Becoming a retail pharmacist usually means being employed by a pharmacy or chain of pharmacies. To be honest, I am not getting the full value of what I have worked all these years.
As a retail pharmacist, you have the opportunity to earn a handsome salary in this growing field. A number of factors go into determining a pharmacist’s pay — including location, level of experience and company. Based on the years of experience, retail pharmacists can earn between $66,000 and $105,000 annually.
Pharmacists, or pharmacy technicians, sell drugs wholesale and retail. The salary of a pharmacist in the U.S. can vary greatly depending on his or her position, the employer and even state income tax laws. However, as of 2015 the average annual salary for a retail pharmacist was $118,000 per year
Salary For Retail Pharmacist Overview
If you are wondering what the starting salary for a retail pharmacist is, then this article is for you. You will find out about the different factors that affect your pay. You will also learn about the highest paying retail pharmacies and other important information.
First, let’s start with the basics: what is a retail pharmacist? A retail pharmacist is someone who works in a pharmacy that usually has more than one location. They may work at a grocery store or another type of retail store such as Target or Wal-Mart. They can also work in hospitals or medical offices where they dispense medications to patients.
Pharmacy is a rewarding career, and there are many different types of pharmacies to work in. The salary for a retail pharmacist varies depending on location and the type of pharmacy.
Distribution center pharmacies pay the most for pharmacists, followed by hospital pharmacies. A distribution center pharmacy is one that supplies medications on behalf of a health care facility. A hospital pharmacy is one that provides medications to patients while they are being treated at the facility.
The average salary for a retail pharmacist is $125,000 per year, according to PayScale.com. This number varies depending on factors such as education level, experience level and location (retail vs hospital).
In addition to salary information, we’ve created this list of some of the highest paying companies specifically for pharmacists:
1) CVS Caremark Corp – $140K per year
2) Walgreens Co – $138K per year
3) Rite Aid Corp – $127K per year
A Retail Pharmacist’s Salary
What Is the Average Pharmacist Salary by State
| State | Annual Salary | Monthly Pay | Weekly Pay | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $126,209 | $10,517 | $2,427 | $60.68 |
| Maryland | $123,583 | $10,299 | $2,377 | $59.42 |
| New York | $120,636 | $10,053 | $2,320 | $58.00 |
| Virginia | $120,040 | $10,003 | $2,308 | $57.71 |
| Delaware | $117,716 | $9,810 | $2,264 | $56.59 |
| Nebraska | $117,204 | $9,767 | $2,254 | $56.35 |
| Colorado | $117,124 | $9,760 | $2,252 | $56.31 |
| South Carolina | $116,034 | $9,669 | $2,231 | $55.79 |
| California | $114,552 | $9,546 | $2,203 | $55.07 |
| Idaho | $114,106 | $9,509 | $2,194 | $54.86 |
| New Hampshire | $113,691 | $9,474 | $2,186 | $54.66 |
| Michigan | $112,406 | $9,367 | $2,162 | $54.04 |
| Vermont | $112,073 | $9,339 | $2,155 | $53.88 |
| Massachusetts | $111,641 | $9,303 | $2,147 | $53.67 |
| Oklahoma | $110,718 | $9,227 | $2,129 | $53.23 |
| Hawaii | $109,464 | $9,122 | $2,105 | $52.63 |
| Nevada | $109,385 | $9,115 | $2,104 | $52.59 |
| New Jersey | $108,340 | $9,028 | $2,083 | $52.09 |
| Montana | $108,211 | $9,018 | $2,081 | $52.02 |
| Maine | $107,453 | $8,954 | $2,066 | $51.66 |
| Arizona | $107,247 | $8,937 | $2,062 | $51.56 |
| Missouri | $106,514 | $8,876 | $2,048 | $51.21 |
| Tennessee | $106,257 | $8,855 | $2,043 | $51.09 |
| Connecticut | $106,207 | $8,851 | $2,042 | $51.06 |
| Wyoming | $105,743 | $8,812 | $2,034 | $50.84 |
| Rhode Island | $105,229 | $8,769 | $2,024 | $50.59 |
