Pharmacist Salary Thread

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Umm...which "state" is this? According to salary.com, the NATIONAL AVERAGE & all 5 US regions (east, west, south, etc...) all make over 100k.

I prefer a government source, personally. BLS.Gov states:

Median annual of wage-and-salary pharmacists in May 2006 were $94,520. T
he middle 50 percent earned between $83,180 and $108,140 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $67,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,480 a year. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of pharmacists in May 2006 were:
Department stores $99,050
Grocery stores 95,600
Pharmacies and drug stores 94,640
General medical and surgical hospitals 93,640

According to a 2006 survey by Drug Topics Magazine, pharmacists in retail settings earned an average of $92,291 per year, while pharmacists in institutional settings earned an average of $97,545. Full-time pharmacists earned an average of $102,336, while part-time pharmacists earned an average of $55,589.




Granted, those figures are from 2006, but I think a blanket statement of "They ALL make 100k+" is a wee-bit fanciful on behalf of salary.com. More like, some people make $92, some people make $95, some people make $118, and average those together and it looks like we can say they ALL make over 100k+! Woot.
 
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In the 90s RPhs were paid $50-60k. Salaries have increased like 60-80% over the last 15 years. That will not continue....in fact, it's pretty much already stopped. There hasn't been massive increases in pay in 4-5 years. $90k-$115k will remain the typical wage for a while, IMO. All of these "Uncle Dan's School of Pharmacy" joints that are opening up left and right aren't helping, either.
 
Granted, those figures are from 2006, but I think a blanket statement of "They ALL make 100k+" is a wee-bit fanciful on behalf of salary.com. More like, some people make $92, some people make $95, some people make $118, and average those together and it looks like we can say they ALL make over 100k+! Woot.

Hell, I only make $88k base...$93k including bonuses...$95k with shift incentives. Of course my rent is only like $250/month here in the Rust Belt...lol...
 
ive looked into this and if keeps going up at same rate as its now starting pay will be around 160K by 2015. But just in case I encourage everyone to go the more established schools. It doesnt matter so much now, but it will im sure. In law for example, a U penn grad will be much more attractive to employers than a grad from U of Oregon or Loyola.
 
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I prefer a government source, personally. BLS.Gov states:

Median annual of wage-and-salary pharmacists in May 2006 were $94,520. T
he middle 50 percent earned between $83,180 and $108,140 a year. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $67,860, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $119,480 a year. Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of pharmacists in May 2006 were:
Department stores $99,050
Grocery stores 95,600
Pharmacies and drug stores 94,640
General medical and surgical hospitals 93,640

According to a 2006 survey by Drug Topics Magazine, pharmacists in retail settings earned an average of $92,291 per year, while pharmacists in institutional settings earned an average of $97,545. Full-time pharmacists earned an average of $102,336, while part-time pharmacists earned an average of $55,589.




Granted, those figures are from 2006, but I think a blanket statement of "They ALL make 100k+" is a wee-bit fanciful on behalf of salary.com. More like, some people make $92, some people make $95, some people make $118, and average those together and it looks like we can say they ALL make over 100k+! Woot.

ok so they all have the potential to make 100k according to salary.com
 
ive looked into this and if keeps going up at same rate as its now starting pay will be around 160K by 2015.

And if I had wheels, I'd be a wagon.

I'm going to lowball the entire profession and say that, hypothetically, in the year 2013, I'll be starting with a salary of, say, $75K. If you're smart with your money and make sure to put your priorities first (i.e. pay off your loans before you decide that you make "pharmacist money" and can go buy a $400,000 house and two Jaguars), that's more than enough for anyone to live comfortably on (yes, even with student loan payments). Compound that with the fact that for those of you who get married, your spouse will probably be working and bringing in income as well, and the ultimate conclusion that you reach is, who friggin' cares? If you're going into the field because you enjoy it, these BS arguments about "shortage vs. surplus" are as moot as the plot of Jurassic Park.

