Pharmacist Salary by State
How much pharmacists earn in each state. SOC code 29-1051 (Pharmacists). Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025.
- National median wage$140,910Half earn more, half less
- National mean wage$140,920Average of all workers
- Median hourly wage$67.75Mean $67.75/hour
- U.S. employment321,970Wage & salary jobs
- Top-paying stateCalifornia$162,340 mean
- States with data51 / 51Others not published by BLS
How much do pharmacists make?
Nationally, pharmacists earn a median of $140,910 a year and a mean of $140,920 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle half of the occupation earns between $129,380 (25th percentile) and $161,840 (75th percentile); the bottom 10% earn under $99,290 and the top 10% more than $174,230.
That median is 2.8× the median for all U.S. occupations ($50,980).
By state, the mean wage ranges from $162,340 in California (highest) to $123,300 in Rhode Island (lowest). After adjusting the median for each state’s price level, South Dakota comes out on top at $165,677 in national-average dollars.
National pay distribution
| Percentile | Annual | Monthly | Hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $99,290 | $8,274 | $47.73 |
| 25th | $129,380 | $10,782 | $62.20 |
| Median | $140,910 | $11,742 | $67.75 |
| 75th | $161,840 | $13,487 | $77.81 |
| 90th | $174,230 | $14,519 | $83.77 |
| Mean | $140,920 | $11,743 | $67.75 |
25th and 75th percentile hourly figures are annual ÷ 2,080 hours.
Pharmacist salary in every state
Click a column heading to sort. Adjusted median = median × 100 ÷ BEA regional price parity (2024).
| State | Mean wage | Median wage | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Adjusted median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $162,340 | $164,610 | $79.14 | $90,560 | $213,820 | $148,699 | 34,030 |
| Alaska | $161,220 | $167,310 | $80.44 | $133,830 | $196,020 | $163,389 | 560 |
| Oregon | $159,230 | $165,960 | $79.79 | $126,040 | $193,860 | $160,503 | 3,250 |
| Washington | $159,100 | $160,610 | $77.22 | $126,230 | $205,210 | $150,103 | 7,350 |
| Hawaii | $153,220 | $163,220 | $78.47 | $127,410 | $177,290 | $148,382 | 1,190 |
| Colorado | $150,510 | $156,030 | $75.01 | $120,410 | $188,430 | $151,339 | 4,560 |
| Delaware | $147,290 | $152,880 | $73.50 | $103,170 | $178,760 | $153,186 | 790 |
| Minnesota | $147,060 | $159,740 | $76.80 | $98,150 | $174,660 | $162,008 | 6,310 |
| Wisconsin | $146,010 | $148,740 | $71.51 | $112,020 | $178,090 | $158,066 | 5,730 |
| District of Columbia | $144,970 | $153,400 | $73.75 | $64,870 | $196,080 | $139,581 | 850 |
| New Mexico | $143,050 | $147,000 | $70.67 | $103,500 | $174,200 | $159,436 | 1,730 |
| Arizona | $142,330 | $146,930 | $70.64 | $103,490 | $171,660 | $145,909 | 6,900 |
| South Dakota | $142,330 | $146,790 | $70.57 | $112,200 | $166,340 | $165,677 | 1,280 |
| Virginia | $141,990 | $144,060 | $69.26 | $106,800 | $173,550 | $142,493 | 7,980 |
| New Jersey | $141,350 | $137,620 | $66.16 | $112,560 | $172,110 | $126,489 | 9,420 |
| Vermont | $140,780 | $136,270 | $65.52 | $117,860 | $164,370 | $139,051 | 530 |
| Maryland | $140,730 | $138,990 | $66.82 | $115,860 | $169,890 | $132,371 | 5,400 |
| New Hampshire | $140,720 | $143,020 | $68.76 | $98,870 | $170,030 | $137,255 | 1,130 |
| New York | $140,260 | $142,090 | $68.31 | $92,910 | $174,550 | $131,687 | 19,760 |
| Indiana | $140,030 | $144,290 | $69.37 | $107,050 | $169,360 | $154,652 | 6,430 |
| Wyoming | $139,830 | $139,550 | $67.09 | $115,820 | $168,450 | $150,539 | 510 |
| Nevada | $139,530 | $140,030 | $67.32 | $104,000 | $168,600 | $140,030 | 2,500 |
| Idaho | $139,410 | $144,900 | $69.66 | $102,180 | $164,050 | $151,728 | 1,790 |
