Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020
29-1051 Pharmacists
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.
National estimates for Pharmacists
Industry profile for Pharmacists
Geographic profile for Pharmacists
National estimates for Pharmacists:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Pharmacists:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 315,470 |
1.1 % |
$ 60.32 |
$ 125,460 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Pharmacists:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 40.96 |
$ 54.18 |
$ 61.88 |
$ 71.01 |
$ 79.32 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 85,210 |
$ 112,690 |
$ 128,710 |
$ 147,690 |
$ 164,980 |
Industry profile for Pharmacists:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Pharmacists are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Pharmacists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Pharmacists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Health and Personal Care Stores |
135,070 |
13.99 |
$ 59.07 |
$ 122,860 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
78,940 |
1.41 |
$ 61.69 |
$ 128,310 |
| Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) |
25,490 |
0.88 |
$ 59.67 |
$ 124,120 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) |
7,470 |
1.99 |
$ 59.84 |
$ 124,470 |
| Outpatient Care Centers |
6,820 |
0.71 |
$ 70.74 |
$ 147,130 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Pharmacists:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Health and Personal Care Stores |
135,070 |
13.99 |
$ 59.07 |
$ 122,860 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) |
7,470 |
1.99 |
$ 59.84 |
$ 124,470 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals |
3,990 |
1.49 |
$ 60.74 |
$ 126,330 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals |
78,940 |
1.41 |
$ 61.69 |
$ 128,310 |
| Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses |
4,790 |
1.16 |
$ 62.01 |
$ 128,990 |
Top paying industries for Pharmacists:
Geographic profile for Pharmacists:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Pharmacists are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Pharmacists, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Pharmacists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
32,520 |
1.98 |
0.87 |
$ 70.22 |
$ 146,070 |
| Texas |
23,150 |
1.91 |
0.84 |
$ 60.32 |
$ 125,470 |
| Florida |
20,200 |
2.39 |
1.05 |
$ 58.32 |
$ 121,310 |
| New York |
19,460 |
2.24 |
0.99 |
$ 58.24 |
$ 121,150 |
| Pennsylvania |
14,900 |
2.70 |
1.19 |
$ 58.28 |
$ 121,230 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| North Dakota |
1,260 |
3.15 |
1.39 |
$ 49.73 |
$ 103,440 |
| West Virginia |
2,000 |
3.08 |
1.36 |
$ 62.23 |
$ 129,440 |
| Louisiana |
5,440 |
3.02 |
1.33 |
$ 59.31 |
$ 123,350 |
| Rhode Island |
1,340 |
3.02 |
1.33 |
$ 55.31 |
$ 115,050 |
| Montana |
1,370 |
3.01 |
1.33 |
$ 56.11 |
$ 116,710 |
Top paying states for Pharmacists:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alaska |
470 |
1.58 |
0.70 |
$ 70.69 |
$ 147,040 |
| California |
32,520 |
1.98 |
0.87 |
$ 70.22 |
$ 146,070 |
| Oregon |
4,210 |
2.33 |
1.03 |
$ 65.72 |
$ 136,700 |
| Maine |
1,320 |
2.30 |
1.02 |
$ 64.47 |
$ 134,100 |
| Vermont |
530 |
1.89 |
0.83 |
$ 63.42 |
$ 131,910 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Pharmacists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
20,360 |
2.30 |
1.02 |
$ 59.27 |
$ 123,290 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
12,820 |
2.20 |
0.97 |
$ 67.95 |
$ 141,330 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
8,690 |
1.99 |
0.88 |
$ 60.18 |
$ 125,180 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD |
8,190 |
3.04 |
1.34 |
$ 62.17 |
$ 129,300 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
6,950 |
1.94 |
0.85 |
$ 56.75 |
$ 118,030 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ |
6,460 |
3.06 |
1.35 |
$ 58.32 |
$ 121,300 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL |
6,120 |
2.44 |
1.08 |
$ 58.59 |
$ 121,860 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
6,080 |
2.34 |
1.03 |
$ 59.19 |
$ 123,120 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
5,990 |
2.02 |
0.89 |
$ 59.61 |
$ 123,980 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
4,720 |
1.56 |
0.69 |
$ 59.83 |
$ 124,450 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacists:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA |
260 |
6.66 |
2.93 |
$ 52.12 |
$ 108,410 |
| Fargo, ND-MN |
840 |
6.22 |
2.74 |
$ 43.54 |
$ 90,570 |
| Iowa City, IA |
490 |
5.67 |
2.50 |
$ 55.65 |
$ 115,750 |
| New Bedford, MA |
290 |
4.95 |
2.18 |
$ 63.31 |
$ 131,690 |
| Athens-Clarke County, GA |
400 |
4.73 |
2.08 |
$ 53.87 |
$ 112,040 |
| Lawrence, KS |
200 |
4.47 |
1.97 |
$ 39.49 |
$ 82,150 |
| Springfield, MO |
900 |
4.40 |
1.94 |
$ 64.16 |
$ 133,450 |
| Johnson City, TN |
330 |
4.35 |
1.92 |
$ 55.48 |
$ 115,390 |
| Sioux Falls, SD |
640 |
4.14 |
1.83 |
$ 57.43 |
$ 119,460 |
| Pocatello, ID |
140 |
4.13 |
1.82 |
$ 54.22 |
$ 112,770 |
United States Department of Labor