Take a page from WVU's book. If you're going into the field because you're passionate about it, then just enjoy it and don't worry about the money, you'll get by. And if you are going into the field solely for the money, and are really that worried about not being able to make $150,000 right out of school, go find another profession.
 
ive looked into this and if keeps going up at same rate as its now starting pay will be around 160K by 2015. But just in case I encourage everyone to go the more established schools. It doesnt matter so much now, but it will im sure. In law for example, a U penn grad will be much more attractive to employers than a grad from U of Oregon or Loyola.

i do not agree with this statement...a pharmD is a pharmD! 😡
 
i do not agree with this statement...a pharmD is a pharmD! 😡

I'm sorry, please don't let my post discourage you by any means. It was not meant for people like you who are currently pharm students. I have no doubt you and everyone one of your class mates will have plenty of opportunities after graduation. 🙂 I'm talking in the future, 10+ years from now.
 
how troublesome...I was expecting to make 120K+ a year out of school...
 
And if I had wheels, I'd be a wagon.

I'm going to lowball the entire profession and say that, hypothetically, in the year 2013, I'll be starting with a salary of, say, $75K. If you're smart with your money and make sure to put your priorities first (i.e. pay off your loans before you decide that you make "pharmacist money" and can go buy a $400,000 house and two Jaguars), that's more than enough for anyone to live comfortably on (yes, even with student loan payments).

You must not live in Southern California.

I'm already thinking that I won't be able to come back here after pharm school, what with the saturated market and ridiculous rent prices.. factoring loan payments and I won't have enough to live on!
 
i do not agree with this statement...a pharmD is a pharmD! 😡

And a JD is also a JD. Yet this year's graduating's class wont find any jobs if they are below top 14 schools and in your more typical years, a JD has to be from a top 14 school based on US News to make over 100k while the rest ends up chasing ambulances and gets paid 40k a year with 120k in student loans.

The current market rate is from 100 to 120k. Nobody can tell what will happen in the future. I would say that the market will at least keep up with inflation. However, new pharmacy schools and increasing enrollment sizes will affect future salaries.

To two above posters here, it is not in the interest of a pharmacy school to DECREASE enrollment size nor can the accrediation board force them to do so. That is a myth. As long as they have a certain facualty to student ratio, they can increase their enrollment size to as much as they want.
 
You must not live in Southern California.

I'm already thinking that I won't be able to come back here after pharm school, what with the saturated market and ridiculous rent prices.. factoring loan payments and I won't have enough to live on!

YOu kidding me, CA is cheap now! Freakin' bargain...should still be by the time we graduate, relatively speaking.
 
Care to elaborate on that?

Confetti is referring to housing market - not the job market - which may or may not be saturated. City centers have been hit most by the economic slow down - If you decide to move away from the city centers - I would imagine you will still find plenty of jobs.
 
Confetti is referring to housing market - not the job market - which may or may not be saturated. City centers have been hit most by the economic slow down - If you decide to move away from the city centers - I would imagine you will still find plenty of jobs.

Housing's not the only ridiculously expensive thing in California, though. Hell, even Starbucks is more expensive in California than in Texas when I lived in Dallas. And no one should stand in between me and my Starbucks!
 
Confetti is referring to housing market - not the job market - which may or may not be saturated. City centers have been hit most by the economic slow down - If you decide to move away from the city centers - I would imagine you will still find plenty of jobs.

Yeah see the discussion in the other threads about the meth addicts and general crack heads in the center part of the state. You'll find generous signing bonuses and ample opportunities there.

The most desirable places (OC, SD, SB/Ventura) are at saturation or fast approaching. You'll have to float into the cesspool called LA to get a decent # of hours, last I checked....schedulers were still sending email blasts out for help in areas like East LA, South Central, and South Bay (Compton, Torrance, Hawthorne, Lawndale, etc..). IE has opportunities as well, but since the economy out here essentially flatlined, no idea what that did for staff requests.

But yeah...RE is cheap, checked out comps for a nice 3-4 bedroom detached in central OC, you're looking at 300's, maybe low 400's for a new townhome. We're feeling bottom and running at rental parity but not quite there yet (IMO), and the # of ARM's resetting through 2011 leads me to believe that property prices won't fully recover back to peak until at least until 2015-2016.