| Alaska | $104,853 | $8,738 | $2,016 | $50.41 |
| Oregon | $103,333 | $8,611 | $1,987 | $49.68 |
| Indiana | $103,073 | $8,589 | $1,982 | $49.55 |
| Minnesota | $103,018 | $8,585 | $1,981 | $49.53 |
| North Dakota | $102,758 | $8,563 | $1,976 | $49.40 |
| West Virginia | $102,108 | $8,509 | $1,964 | $49.09 |
| Texas | $101,070 | $8,422 | $1,944 | $48.59 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,845 | $8,320 | $1,920 | $48.00 |
| Wisconsin | $98,223 | $8,185 | $1,889 | $47.22 |
| Ohio | $97,866 | $8,155 | $1,882 | $47.05 |
| Iowa | $97,475 | $8,123 | $1,875 | $46.86 |
| North Carolina | $97,463 | $8,122 | $1,874 | $46.86 |
| South Dakota | $97,404 | $8,117 | $1,873 | $46.83 |
| Utah | $96,360 | $8,030 | $1,853 | $46.33 |
| Arkansas | $94,246 | $7,854 | $1,812 | $45.31 |
| New Mexico | $93,932 | $7,828 | $1,806 | $45.16 |
| Alabama | $93,842 | $7,820 | $1,805 | $45.12 |
| Kansas | $92,867 | $7,739 | $1,786 | $44.65 |
| Mississippi | $91,591 | $7,633 | $1,761 | $44.03 |
| Florida | $91,199 | $7,600 | $1,754 | $43.85 |
| Kentucky | $91,134 | $7,595 | $1,753 | $43.81 |
| Illinois | $89,897 | $7,491 | $1,729 | $43.22 |
| Georgia | $87,235 | $7,270 | $1,678 | $41.94 |
| Louisiana | $83,203 | $6,934 | $1,600 | $40.00 |
Pharmacist Roles and Responsibilities
Wherever they work, pharmacists generally have the same responsibilities. A pharmacist must have a doctorate and be licensed in all states, according to the BLS. Certification is also an option, although not required for practice.
Pharmacists pass two licensing exams – a national exam on basic skills and knowledge and an exam specific to the state in which they work. They dispense and compound medications, educate patients about possible side effects, supervise pharmacy staff and in some cases perform management tasks related to responsibilities as a pharmacy team leader or small-business owner.
Pharmacist Salary Scale
The average annual salary for all pharmacists was $125,510 in 2019, according to the BLS. Pharmacists who worked in general medical and surgical hospitals earned $127,370, while the average retail pharmacy salary varied from $123,620 in health and personal care stores to $129,040 in general merchandise stores. Those in electronic shopping and mail-order retail settings earned $128,030. Salaries differed slightly according to the type of hospital. The average annual salary for a pharmacist in a specialty hospital was $125,690.
Pharmacy Industry Data
The annual “Drug Topics” salary survey, reported in December 2019, notes that two salary ranges tied as the most common among pharmacists, with 18% reporting salaries between $120,001 – $130,000 and another 18% reporting income over $150,000. Not far behind was the $130,001 – $140,000 pharmacist salary range, with 17% of respondents reporting this as their income. Although “Drug Topics” did not differentiate work settings in reporting salaries, 28 percent of those reporting worked in hospitals and 36 percent worked in retail settings.
Job Title, State, and Work Setting
Industry-specific data collected by The Happy PharmD in 2018 found variations in pharmacists’ salaries according to their specialization or job title within a work setting, as well as from state to state. A pharmacist working in a chain drug store or supermarket earned an average of $121,420 annually, while a pharmacist in a hospital or health care system earned $64.66 an hour, the equivalent of about $135,000 annually, assuming a 40-hour work week 52 weeks of the year.
California pharmacists earned the highest average salaries at $151,800 per year. The second- and third-highest pharmacist salaries were reported in Alaska ($136,600) and Nevada ($134,400) The state with the lowest average salary for pharmacists in 2018 was South Dakota at $114,500 per year, but the lowest average salary was actually reported by pharmacists in Puerto Rico at $99,900 per year.
