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Compound and dispense medications following prescriptions issued by physicians, dentists, or other authorized medical practitioners.
Select a State
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U.S.
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$92,670
($44.55)
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$121,310
($58.32)
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$104,260
($50.13)
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Annual figures are on top. Hourly figures are below in parentheses.
N/A = Information not available
- Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
- Pharmacy Administration/Policy/Regulatory Affairs (MS, PhD)
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design (MS, PhD)
- Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (MS, PhD)
- Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy (MS, PhD)
- Clinical and Industrial Drug Development (MS, PhD)
- Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics (MS, PhD)
- Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy (MS, PhD)
- Industrial and Physical Pharmacy and Cosmetic Sciences (MS, PhD)
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other
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Employment is expected to increase faster than the average. As a result of job growth, the need to replace workers who leave the occupation, and the limited capacity of training programs, job prospects should be excellent.
Employment of pharmacists is expected to grow by 17 percent between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. The increasing numbers of middle-aged and elderly people—who use more prescription drugs than younger people—will continue to spur demand for pharmacists throughout the projection period. In addition, as scientific advances lead to new drug products, and as an increasing number of people obtain prescription drug coverage, the need for these workers will continue to expand.
Pharmacists also are becoming more involved in patient care. As prescription drugs become more complex, and as the number of people taking multiple medications increases, the potential for dangerous drug interactions will grow. Pharmacists will be needed to counsel patients on the proper use of medication, assist in drug selection and dosage, and monitor complex drug regimens. This need will lead to rapid growth for pharmacists in medical care establishments, such as doctors' offices, outpatient care centers, and nursing care facilities.
Demand also will increase in mail-order pharmacies, which often are more efficient than pharmacies in other practice settings. Employment also will continue to grow in hospitals, drugstores, grocery stores, and mass retailers, because pharmacies in these settings will continue to process the majority of all prescriptions and increasingly will offer patient care services, such as the administration of vaccines.
Job prospects are expected to be excellent over the 2008–18 period. Employers in many parts of the country report difficulty in attracting and retaining adequate numbers of pharmacists—primarily the result of the limited training capacity of Pharm.D. programs. In addition, as a larger percentage of pharmacists elects to work part time, more individuals will be needed to fill the same number of prescriptions. Job openings also will result from faster than average employment growth and from the need to replace workers who retire or leave the occupation for other reasons.
Pharmacists held about 269,900 jobs in 2008. About 65 percent worked in retail settings. Most of these were salaried employees, but a small number were self-employed owners. About 22 percent of pharmacists worked in hospitals. A small proportion worked in mail-order and Internet pharmacies, pharmaceutical wholesalers, offices of physicians, and the Federal Government.
Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation
Overall Experience
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of medical school and up to an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to do their job.
Education
At a minimum, a bachelor's degree is required for these occupations. However, many also require a graduate school degree such as a Master's, Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Job Training
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations require that you already have the necessary skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Examples
Lawyers, instrumental musicians, physicists, counseling psychologists, and surgeons.
These occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising or managing the activities of others. Very advanced communication and organization skills are required.
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For information on pharmacy as a career, preprofessional and professional requirements, programs offered by colleges of pharmacy, and student financial aid, contact:
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, 1727 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.aacp.org
General information on careers in pharmacy is available from:
- American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 7272 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, MD 20814. Internet: http://www.ashp.org
- National Association of Chain Drug Stores, 413 N. Lee St., Alexandria, VA 22313. Internet: http://www.nacds.org
- Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, 100 North Pitt St., Suite 400, Alexandria, VA 22314. Internet: http://www.amcp.org
- American Pharmacists Association, 2215 Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20037. Internet: http://www.pharmacist.com
Information on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Exam (NAPLEX) and the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) is available from:
- National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 1600 Feehanville Dr., Mount Prospect, IL 60056. Internet: http://www.nabp.net
State licensure requirements are available from each State's board of pharmacy. Information on specific college entrance requirements, curricula, and financial aid is available from any college of pharmacy.
Sources: O*Net data version 12.0
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Department of Labor
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