So, bottom line, if you're in pharm school as of right now...you should be able to graduate, get your 2 years of seasoning, and still lock in a good price. Normally I'd tell people to just wait until you've comfortably built up an emergency fund + 20% down, but if you're planning to stay put after you buy, do it sooner to lock in the low property tax rate courtesy prop 13.

Sorry I get excited when someone brings this stuff up.
 
Considering the significant increases in pharmacist salaries over the years and the fact that current starting salaries are between $95,000-$100,000, what is the projected future salary of a pharmacist in the decade to come (2010s)? Do you think salaries will eventually hit a wall or continue to increase, and if so, by how much? The reason I ask is because if I get into pharmacy school, I will be graduating in 2012 with at least $100,000 in debt and the higher the pay, the better so I can pay off student loans as soon as possible. I appreciate any input. 🙂

They would run anywhere from $95000-$120000 depending on your # of years of pratice.
 
Yeah see the discussion in the other threads about the meth addicts and general crack heads in the center part of the state. You'll find generous signing bonuses and ample opportunities there.

The most desirable places (OC, SD, SB/Ventura) are at saturation or fast approaching. You'll have to float into the cesspool called LA to get a decent # of hours, last I checked....schedulers were still sending email blasts out for help in areas like East LA, South Central, and South Bay (Compton, Torrance, Hawthorne, Lawndale, etc..). IE has opportunities as well, but since the economy out here essentially flatlined, no idea what that did for staff requests.

But yeah...RE is cheap, checked out comps for a nice 3-4 bedroom detached in central OC, you're looking at 300's, maybe low 400's for a new townhome. We're feeling bottom and running at rental parity but not quite there yet (IMO), and the # of ARM's resetting through 2011 leads me to believe that property prices won't fully recover back to peak until at least until 2015-2016.

So, bottom line, if you're in pharm school as of right now...you should be able to graduate, get your 2 years of seasoning, and still lock in a good price. Normally I'd tell people to just wait until you've comfortably built up an emergency fund + 20% down, but if you're planning to stay put after you buy, do it sooner to lock in the low property tax rate courtesy prop 13.

Sorry I get excited when someone brings this stuff up.

I live in the South Bay and I don't think it's bad.

Although I do live closer to Redondo Beach and PV than Compton and Inglewood.

After working in pharmacies in LA county and Orange County (Irvine), I definitely prefer the people in LA County. Customers and patients in Irvine were rude and felt so entitled, I can only imagine how it's like in "better" areas of OC.
 
I disagree with the statements regarding the institution that you went to and capacity to find work. Comparing a JD to a Pharm D. is inappropriate. Perhaps we should compare it to MD or OD degrees? Additionally, as a member of the work force one common theme I have found is that it doesn't matter where you went to school - what matters is the license you hold and work performance. You can only coast on a name brand education for so long.
I do agree though the institution you went can open some doors for you - but probably just your first job.
 
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I live in the South Bay and I don't think it's bad.

Although I do live closer to Redondo Beach and PV than Compton and Inglewood.

After working in pharmacies in LA county and Orange County (Irvine), I definitely prefer the people in LA County. Customers and patients in Irvine were rude and felt so entitled, I can only imagine how it's like in "better" areas of OC.

Yeah I'll have to agree with you here....and yeah with "South Bay" you're lumping in Manhattan/Redondo/PV w/ the other side of the 405. I saw maybe ONE request for staffing in Manhattan Beach, I like that area.

I don't know...maybe I'm just used to dealing with the pt's and the feeling of entitlement. I worked in south county a few times but spent most of my time in fullerton/central OC and I could see the difference, you just gotta know how to tell someone "no" without telling them "no" and figure out how to put the ball in their court.

I was going to bring up pt safety OC vs. LA but my friend's pharmacy got robbed down in Newport by some Oxy addict. Totally harmless, but scary none-the-less.
 
