Key Takeaways
- Mean annual salary for pharmacists was $136,030 in May 2023.
- Retail pharmacists earned a median of $130,000 annually in 2023.
- Hospital pharmacists' average salary reached $138,500 in 2023.
- In 2023, 92% of pharmacists held a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree.
- There were 144 accredited PharmD programs in the US in 2023.
- Enrollment in PharmD programs totaled 62,000 students in fall 2022.
- As of May 2023, there were 319,200 pharmacists employed in the United States, representing a 3% increase from 2022.
- In 2022, approximately 56% of pharmacists worked in retail pharmacies, totaling around 178,000 professionals.
- Hospitals employed 54,500 pharmacists in 2023, accounting for 17% of the total pharmacist workforce.
- The US pharmacy market size was $550 billion in 2023.
- Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) controlled 80% of prescriptions in 2023.
- Retail pharmacy sales grew 5.2% to $500 billion in 2023.
- In 2023, pharmacists administered 45% of adult vaccinations in the US.
- Medication reviews prevented 150,000 adverse events annually via MTM.
- 80% of community pharmacies offered flu shots, immunizing 50 million.
Pharmacists in May 2023 earned about $136,030 on average, with specialty roles and states driving higher pay.
Compensation
Compensation Interpretation
Education
Education Interpretation
Employment
Employment Interpretation
Growth
Growth Interpretation
Services
Services Interpretation
How We Rate Confidence
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
Min-ji Park. (2026, February 13). Pharmacist Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pharmacist-industry-statistics
Min-ji Park. "Pharmacist Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/pharmacist-industry-statistics.
Min-ji Park. 2026. "Pharmacist Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/pharmacist-industry-statistics.
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