# Pharmacists

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/pharmacists
- SOC code: 29-1051.00
- Career family: Healthcare practitioners
- Median annual pay: $140,910 (10th percentile $99,290, 90th percentile $174,230)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.2%
- Openings a year: 12,500
- Typical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ISC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 30 |
| Investigative (I) | 78 |
| Artistic (A) | 8 |
| Social (S) | 65 |
| Enterprising (E) | 27 |
| Conventional (C) | 59 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 91/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 89/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 89/100)
- Assisting and Caring for Others (importance 88/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 86/100)
- Working with Computers (importance 86/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 84/100)
- Providing Consultation and Advice to Others (importance 84/100)
- Processing Information (importance 83/100)
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships (importance 82/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, Monitoring, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Time Management

## Knowledge

Medicine and Dentistry, English Language, Biology, Mathematics, Chemistry, Education and Training, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Therapy and Counseling, Administrative

## Also called

Apothecary, Clinical Pharmacist, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS), Community Pharmacist, Druggist, Floater Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacist, Industrial Pharmacist, Inpatient Pharmacist, Outpatient Pharmacist

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/5120) (CIP 5120, 175 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Northeastern University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/northeastern-university-1923) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $142,985 | $21,908 |
| [Long Island University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/long-island-university-1520) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $136,840 | not reported |
| [University of Louisiana at Monroe](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-louisiana-at-monroe-2935) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $134,329 | $13,980 |
| [University of Hawaii at Hilo](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-hawaii-at-hilo-2914) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $80,004 | $131,134 | not reported |
| [Western New England University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/western-new-england-university-3234) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $129,138 | $19,500 |
| [University of Kansas](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-kansas-2931) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $125,384 | $12,577 |
| [North Dakota State University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-dakota-state-university-main-campus-1896) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $125,175 | $13,000 |
| [Saint Joseph's University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-joseph-s-university-2308) | Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $60,086 | $122,633 | $26,500 |

## Related careers

- [Emergency Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/emergency-medicine-physicians): $335,550 median pay
- [Nurse Practitioners](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nurse-practitioners): $132,300 median pay
- [Family Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/family-medicine-physicians): $244,180 median pay
- [Physician Assistants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/physician-assistants): $135,880 median pay
- [General Internal Medicine Physicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/general-internal-medicine-physicians): $256,560 median pay
- [Clinical Nurse Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-nurse-specialists): $97,550 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.