I disagree with the statements regarding the institution that you went to and capacity to find work. Comparing a JD to a Pharm D. is inappropriate. Perhaps we should compare it to MD or OD degrees? Additionally, as a member of the work force one common theme I have found is that it doesn't matter where you went to school - what matters is the license you hold and work performance. You can only coast on a name brand education for so long.
I do agree though the institution you went can open some doors for you - but probably just your first job.

Yes, well-known/highly ranked institutions can help open doors with its prestige and Alumni based networking but this is not to say you can't network without it.

Most of the time, in the real world, it's about who you know. I like to think a combination of license, work history/reputation, and networking will help one succeed in the future.
 
I disagree with the statements regarding the institution that you went to and capacity to find work. Comparing a JD to a Pharm D. is inappropriate. Perhaps we should compare it to MD or OD degrees? Additionally, as a member of the work force one common theme I have found is that it doesn’t matter where you went to school - what matters is the license you hold and work performance. You can only coast on a name brand education for so long.
I do agree though the institution you went can open some doors for you - but probably just your first job.

This was true throughout the 90's and early 00's, and is true now, but will not be true in 3-4 years. With all these no-name pharmacy schools opening up, it's making pharm look like a freakin' vocational program. Quality schools = quality rotation sites, sure the didactic portions are similar and directed by ACPE, but this is where the established programs shine.

You try getting a choice residency position in California (LB memorial, VA, etc...) without graduating from UCSF, USC, UOP, or UCSD and tell me how that goes. Your bar is much higher as you have more to prove.

So I take that back, school stratification exists now to some extent, but when the surplus comes around mid 2010's, school reputation will come into play more as a necessity.
 
Most of the time, in the real world, it's about who you know. I like to think a combination of license, work history/reputation, and networking will help one succeed in the future.

Yeah bingo there you go, the answer is...there is no easy answer!
 
The difference is that top law firms want top tier law students. Walgreen's and CVS just want a rph license and a pulse. Do you really think retail outlets care if you went to Harvard SOP vs Billy Bob's SOP? In the event of a pharmacist surplus, I have a feeling job placement is gonna come down to the lowest bidder.
 
The difference is that top law firms want top tier law students. Walgreen's and CVS just want a rph license and a pulse. Do you really think retail outlets care if you went to Harvard SOP vs Billy Bob's SOP? In the event of a pharmacist surplus, I have a feeling job placement is gonna come down to the lowest bidder.

Retail yes...hospital/residency, you might need more of a brain, so strength of rotations (by extension, strength of school) would be more of a factor here (if not already).

So for people going to these stand alone upstarts that sound like vocational schools, there will be bottom feeding jobs available. Kind of like law students from lower tier schools who end up working just above paralegals.
 
Retail yes...hospital/residency, you might need more of a brain, so strength of rotations (by extension, strength of school) would be more of a factor here (if not already).

So for people going to these stand alone upstarts that sound like vocational schools, there will be bottom feeding jobs available. Kind of like law students from lower tier schools who end up working just above paralegals.

So are you saying all retail jobs are bottom feeding? Don't Retail pharmacists generally make more than their Hospital counterparts?
 
So are you saying all retail jobs are bottom feeding? Don't Retail pharmacists generally make more than their Hospital counterparts?

Man, confettiflyer gets misquoted so often. You, sir, must teach me your ways of confusing the masses.

I don't think he's saying that retail is bottom-feeding. However, read through this thread, and it's no big secret that everybody thinks some place is better than another place. Many people have the same "better place" in common, so if there are too many people trying to get a job there, somebody's going to get left out and have to settle for a job in "another place". And ultimately, as "better place" gets overfilled, "another place" will also start to get filled, leaving jobs there at a premium, and the people who can't get a job in "another place" will get stuck in "worse place yet".

And for those who can't get a job in "worse place yet", how about scenic Maine?
 
Man, confettiflyer gets misquoted so often. You, sir, must teach me your ways of confusing the masses.

I don't think he's saying that retail is bottom-feeding. However, read through this thread, and it's no big secret that everybody thinks some place is better than another place. Many people have the same "better place" in common, so if there are too many people trying to get a job there, somebody's going to get left out and have to settle for a job in "another place". And ultimately, as "better place" gets overfilled, "another place" will also start to get filled, leaving jobs there at a premium, and the people who can't get a job in "another place" will get stuck in "worse place yet".

