Pharmacists: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $129,380–$161,840. 321,970 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
98% hold a bachelor's or higher. Those with one: $127,677.
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 12,500 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Extensive preparation (usually a graduate degree).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Degrees that lead to this career
What workers ages 25-34 in this job studied, among those with a bachelor's or higher. This is what people actually did, not a requirement.
| Field of bachelor's degree | Share | Degree pages |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences And Administration | 24% | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration |
| Biology | 20% | Biology |
| Chemistry | 6% | Chemistry |
| Biochemical Sciences | 5% | Biochemistry |
| Nursing | 4% | Nursing |
| Psychology | 3% | Psychology |
| Physical Fitness Parks Recreation And Leisure | 3% | Kinesiology / Exercise Science · Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies |
| General Medical And Health Services | 3% | Health Sciences |
| Health And Medical Preparatory Programs | 2% | Pre-Med / Pre-Health |
| Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science | 2% | Biological and Physical Sciences |
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata (ages 25-34, employed, bachelor's or higher; top 10 fields); EducationGuide calculation.
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $167,310 |
| Oregon | $165,960 |
| California | $164,610 |
| Hawaii | $163,220 |
| Washington | $160,610 |
| Minnesota | $159,740 |
| Colorado | $156,030 |
| District of Columbia | $153,400 |
| Delaware | $152,880 |
| Wisconsin | $148,740 |
| New Mexico | $147,000 |
| Arizona | $146,930 |
| South Dakota | $146,790 |
| Idaho | $144,900 |
| Indiana | $144,290 |
| Utah | $144,240 |
| Virginia | $144,060 |
| New Hampshire | $143,020 |
| New York | $142,090 |
| Montana | $142,080 |
| North Dakota | $142,040 |
| Connecticut | $141,290 |
| Maine | $140,930 |
| Nevada | $140,030 |
| Wyoming | $139,550 |
| Nebraska | $139,330 |
| Illinois | $139,080 |
| Maryland | $138,990 |
| Iowa | $138,860 |
| North Carolina | $138,860 |
| Texas | $138,260 |
| Massachusetts | $138,170 |
| Pennsylvania | $138,160 |
| Michigan | $137,860 |
| Kansas | $137,800 |
| New Jersey | $137,620 |
| Missouri | $137,610 |
| Georgia | $137,120 |
| Ohio | $137,020 |
| Kentucky | $136,530 |
| Vermont | $136,270 |
| Arkansas | $136,060 |
| Florida | $135,970 |
| South Carolina | $135,700 |
| Oklahoma | $135,140 |
| VI | $134,970 |
| Alabama | $134,630 |
| West Virginia | $133,430 |
| Tennessee | $133,390 |
| Mississippi | $133,230 |
| Louisiana | $132,410 |
| GU | $129,090 |
| Rhode Island | $128,180 |
| PR | $111,270 |
Florida metro areas
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach$135,210
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater$137,990
- Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford$135,010
- Jacksonville$138,990
- North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota$138,760
- Cape Coral-Fort Myers$134,880
- Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent$132,560
- Gainesville$129,260
Virginia metro areas
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria$150,540
- Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk$136,280
- Richmond$144,940
- Kingsport-Bristol$133,270
- Roanoke$133,980
- Charlottesville$142,220
- Lynchburg$144,090
- Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford$131,740
California metro areas
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$157,440
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont$177,410
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$161,870
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad$165,130
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom$172,680
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$199,040
- Fresno$169,160
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$160,430
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Knowledge used
- Medicine and Dentistry
- English Language
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Integrity
- Cautiousness
- Cooperation
People in this job tend to have Investigative (analytical), Social (helping), Conventional (organizing) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Pharmacists: questions
How much do pharmacists make?
Pharmacists earn a U.S. median $140,910 a year; the middle half earn $129,380 to $161,840 (BLS, May 2025). Workers ages 25-34 in this job earn a median $126,906 (Census ACS 2020-2024).
Is pharmacists a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 5.2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,500 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be a pharmacist?
BLS lists the typical entry education as doctoral or professional degree. In O*NET's survey, 98% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required. Among workers ages 25-34 with a bachelor's, the most common field of degree is pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences And Administration (24%).
How much do pharmacists make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $135,970 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $140,910 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 29-1051. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Pharmacists: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/pharmacists.