Pay by state · 54 areas
Pharmacist Salary by State (2026)
Pharmacists earn the most in Alaska at $167,310 a year and the least in Rhode Island at $128,180 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $140,910. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $167,310Alaska
- National median
- $140,910BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $128,180Rhode Island
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for pharmacists
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, South Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Alaska$167,310
- 2Oregon$165,960
- 3California$164,610
- 4Hawaii$163,220
- 5Washington$160,610
Lowest median pay
- 1Rhode Island$128,180
- 2Louisiana$132,410
- 3Mississippi$133,230
- 4Tennessee$133,390
- 5West Virginia$133,430
All states
Pharmacist salary in every state
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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AKAlaska | $167,310 | $158,000 | $173,600 | 560 | $163,454 |
| 2 | OROregon | $165,960 | $144,020 | $182,040 | 3,250 | $160,563 |
| 3 | CACalifornia | $164,610 | $138,360 | $197,860 | 34,030 | $148,672 |
| 4 | HIHawaii | $163,220 | $133,900 | $171,510 | 1,190 | $148,448 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $160,610 | $137,890 | $179,480 | 7,350 | $150,085 |
| 6 | MNMinnesota | $159,740 | $135,520 | $169,140 | 6,310 | $161,974 |
| 7 | COColorado | $156,030 | $136,750 | $169,120 | 4,560 | $151,409 |
| 8 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $153,400 | $132,840 | $165,710 | 850 | $139,580 |
| 9 | DEDelaware | $152,880 | $135,320 | $165,170 | 790 | $153,174 |
| 10 | WIWisconsin | $148,740 | $131,780 | $167,430 | 5,730 | $158,074 |
| 11 | NMNew Mexico | $147,000 | $132,560 | $163,540 | 1,730 | $159,415 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $146,930 | $133,600 | $161,970 | 6,900 | $145,942 |
| 13 | SDSouth Dakota | $146,790 | $131,950 | $155,260 | 1,280 | $165,703 |
| 14 | IDIdaho | $144,900 | $131,830 | $160,240 | 1,790 | $151,737 |
| 15 | INIndiana | $144,290 | $129,580 | $159,930 | 6,430 | $154,604 |
| 16 | UTUtah | $144,240 | $130,940 | $163,560 | 2,830 | $145,897 |
| 17 | VAVirginia | $144,060 | $128,230 | $161,600 | 7,980 | $142,487 |
| 18 | NHNew Hampshire | $143,020 | $133,190 | $160,190 | 1,130 | $137,301 |
| 19 | NYNew York | $142,090 | $129,240 | $163,510 | 19,760 | $131,661 |
| 20 | MTMontana | $142,080 | $130,000 | $158,850 | 1,190 | $150,119 |
| 21 | NDNorth Dakota | $142,040 | $132,560 | $156,370 | 1,070 | $159,669 |
| 22 | CTConnecticut | $141,290 | $130,280 | $157,600 | 3,490 | $136,367 |
| 23 | MEMaine | $140,930 | $130,870 | $157,600 | 1,380 | $145,214 |
| 24 | NVNevada | $140,030 | $127,820 | $158,970 | 2,500 | $140,059 |
| 25 | WYWyoming | $139,550 | $130,970 | $161,060 | 510 | $150,554 |
| 26 | NENebraska | $139,330 | $126,460 | $159,480 | 2,450 | $154,634 |
| 27 | ILIllinois | $139,080 | $126,270 | $162,280 | 12,070 | $139,138 |
| 28 | MDMaryland | $138,990 | $130,610 | $158,150 | 5,400 | $132,423 |
| 29 | IAIowa | $138,860 | $127,840 | $157,880 | 3,230 | $158,223 |
| 30 | NCNorth Carolina | $138,860 | $128,660 | $159,010 | 11,430 | $147,213 |
| 31 | TXTexas | $138,260 | $128,170 | $160,080 | 24,700 | $142,452 |
| 32 | MAMassachusetts | $138,170 | $133,460 | $155,490 | 7,230 | $130,649 |
| 33 | PAPennsylvania | $138,160 | $129,990 | $156,970 | 14,090 | $141,598 |
| 34 | MIMichigan | $137,860 | $127,940 | $157,610 | 8,780 | $143,280 |
| 35 | KSKansas | $137,800 | $126,670 | $159,380 | 3,500 | $152,996 |
| 36 | NJNew Jersey | $137,620 | $131,340 | $161,240 | 9,420 | $126,483 |
| 37 | MOMissouri | $137,610 | $127,920 | $158,120 | 6,740 | $151,524 |
| 38 | GAGeorgia | $137,120 | $126,520 | $158,880 | 10,530 | $142,399 |
| 39 | OHOhio | $137,020 | $127,700 | $156,190 | 12,790 | $147,692 |
| 40 | KYKentucky | $136,530 | $128,970 | $158,280 | 5,030 | $151,432 |
| 41 | VTVermont | $136,270 | $128,340 | $162,110 | 530 | $139,111 |
| 42 | ARArkansas | $136,060 | $130,260 | $154,540 | 2,900 | $156,504 |
| 43 | FLFlorida | $135,970 | $125,370 | $154,470 | 21,540 | $131,481 |
| 44 | SCSouth Carolina | $135,700 | $126,790 | $158,210 | 5,320 | $144,748 |
| 45 | OKOklahoma | $135,140 | $128,700 | $152,370 | 3,610 | $153,843 |
| 46 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $134,970 | $132,360 | $135,390 | 50 | N/A |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $134,630 | $127,250 | $151,700 | 5,400 | $151,571 |
| 48 | WVWest Virginia | $133,430 | $124,440 | $154,830 | 2,260 | $149,089 |
| 49 | TNTennessee | $133,390 | $123,820 | $153,380 | 8,250 | $145,194 |
| 50 | MSMississippi | $133,230 | $127,080 | $147,820 | 3,050 | $153,221 |
| 51 | LALouisiana | $132,410 | $124,630 | $145,670 | 5,610 | $150,113 |
| 52 | GUGuam | $129,090 | $101,590 | $136,660 | 70 | N/A |
| 53 | RIRhode Island | $128,180 | $115,250 | $133,700 | 1,510 | $125,323 |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $111,270 | $77,760 | $122,900 | 2,220 | N/A |
Method
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.
Questions
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?
Among the 50 states and DC, Rhode Island reports the lowest median for pharmacists at $128,180 a year, $39,130 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $134,970, Guam reports $129,090 and Puerto Rico reports $111,270.
In which states do pharmacists earn over $100,000?
All 50 states and DC: even the lowest, Rhode Island, has a median of $128,180 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is the highest-paying state the best for pharmacists after cost of living?
Not on this data. Alaska pays the most on paper ($167,310) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($163,454). South Dakota leads after that adjustment at $165,703, from a raw median of $146,790. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.