And for those who can't get a job in "worse place yet", how about scenic Maine?

But will the reputation of the school you graduated from decide if you land a job in a "better place"? IMHO it won't. Law firms want students from top tier law schools because they perceive these students will be a greater assist to their firm. It is in my humble opinion that retail pharmacies do not think this way. As far as their concerned, student from college A is just as good as student from college B. Remember, this ain't rocket surgery here folks, its putting pills from a large bottle into a small bottle (at least that's the way corporate pharmacies think).
 
But will the reputation of the school you graduated from decide if you land a job in a "better place"? IMHO it won't. Law firms want students from top tier law schools because they perceive these students will be a greater assist to their firm. It is in my humble opinion that retail pharmacies do not think this way. As far as their concerned, student from college A is just as good as student from college B. Remember, this ain't rocket surgery here folks, its putting pills from a large bottle into a small bottle (at least that's the way corporate pharmacies think).

I'd have to disagree. Why would a pharmacy think any differently from a law firm or any other company for that matter? A prestigious school on your resume always works to your benefit. For instance, when you interview at a pharmaceutical school are they more likely to accept a student from a CC or a student from a top notch 4 year institution? I'm not saying that a student from a prestigious college is necessarily a better student the one from CC but those are the facts.
 
But will the reputation of the school you graduated from decide if you land a job in a "better place"? IMHO it won't. Law firms want students from top tier law schools because they perceive these students will be a greater assist to their firm. It is in my humble opinion that retail pharmacies do not think this way. As far as their concerned, student from college A is just as good as student from college B. Remember, this ain't rocket surgery here folks, its putting pills from a large bottle into a small bottle (at least that's the way corporate pharmacies think).

haha, this is what i said. why is there a problem.

when i mean bottom feeding, i mean the crap float retail jobs that stick you at some beat up pharmacy 45 mins from your home which is understaffed and serves a "challenging" (ghetto) population.

hospital/residency/etc... will generally care where you came from (specifically, strength of your rotations), of course, there overriding factors.
 
My prediction is that the pay will continue to slowly rise and approach 125k and then begin to dip to 80-90k as the demand is met and a slight overage occurs. This is sort of occuring already as Walgreen's locations in many underserved areas are being filled in FL and intern positions are becoming more difficult to find. What might occur is that the pharmacist who are making 100k will continue to make that but the new graduates in 201x might have a hard time finding jobs. Just bc an over supply occurs doesn't mean the pay will severely dip bc that can lead to another shortage more worse.
 
As I'm getting ready to apply for pharmacy school in the next few years - can you give some examples of schools you perceive as "mom & pop"? Most schools I know of are large universities.
 
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I know some pharmacists who have a thick accent. But it doesn't mean that they can't perform their jobs. How many times have you heard of prescription mistakes made by those pharmacists? Adcoms are not stupid, you know. I don't know how good you are. But look at yourself, you must feel lucky to get accepted by a couple schools with your not-so-great stats. Why didn't you do well at school? Please tell us. Were one of your family members being sick? Or you didn't understand the materials taught in class? Or you were just lazy? Don't you think the adcoms were too stupid to have accepted you?

Grow up!!!

Confettiflyer didn't say anything about thick accents. Communication skills encompass far more than accents; in fact, people with heavy accents can still be excellent communicators.

And I can't believe you're trying to insult the adcom and Confettiflyer for no apparent reason. Unless..... Have you been rejected recently by Jefferson? Please tell us. 🙄
 
haha, was that p2b post for me? I don't remember reading that. but yeah, i was lazy and partied a lot/chased tail all throughout undergrad. Oh I was bad, very bad... i think i went to class half buzzed more than a few times.

Freakin' fantastic, I miss undergrad 🙁

EDIT: wait, this was 2008, no wonder I don't remember...hahahah, kirbypuff stop bringing up old ****!
 
haha, was that p2b post for me? I don't remember reading that. but yeah, i was lazy and partied a lot/chased tail all throughout undergrad. Oh I was bad, very bad... i think i went to class half buzzed more than a few times.

