Pharmacist salaries in 2025: What you need to know before choosing this career
March 12, 2025
Interested in a lucrative healthcare career that helps people understand and safely take their medications? Consider becoming a pharmacist.
With average salaries in the six figures, these medical professionals enjoy some of the highest-paying healthcare careers that do not require obtaining an MD (although completion of pharmacy school and state licensures are needed in order to practice as a pharmacist).
Pharmacists are considered one of the most trusted medical professions in Gallup’s 2023 Annual Rating of Honesty and Ethics — only doctors and nurses rank higher.
These individuals provide critical support in a fast-paced setting and enjoy a stable career outlook, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pharmacists themselves describe their jobs as rewarding careers with room for growth and advancement. They work in a range of healthcare settings, from research labs to grocery stores and hospitals, and must have a strong background in math and science — including biology, chemistry, and physics — in order to understand medications, potential drug interactions, and how to accurately calculate dosages.
Careful attention to detail is a must; otherwise, patients could become ill or even die from taking the wrong amount of medicine.
Most pharmacists work full-time, and since medicine is dispensed around the clock, positions may require working night and evening shifts. Some pharmacists may also work overnight as 24-hour pharmacies have become prevalent across the U.S. in recent years.
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What do pharmacists do?
In a nutshell, pharmacists dispense prescription medications, but their job entails much more than that. They receive and verify physician instructions, fill prescriptions, and administer vaccines, like flu shots or Covid shots.
They also provide customer service to patients by educating them on how to safely take a drug, as well discussing any side effects and interactions new prescriptions might have with their other medications.
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Pharmacists typically stand at a pharmacy counter dispensing medications. They are often on the phone answering questions from patients or clarifying orders from doctors. In addition, they maintain patient records and drug inventories.
Managerial positions are available to pharmacists, and most require 3–5 years of experience. Pharmacists need a broad knowledge of medications and how they interact with other drugs, and they must stay up to date on new medications and treatments as they become available.
Types of pharmacists
Not all pharmacists work in pharmacies, however. Some work on clinical trials for new drugs or even in marketing and sales for pharmaceutical companies. Here are a few of the most common positions:
- Community pharmacists work in retail environments, like drug stores and grocery stores.
- Clinical pharmacists work in hospitals, assisted living facilities, and other healthcare settings (such as at diabetes clinics, where they teach patients how and when to take their medication, monitor their blood sugar, and eat healthily).
- Consultant pharmacists work with health insurers or at healthcare centers, providing guidance and advice on how to stay compliant with state and federal regulations.
- Pharmaceutical industry pharmacists work with patients on clinical drug trials, or they may provide guidance on broader issues such as safety regulations and quality control.
Can pharmacists prescribe medicine?
It depends on the state they are licensed in, but yes, some states allow pharmacists to prescribe medications independently or through a collaborative practice agreement, or CPA, with a healthcare provider. These pharmacists are known as prescribing pharmacists.
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Common types of medications they prescribe include Paxlovid for COVID-19, Naloxone or other opioid overdose remedies, birth control, HIV medication, and routine vaccinations.
How much do pharmacists make? 2025 salary data
The BLS reports that the median annual salary for pharmacists is $136,030; that means that half of all pharmacists make more, with the highest 10% topping out at more than $168,650, while half earn less, with the lowest 10% making just $89,980.
Pharmacy salaries depend significantly on location, with states that have higher costs of living paying more than other areas.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
The states that pay the most are located on the West Coast:
Top-paying states for pharmacist jobs
| State | Pharmacist jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
California |
35,980 |
$75.62 |
$157,280 |
|
Alaska |
520 |
$72.89 |
$151,600 |
|
Oregon |
3,710 |
$71.90 |
$149,550 |
|
Washington |
9,450 |
$71.42 |
$148,550 |
|
Minnesota |
6,250 |
$68.85 |
$143,210 |
What education and experience do pharmacists need?
Interested in becoming a pharmacist? You’ll need to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD.) from an accredited pharmacy school. These are three-to-four-year programs that cover science, pharmacology, and pharmacy law.
Candidates typically have undergraduate degrees in science, such as biology or chemistry, but those with just a high school diploma and an aptitude for science can bypass college altogether; instead, they can be accepted into six-year pharmacy school programs.
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After finishing pharmacy school, pharmacy candidates must pass two licensure exams: The North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX), and a state-specific test, called the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE).
Pharmacists are also required to complete a pharmacist training program, which is typically a one or two-year residency program that provides further training as well as research opportunities in fields like cardiology, internal medicine, and pediatrics.
Tom Werner/Getty Images
Is it hard to get into pharmacy school?
If you have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and score at least a 59 on the PCAT, which is the Pharmacy College Admission Test (it tests students on their critical thinking abilities as well as their scientific knowledge), then you have a great shot at getting into pharmacy school.
Acceptance rates in 2022 were as high as 87%.
2025 jobs outlook: Will pharmacists get replaced by AI?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has proven to be a gamechanger in the healthcare industry, helping to analyze large quantities of patient data, identify drug interactions, and manage inventories more efficiently.
But it’s unlikely that algorithms will ever replace the need for the personal touch a pharmacist provides — and in fact, the consequences of an automated medication error or misdiagnosis could cause patients untold harm.
In addition, generative AI cannot replicate human reasoning or respond to the legal and ethical considerations that often come with pharmacy jobs. For instance, the fact that AI is trained on historical data makes it inherently biased against underserved demographics, which had limited access to healthcare resources in the past.
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