Pharmacist & Technician Pay Lookup
What moves your number
Where you land inside the band comes down to setting (hospital, retail, specialty, compounding), experience, certification, geography, and shift type. Flexible and per-diem work is priced separately again — a premium for availability, set per assignment.
Frequently asked questions
How much do pharmacists make?
A lot depends on where and how you work. Nationally, employed pharmacist pay typically runs from roughly $114,000 a year at the entry level up to about the median of $141,000 (about $55–$68 an hour), per the BLS — and it varies by setting, experience, geography, and shift type. This tool shows the range for your specific state or metro.
Is this the rate I would be paid for a per-diem shift?
No. These are employed (W-2) wages reported by the BLS. What you’d actually earn on a specific per-diem or contract assignment depends on the role, setting, and location.
Why is the range so wide?
Because pharmacist and technician pay genuinely varies that much by setting, experience, certification, and location. A wide band is the accurate picture; a single "going rate" would be misleading.
Estimates use general rules of thumb and public BLS employed-wage data — not a staffing or coverage rate, which is scoped to your situation. HCC Pharmacy Staffing.