Freakin' fantastic, I miss undergrad 🙁

EDIT: wait, this was 2008, no wonder I don't remember...hahahah, kirbypuff stop bringing up old ****!

LOLOL Oh crap, I didn't even realize that it was old... I never saw this thread before so I thought it was new hahaha...

HMMM... Question: Although I am fully aware that alcohol inhibits memory and learning.... is it possible for Jefferson students to go to bars on weekends and still get decent grades? 🙂
 
LOLOL Oh crap, I didn't even realize that it was old... I never saw this thread before so I thought it was new hahaha...

HMMM... Question: Although I am fully aware that alcohol inhibits memory and learning.... is it possible for Jefferson students to go to bars on weekends and still get decent grades? 🙂

Go to the bar, order a virgin drink, profit! =)
 
LOLOL Oh crap, I didn't even realize that it was old... I never saw this thread before so I thought it was new hahaha...

HMMM... Question: Although I am fully aware that alcohol inhibits memory and learning.... is it possible for Jefferson students to go to bars on weekends and still get decent grades? 🙂

I seem to be doing fine, hahaha
 
In the years to come, it will matter where you went to school.

Yes, I am sure Walgreens and Rite Aid will really care.*eye roll*
Maybe if you are fresh out of school it will matter but unless Harvard opens a Pharmacy school, your experience is what gets you in the door to a non-retail/hospital position.
 
HMMM... Question: Although I am fully aware that alcohol inhibits memory and learning.... is it possible for Jefferson students to go to bars on weekends and still get decent grades? 🙂

I will probably be spending at least one or two nights a week at moriarity's.
And I'll always be down for a walk to the POPE if anyone else is in.
 
Hello. I hope someone can help me. What is a competitive salary offer for OC in CA area for hospital pharmacist. Is 125k good? Thanks.
 
Hello. I hope someone can help me. What is a competitive salary offer for OC in CA area for hospital pharmacist. Is 125k good? Thanks.

This varies from hospital to hospital...but the usual range should be around 50/hr-60/hr

However, i just talked to a fellow friend of mine...According to him, he has a friend who just got hired at a hospital for 45 dollars/hour (20 miles from Orange County). I have no idea why there is this sudden drop in salary. I guess it's bad time...this year and supply>demand
 
Yes, it's competitive. I have a friend who just took a job there in retail making the same.
 
My friend in Los Angeles salary is $46/hr for hospital. Rates are dropping...FAST. The thing about it is the economy sucks so you'll get low offers, but even when economy becomes good again, by that time there will be so many grads that they can continue to pay this rate.
 
well, my friend told me a pharmacist he knows got their pays reduced. Several of my friends are signing on with hospitals for mid $40 hr ranges. Whatever happened to the days of high salaries? Also, there is a lot of talk about pharmacy being saturated in a few yrs if it isnt already. Does this worry any of you guys?

http://www.pharmacytimes.com/issue/pharmacy/2009/2009-04/2009-04-10223

It's scary because it is really real when you know someone who experienced this. Try reading the pharmacy student boards. A lot of the new grads this year have posted a lot of problems even getting an interview at retail positions.
 
well, my friend told me a pharmacist he knows got their pays reduced. Several of my friends are signing on with hospitals for mid $40 hr ranges. Whatever happened to the days of high salaries? Also, there is a lot of talk about pharmacy being saturated in a few yrs if it isnt already. Does this worry any of you guys?

http://www.pharmacytimes.com/issue/pharmacy/2009/2009-04/2009-04-10223

It's scary because it is really real when you know someone who experienced this. Try reading the pharmacy student boards. A lot of the new grads this year have posted a lot of problems even getting an interview at retail positions.

I have read this article and i am really concerned that this issue would be a problem a lot of pharmacists would face by the year 2020. Mail in pharmacies will take away a lot of pharmacy jobs. Soon, we might have just technicians doing the whole thing. Congress needs to address this issue
 
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