | 14,090 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $138k |
| Ohio | 12,790 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $137k |
| Illinois | 12,070 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $139k |
| North Carolina | 11,430 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $139k |
| Georgia | 10,530 | 2.2 | 1.0× | $137k |
| New Jersey | 9,420 | 2.2 | 1.1× | $138k |
All 50 states and DC
| State | Jobs | Per 1,000 | vs national | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | 8,780 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $138k |
| Tennessee | 8,250 | 2.5 | 1.2× | $133k |
| Virginia | 7,980 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $144k |
| Washington | 7,350 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $161k |
| Massachusetts | 7,230 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $138k |
| Arizona | 6,900 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $147k |
| Missouri | 6,740 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $138k |
| Indiana | 6,430 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $144k |
| Minnesota | 6,310 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $160k |
| Wisconsin | 5,730 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $149k |
| Louisiana | 5,610 | 2.9 | 1.4× | $132k |
| Alabama | 5,400 | 2.6 | 1.2× | $135k |
| Maryland | 5,400 | 2.0 | 0.9× | $139k |
| South Carolina | 5,320 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $136k |
| Kentucky | 5,030 | 2.5 | 1.2× | $137k |
| Colorado | 4,560 | 1.6 | 0.8× | $156k |
| Oklahoma | 3,610 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $135k |
| Kansas | 3,500 | 2.4 | 1.2× | $138k |
| Connecticut | 3,490 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $141k |
| Oregon | 3,250 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $166k |
| Iowa | 3,230 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $139k |
| Mississippi | 3,050 | 2.6 | 1.3× | $133k |
| Arkansas | 2,900 | 2.2 | 1.1× | $136k |
| Utah | 2,830 | 1.6 | 0.8× | $144k |
| Nevada | 2,500 | 1.6 | 0.8× | $140k |
| Nebraska | 2,450 | 2.4 | 1.2× | $139k |
| West Virginia | 2,260 | 3.2 | 1.6× | $133k |
| Idaho | 1,790 | 2.1 | 1.0× | $145k |
| New Mexico | 1,730 | 2.0 | 1.0× | $147k |
| Rhode Island | 1,510 | 3.0 | 1.4× | $128k |
| Maine | 1,380 | 2.2 | 1.0× | $141k |
| South Dakota | 1,280 | 2.8 | 1.4× | $147k |
| Hawaii | 1,190 | 1.9 | 0.9× | $163k |
| Montana | 1,190 | 2.3 | 1.1× | $142k |
| New Hampshire | 1,130 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $143k |
| North Dakota | 1,070 | 2.5 | 1.2× | $142k |
| Washington DC | 850 | 1.2 | 0.6× | $153k |
| Delaware | 790 | 1.6 | 0.8× | $153k |
| Alaska | 560 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $167k |
| Vermont | 530 | 1.7 | 0.8× | $136k |
| Wyoming | 510 | 1.8 | 0.9× | $140k |
Top metro areas
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ20,000 jobs · $141k median
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA12,450 jobs · $157k median
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN8,930 jobs · $141k median
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX7,230 jobs · $138k median
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD6,460 jobs · $149k median
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX6,410 jobs · $140k median
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL6,150 jobs · $135k median
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA6,120 jobs · $140k median
Where this ranks
Explore Pharmacists interactively →Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.