Pharmacist salary
From 793 certified H-1B filings (FY2025–FY2026). Base salary only.
- Occupation code 29-1051: Pharmacists
- Also filed as: Pharmacist in Charge, Clinical Pharmacist
At a glance
- Mostly Level II (mid-level). 40% of Pharmacist filings are Level II, compared with 42% across all H-1B filings.
- Top filer: CVS Health. 264 filings (33% of the total), median $141,440.
- Median up 18% since FY2020. From $120,000 in FY2020 to $141,076 in FY2026 (Q1–Q3). Nominal, not adjusted for inflation.
Pharmacist H-1B salary overview
Employers filed 793 certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications for Pharmacist jobs in FY2025–FY2026 (occupation code 29-1051, Pharmacists). The median base salary is $136,885, 12% above the median for all H-1B filings ($122,699), and half of the filings fall between $123,635 and $149,822. The most common wage level is Level II (mid-level), at 40% of filings. New York, NY has the most filings (67), and CVS Health is the employer that files the most (264).
Is your Pharmacist offer competitive?
Enter the base salary in your offer. We compare it with certified H-1B filings for Pharmacist jobs, nationally or in one metro area.
Enter a salary to see where it falls.
Percentiles from certified H-1B filings, base salary only. Metro areas with at least 10 filings.
Top employers for Pharmacist
CVS Health
SafewayEmployers with the most Pharmacist filings. Bar: share of all Pharmacist filings. Figure: median base salary.
Pay by level
Entry-level · 39% of filings
Mid-level · 40% of filings
Senior · 15% of filings
Expert · 6% of filings
Show the table
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Level I · Entry | $132,000 | 305 |
| Level II · Qualified | $135,200 | 313 |
| Level III · Experienced | $147,680 | 117 |
| Level IV · Fully competent | $155,896 | 45 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Pharmacist pay by city
Median base salary in each metro area. Rent: HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027.
Show all 16 metro areas
| Metro area | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| New York, NY | $133,120 | 67 |
| Dallas, TX | $124,800 | 18 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $141,440 | 17 |
| Detroit, MI | $132,642 | 15 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $114,400 | 15 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $145,600 | 14 |
| Boston, MA | $128,555 | 14 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $149,562 | 14 |
| Barnstable, MA | $136,906 | 13 |
| Houston, TX | $126,880 | 13 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $124,800 | 13 |
| Seattle, WA | $150,280 | 13 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $137,956 | 12 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $147,722 | 12 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $141,440 | 10 |
| San Antonio, TX | $128,480 | 10 |
Metro areas with at least 10 filings for this occupation.
What a Pharmacist does
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.
Typical tasks
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.
- Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.
- Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions.
Preparation
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
O*NET occupation: Pharmacists (29-1051.00). This section includes information from the 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. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
H-1B pay vs. all U.S. workers
Across all U.S. workers in this occupation (Pharmacists), the median annual wage was $140,910 in May 2025, with 321,970 people employed. The median H-1B base salary in FY2025–FY2026 is $136,885, 3% lower.
| H-1B filings | All U.S. workers (BLS, May 2025) | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $107,685 | $99,290 |
| 25th percentile | $123,635 | $129,380 |
| Median | $136,885 | $140,910 |
| 75th percentile | $149,822 | $161,840 |
| 90th percentile | $162,144 | $174,230 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). BLS wages cover all wage and salary workers and include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are the base salary offered on certified LCAs. The two sources cover different periods. BLS reports wages of $239,200 or more as a single top value.
Salary details
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $107,685 |
| 25th | $123,635 |
| 50th (median) | $136,885 |
| 75th | $149,822 |
| 90th | $162,144 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $120,000 | $109,000 | $135,029 | 408 |
| FY2021 | $122,772 | $112,877 | $137,767 | 360 |
| FY2022 | $121,049 | $110,024 | $135,200 | 380 |
| FY2023 | $124,800 | $112,736 | $140,000 | 339 |
| FY2024 | $131,310 | $115,487 | $144,260 | 319 |
| FY2025 | $134,184 | $118,890 | $149,498 | 416 |
| FY2026 | $141,076 | $130,541 | $150,384 | 377 |
Questions
How much does an H-1B Pharmacist make?
The median base salary in certified H-1B filings for Pharmacist jobs is $136,885 (793 filings, FY2025–FY2026). Half of the filings are between $123,635 and $149,822.
What does an entry-level Pharmacist earn on an H-1B?
Level I (entry-level) filings have a median of $132,000. Level I accounts for 39% of Pharmacist filings.
Which employers file the most H-1B applications for Pharmacists?
CVS Health (264), Walgreen (53) and Safeway (51) filed the most Pharmacist LCAs in FY2025–FY2026.
Do H-1B Pharmacists earn more than other U.S. workers in the same job?
The H-1B median base salary ($136,885) is 3% lower than the median wage of all U.S. workers in this occupation ($140,910, BLS May 2025). The sources measure pay differently, so treat this as a rough comparison.