Pharmacist Salary & Career Overview

Pharmacy careers carry a lot of responsibility. Since pharmacists operate behind the scenes, people don't always realize how much we trust and rely upon their expertise. Similar to an air-traffic controller, a pharmacist operates with little room for error. Any miscalculation for a pharmacist could spell disaster for a patient; a prescription error could cause an overdose or devastating allergic reaction. Because of this, those who choose pharmacy careers are often highly detail-oriented and have a desire to help others.

While pharmacy careers carry a lot of responsibility, they also bring great reward. In addition to the personal satisfaction of helping others, those who are willing to shoulder the responsibilities of pharmacy careers pocket a sizable pharmacist salary. For the typical pharmacist, salary starts out high and continues to increase along with greater experience and expertise. As the Pharmacist Salary by Experience chart demonstrates, the median starting salary for pharmacist is around $81,000. After 20 years in a pharmacy career, the median pharmacist salary reaches to over $100,000. Given this pharmacist salary data, it's no wonder people are attracted to pharmacy careers. As an added bonus, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that pharmacy careers will grow by 22 percent over the next 10 years, offering increased opportunities for those entering the field.

Pharmacist Salary by Industry

The outlook for pharmacy careers remains positive throughout the industry, partly due to the expected increase in prescription drug use as the national population ages. If you take a look at the Pharmacist Salary Data by Industry, you'll notice that a pharmacist salary is competitive across the board. That said, the industry chart also shows that choosing to work in certain settings provides a significant boost to median pharmacist salaries. For example, the pharmaceutical industry is at the bottom end of the spectrum, with the median salary for pharmacist falling just below $83,000. And the highest pharmacist salaries are found in the retail industry, with the median pharmacist salary reaching over $97,000. Of course, these are median figures and most industry employers, including hospitals and drugstore chains, offer pharmacist salaries falling anywhere from $90,000 to over $100,000. View the Pharmacist Salary by Employer Name chart to see which employers are offering the highest pharmacist salaries.

Pharmacist Salary Story

Researching pharmacist salary data can only provide so much insight into pharmacy careers. To find out more about what it's really like to be a pharmacist, read "Pharmacist Salary: The Right Career Prescription" over in the Salary Stories blog. Pharmacist Laura Pizzi gives her advice on how to become a pharmacist, what to expect from the typical pharmacist salary and more.