How Much Do Pharmacists Make?

Many individuals know that being a pharmacist can be an interesting and remunerative career, but how much to pharmacists make? Before delving into that answer, perhaps it makes sense to first examine what it is that pharmacists really do and how much education is needed to become one.

Say the word "pharmacist" and it likely conjures up images of a kindly individual doling out pills at the local drug store. Pharmacists do much more. Pharmacists need to be able to consult and advice individuals who come to them for medications and they need to know whether or not certain drugs may have an adverse reaction if taken together. Therefore, a wide base of knowledge is a requirement for the job.

What a pharmacist does also varies with the environment in which they work. Not all pharmacists work in drug stores; some work in hospitals or in research environments and may focus on particular type of therapies becoming specialists in a specific field. Those who work in a pharmacy need to know how to compound or mix medicines. While this is increasingly becoming less and less frequent, it is still an important skill for a pharmacist to have.

As can be imagined, all that knowledge requires a great deal of education. Pharmacists earn a particular type of doctorate called a Pharm.D, or Doctor of Pharmacy. Admittance to such a program requires a strong academic background in the sciences and some professional work experience.

All of this work, however, does not go unrewarded as pharmacists make very good salaries. In 2008 the Bureau of Labor Statistic reported that the median average for a pharmacist was $106,410 with only the lowest ten percent earning below $77,390.