Sort by any column. Employment is the number of pharmacists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
Pharmacist Salary by State (2026)
Pharmacists earn the most in Alaska at $167,310 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $111,270 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $140,910. All 54 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $167,310
- National median
- $140,910
- Lowest median
- $111,270
- States reporting
- 54
Alaska
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Pharmacists
- 1. Alaska$167,310 median · $163,454 adjusted · 560 employed
- 2. Oregon$165,960 median · $160,563 adjusted · 3,250 employed
- 3. California$164,610 median · $148,672 adjusted · 34,030 employed
- 4. Hawaii$163,220 median · $148,448 adjusted · 1,190 employed
- 5. Washington$160,610 median · $150,085 adjusted · 7,350 employed
Lowest-paying states for Pharmacists
- 54. Puerto Rico$111,270 median · no price parity · 2,220 employed
- 53. Rhode Island$128,180 median · $125,323 adjusted · 1,510 employed
- 52. Guam$129,090 median · no price parity · 70 employed
- 51. Louisiana$132,410 median · $150,113 adjusted · 5,610 employed
- 50. Mississippi$133,230 median · $153,221 adjusted · 3,050 employed
Pharmacist salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $167,310 | $158,000 | $173,600 | 560 | $163,454 |
| 2 | Oregon | $165,960 | $144,020 | $182,040 | 3,250 | $160,563 |
| 3 | California | $164,610 | $138,360 | $197,860 | 34,030 | $148,672 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $163,220 | $133,900 | $171,510 | 1,190 | $148,448 |
| 5 | Washington | $160,610 | $137,890 | $179,480 | 7,350 | $150,085 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $159,740 | $135,520 | $169,140 | 6,310 | $161,974 |
| 7 | Colorado | $156,030 | $136,750 | $169,120 | 4,560 | $151,409 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $153,400 | $132,840 | $165,710 | 850 | $139,580 |
| 9 | Delaware | $152,880 | $135,320 | $165,170 | 790 | $153,174 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $148,740 | $131,780 | $167,430 | 5,730 | $158,074 |
| 11 | New Mexico | $147,000 | $132,560 | $163,540 | 1,730 | $159,415 |
| 12 | Arizona | $146,930 | $133,600 | $161,970 | 6,900 | $145,942 |
| 13 | South Dakota | $146,790 | $131,950 | $155,260 | 1,280 | $165,703 |
| 14 | Idaho | $144,900 | $131,830 | $160,240 | 1,790 | $151,737 |
| 15 | Indiana | $144,290 | $129,580 | $159,930 | 6,430 | $154,604 |
| 16 | Utah | $144,240 | $130,940 | $163,560 | 2,830 | $145,897 |
| 17 | Virginia | $144,060 | $128,230 | $161,600 | 7,980 | $142,487 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $143,020 | $133,190 | $160,190 | 1,130 | $137,301 |
| 19 | New York | $142,090 | $129,240 | $163,510 | 19,760 | $131,661 |
| 20 | Montana | $142,080 | $130,000 | $158,850 | 1,190 | $150,119 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $142,040 | $132,560 | $156,370 | 1,070 | $159,669 |
| 22 | Connecticut | $141,290 | $130,280 | $157,600 | 3,490 | $136,367 |
| 23 | Maine | $140,930 | $130,870 | $157,600 | 1,380 | $145,214 |
| 24 | Nevada | $140,030 | $127,820 | $158,970 | 2,500 | $140,059 |
| 25 | Wyoming | $139,550 | $130,970 | $161,060 | 510 | $150,554 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $139,330 | $126,460 | $159,480 | 2,450 | $154,634 |
| 27 | Illinois | $139,080 | $126,270 | $162,280 | 12,070 | $139,138 |
| 28 | Maryland | $138,990 | $130,610 | $158,150 | 5,400 | $132,423 |
| 29 | Iowa | $138,860 | $127,840 | $157,880 | 3,230 | $158,223 |
| 30 | North Carolina | $138,860 | $128,660 | $159,010 | 11,430 | $147,213 |
| 31 | Texas | $138,260 | $128,170 | $160,080 | 24,700 | $142,452 |
| 32 | Massachusetts | $138,170 | $133,460 | $155,490 | 7,230 | $130,649 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $138,160 | $129,990 | $156,970 | 14,090 | $141,598 |
| 34 | Michigan | $137,860 | $127,940 | $157,610 | 8,780 | $143,280 |
| 35 | Kansas | $137,800 | $126,670 | $159,380 | 3,500 | $152,996 |
| 36 | New Jersey | $137,620 | $131,340 | $161,240 | 9,420 | $126,483 |
| 37 | Missouri | $137,610 | $127,920 | $158,120 | 6,740 | $151,524 |
| 38 | Georgia | $137,120 | $126,520 | $158,880 | 10,530 | $142,399 |
| 39 | Ohio | $137,020 | $127,700 | $156,190 | 12,790 | $147,692 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $136,530 | $128,970 | $158,280 | 5,030 | $151,432 |
| 41 | Vermont | $136,270 | $128,340 | $162,110 | 530 | $139,111 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $136,060 | $130,260 | $154,540 | 2,900 | $156,504 |
| 43 | Florida | $135,970 | $125,370 | $154,470 | 21,540 | $131,481 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $135,700 | $126,790 | $158,210 | 5,320 | $144,748 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $135,140 | $128,700 | $152,370 | 3,610 | $153,843 |
| 46 | U.S. Virgin Islands | $134,970 | $132,360 | $135,390 | 50 | N/A |
| 47 | Alabama | $134,630 | $127,250 | $151,700 | 5,400 | $151,571 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $133,430 | $124,440 | $154,830 | 2,260 | $149,089 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $133,390 | $123,820 | $153,380 | 8,250 | $145,194 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $133,230 | $127,080 | $147,820 | 3,050 | $153,221 |
| 51 | Louisiana | $132,410 | $124,630 | $145,670 | 5,610 | $150,113 |
| 52 | Guam | $129,090 | $101,590 | $136,660 | 70 | N/A |
| 53 | Rhode Island | $128,180 | $115,250 | $133,700 | 1,510 | $125,323 |
| 54 | Puerto Rico | $111,270 | $77,760 | $122,900 | 2,220 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Pharmacists, that changes the ranking: Alaska leads on raw pay at $167,310, while South Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $165,703.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Pharmacist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Pharmacists the most?
Alaska reports the highest median wage for Pharmacists at $167,310 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Oregon ($165,960) and California ($164,610).
Which state pays Pharmacists the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Pharmacists at $111,270 a year, $56,040 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Pharmacists earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts South Dakota first at $165,703 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $146,790. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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