29
Pharmacists is a notable career in the 29 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Pharmacists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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13
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13
| soc | 29-1051 |
| title | Pharmacists |
| onet code | 29-1051.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 5 |
| major group | 29 |
| tot emp | 328,870 |
| a mean | 137,210 |
| a median | 137,480 |
| a pct10 | 86,930 |
| a pct25 | 127,250 |
| a pct75 | 158,620 |
| a pct90 | 172,040 |
| h mean | 65 |
| h median | 66 |
The day-to-day work of a pharmacists typically centers on review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, and Speaking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.82 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working pharmacists, the most common entry qualification is a Doctoral Degree (78.4%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 98% of incumbents. This is a degree-heavy profession — most incumbents hold a four-year degree or beyond.
Median annual pay is highest in California at $165,150 and lowest in Rhode Island at $128,010 — a 1.3× spread. The top five states (California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota) average $160,620. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $165,150 | $162,110 | $87,170 | $208,070 | 34,490 |
| Alaska | $163,200 | $158,430 | $123,220 | $183,920 | 510 |
| Oregon | $163,120 | $156,160 | $125,880 | $192,810 | 3,660 |
| Washington | $157,020 | $154,860 | $118,830 | $192,620 | 7,940 |
| Minnesota | $154,610 | $147,880 | $124,080 | $171,120 | 6,010 |
| Colorado | $151,680 | $145,690 | $108,030 | $181,560 | 5,130 |
| Hawaii | $150,710 | $147,650 | $123,340 | $174,170 | 1,310 |
| District of Columbia | $141,560 | $136,920 | $48,170 | $177,150 | 820 |
| New Hampshire | $141,480 | $140,440 | $112,300 | $164,220 | 1,090 |
| Delaware | $140,470 | $138,860 | $83,860 | $173,470 | 790 |
| Wisconsin | $140,410 | $141,090 | $105,500 | $174,730 | 4,940 |
| South Dakota | $140,190 | $137,460 | $119,250 | $160,360 | 1,290 |
| Indiana | $138,690 | $133,700 | $79,890 | $165,990 | 6,200 |
| Nevada | $138,650 | $133,320 | $74,990 | $163,870 | 2,330 |
| Idaho | $138,580 | $132,460 | $78,920 | $161,520 | 1,750 |
| Arizona | $138,080 | $136,410 | $81,120 | $166,710 | 7,690 |
| Missouri | $137,910 | $136,170 | $86,010 | $165,210 | 7,070 |
| New Mexico | $137,600 | $135,670 | $86,940 | $172,630 | 1,770 |
| Virginia | $137,470 | $137,920 | $99,130 | $169,950 | 7,700 |
| Wyoming | $137,470 | $138,330 | $111,990 | $164,250 | 520 |
| Montana | $137,230 | $135,130 | $100,990 | $161,590 | 1,330 |
| Maine | $136,970 | $136,010 | $85,880 | $167,340 | 1,330 |
| Texas | $136,950 | $134,880 | $72,680 | $168,690 | 22,720 |
| New York | $136,350 | $136,020 | $94,250 | $168,470 | 21,330 |
| Utah | $136,230 | $131,280 | $64,030 | $166,400 | 3,120 |
| Michigan | $136,070 | $129,620 | $58,910 | $164,960 | 9,640 |
| Massachusetts | $136,030 | $133,640 | $99,090 | $161,770 | 7,950 |
| North Carolina | $136,000 | $134,030 | $93,330 | $165,980 | 11,440 |
| South Carolina | $135,900 | $135,720 | $89,910 | $165,520 | 5,920 |
| Illinois | $135,880 | $136,050 | $99,610 | $166,090 | 12,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $135,830 | $133,720 | $104,380 | $161,760 | 15,120 |
| North Dakota | $135,570 | $125,790 | $37,340 | $160,750 | 980 |
| Maryland | $135,550 | $136,210 | $108,680 | $167,230 | 5,850 |
| Florida | $135,460 | $129,460 | $64,280 | $163,050 | 20,270 |
| Connecticut | $135,340 | $134,610 | $102,130 | $164,280 | 3,040 |
| Vermont | $134,780 | $135,880 | $107,470 | $171,900 | 530 |
| Ohio | $134,440 | $127,400 | $52,010 | $161,820 | 13,700 |
| Kansas | $134,350 | $130,770 | $53,730 | $170,670 | 3,560 |
| Arkansas | $134,230 | $132,090 | $101,140 | $159,980 | 3,100 |
| Alabama | $133,930 | $129,100 | $86,780 | $160,300 | 5,880 |
| West Virginia | $133,910 | $125,530 | $53,640 | $165,680 | 2,570 |
| Nebraska | $133,340 | $127,300 | $58,090 | $162,550 | 2,290 |
| Iowa | $133,220 | $131,150 | $102,380 | $159,720 | 2,920 |
| Kentucky | $132,750 | $130,990 | $73,650 | $163,620 | 5,310 |
| New Jersey | $132,510 | $134,360 | $107,860 | $164,020 | 10,930 |
| Mississippi | $132,420 | $127,530 | $94,110 | $156,250 | 3,060 |
| Georgia | $132,400 | $130,430 | $78,750 | $169,410 | 11,480 |
| Oklahoma | $132,360 | $127,050 | $96,300 | $157,750 | 3,870 |
| Tennessee | $131,290 | $125,850 | $72,580 | $161,360 | 8,050 |
| Louisiana | $129,650 | $125,450 | $94,430 | $155,890 | 5,010 |
| Rhode Island | $128,010 | $120,170 | $48,150 | $155,990 | 1,290 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for pharmacists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Apothecary or Clinical Pharmacist frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Pharmacists compares to others in the 29 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Pharmacists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.