Pharmacist Starting Salary

The job of a pharmacist involves making medicines available to patients that can improve their health. The pharmacists also shoulder the important responsibilities of guiding and advising the patients, administering and managing drugs and medicines in places like health care centers and hospitals and giving correct information about the contents and use of a particular medicine. All those who wish to make a successful career in the field of pharmacy, should be well aware of the pharmacist job description, to keep their efforts on the right track. Candidates have to complete their bachelor's degree in the field of pharmacy to get the requisite license to practice as a pharmacist. The best thing about pharmaceutical jobs is that there are many chances of career development and they are less affected by the recession, as compared to several other sectors.

Pharmacist Salary Details

The pharmacist starting salary largely depends on how good the academic record of the candidate is, and the university from which he has obtained his bachelor's or master's degree. The higher the rank of the university, more will be the pharmacist starting salary. The skills, depth of knowledge and ability to utilize the knowledge gained in the classrooms practically are also the factors which govern the pharmacist salary. As per a survey, the average starting salary for pharmacists can be in the range of USD 70,000 to USD 100,000 in a year, which is quite impressive as compared to many other professions. Many people joining the industry are believed to be earning around USD 75,000 per year as a starting salary.

On an average, the salaries of pharmacists are in the range of USD 75,000 to USD 80,000 per year. The salaries are believed to be more in the metropolitan cities and those pharmacists working in reputed retail medicine outlets are among the highest paid professionals. In large hospitals, the average salary for pharmacists is around USD 75,000 per year, while the starting average salary in hospitals was found to be around USD 60,000 per year. Pharmacists who have between one to four years experience are in demand and this is evident from the fact that their median salary was found to be between USD 65,000 to USD 95,000. Among the pharmacists, pharmacy directors are very highly paid professionals and they can earn an annual salary up to USD 110,000. The salaries of clinical pharmacists and pharmacist managers is also in the range of USD 85,000 to USD 100,000. Hospital and inpatient pharmacists are also among the highest paid people in this profession and their annual income is between USD 120,000 to USD 140,000. While registered pharmacists earn around USD 100,000, retail pharmacists can command a salary in excess of USD 130,000 per year, after gaining some good experience in the field. The future prospects are also bright for research pharmacists, travel pharmacists and internal medicine pharmacists, and they can expect to earn USD 115,000, USD 100,000 and USD 80,000 per year, respectively.

Pharmacists working in California are believed to be the highest paid with a median income of more than USD 100,000. New York, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Atlanta and Chicago are also the places, where the pharmacists have a scope of earning a higher salary. Like other highly placed professionals, the pharmacists also receive attractive bonuses based on their experience and talent.

From the pharmacist salary and job description, we conclude that it is an exciting and highly rewarding profession. This article will surely help you to know the essentials to become a pharmacist. With a sound educational background and relevant experience, you can achieve great heights in the field of pharmacy.