| Connecticut | $139,150 | $141,290 | $67.93 | $106,660 | $165,360 | $136,380 | 3,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $138,740 | $138,160 | $66.42 | $112,750 | $163,570 | $141,557 | 14,090 |
| Massachusetts | $138,660 | $138,170 | $66.43 | $113,710 | $164,500 | $130,595 | 7,230 |
| Maine | $138,430 | $140,930 | $67.75 | $101,360 | $166,810 | $145,289 | 1,380 |
| Iowa | $138,340 | $138,860 | $66.76 | $117,450 | $164,520 | $158,155 | 3,230 |
| Utah | $138,140 | $144,240 | $69.34 | $70,260 | $172,440 | $145,844 | 2,830 |
| Illinois | $138,070 | $139,080 | $66.86 | $98,970 | $169,430 | $139,080 | 12,070 |
| North Carolina | $137,990 | $138,860 | $66.76 | $101,670 | $169,820 | $147,253 | 11,430 |
| Texas | $137,510 | $138,260 | $66.47 | $95,950 | $170,170 | $142,389 | 24,700 |
| Montana | $137,160 | $142,080 | $68.31 | $98,660 | $165,260 | $150,190 | 1,190 |
| North Dakota | $137,110 | $142,040 | $68.29 | $105,490 | $167,940 | $159,596 | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $137,030 | $137,610 | $66.16 | $107,530 | $166,840 | $151,553 | 6,740 |
| South Carolina | $136,730 | $135,700 | $65.24 | $82,430 | $170,270 | $144,824 | 5,320 |
| Georgia | $136,660 | $137,120 | $65.92 | $100,950 | $170,110 | $142,388 | 10,530 |
| Kentucky | $136,480 | $136,530 | $65.64 | $84,280 | $168,940 | $151,364 | 5,030 |
| Nebraska | $136,260 | $139,330 | $66.99 | $84,990 | $170,090 | $154,639 | 2,450 |
| Kansas | $136,170 | $137,800 | $66.25 | $78,770 | $169,310 | $152,941 | 3,500 |
| Arkansas | $135,780 | $136,060 | $65.41 | $105,560 | $164,940 | $156,571 | 2,900 |
| Michigan | $135,380 | $137,860 | $66.28 | $101,740 | $168,540 | $143,306 | 8,780 |
| Oklahoma | $133,630 | $135,140 | $64.97 | $100,320 | $162,070 | $153,918 | 3,610 |
| Alabama | $132,750 | $134,630 | $64.72 | $90,010 | $161,940 | $151,610 | 5,400 |
| Ohio | $132,420 | $137,020 | $65.87 | $65,470 | $165,900 | $147,651 | 12,790 |
| West Virginia | $131,300 | $133,430 | $64.15 | $80,900 | $166,020 | $149,084 | 2,260 |
| Tennessee | $131,270 | $133,390 | $64.13 | $88,700 | $164,430 | $145,147 | 8,250 |
| Louisiana | $130,490 | $132,410 | $63.66 | $100,920 | $156,740 | $150,125 | 5,610 |
| Mississippi | $130,320 | $133,230 | $64.05 | $97,260 | $158,230 | $153,138 | 3,050 |
| Florida | $130,190 | $135,970 | $65.37 | $56,000 | $166,310 | $131,499 | 21,540 |
| Rhode Island | $123,300 | $128,180 | $61.63 | $86,650 | $161,090 | $125,298 | 1,510 |
Highest median pay
- Alaska — $167,310
- Oregon — $165,960
- California — $164,610
- Hawaii — $163,220
- Washington — $160,610
Lowest median pay
- Rhode Island — $128,180
- Louisiana — $132,410
- Mississippi — $133,230
- Tennessee — $133,390
- West Virginia — $133,430
Best pay after cost of living
- South Dakota — $165,677
- Alaska — $163,389
- Minnesota — $162,008
- Oregon — $160,503
- North Dakota — $159,596
The most pharmacists work in California (34,030 jobs), Texas and Florida.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pharmacist make?
The national median wage for pharmacists is $140,910 a year and the mean is $140,920, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates.
Which state pays pharmacists the most?
California has the highest mean wage for pharmacists at $162,340, and Alaska has the highest median at $167,310.
Which state pays pharmacists the least?
Rhode Island has the lowest mean wage for pharmacists among states with published data, at $123,300.
Where do pharmacists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state’s median wage by its BEA price level, South Dakota ranks first at $165,677 in national-average dollars, followed by Alaska and Minnesota.