Pharmacist Salary in California
Median annual pay in California
$164,610
$79.14/hour
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Adjusted for cost of living in California
$148,672
Regional Price Parity: 110.720 (U.S. = 100)
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Difference from the U.S. median ($140,910): +$23,700 (+16.8%)
California ranks 3rd of 51 states by median pay, and 26th of 51 after adjusting for cost of living.
Pay
| Annual | Hourly | |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $90,560 | $43.54 |
| 25th percentile | $138,360 | $66.52 |
| Median | $164,610 | $79.14 |
| 75th percentile | $197,860 | $95.12 |
| 90th percentile | $213,820 | $102.80 |
Employment
- Employment in California
- 34,030
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Comparison
Compared with the U.S.
- Median annual pay in California
- $164,610
- Median annual pay in the U.S.
- $140,910
- Difference
- +$23,700 (+16.8%)
Cost of living
$164,610 ÷ 110.720 × 100 = $148,672
Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Ranking
| Rank | Median annual pay | Adjusted for cost of living (annual) |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | ||
| 1st | $167,310 | $163,454 2nd |
| Oregon | ||
| 2nd | $165,960 | $160,563 4th |
| California This page | ||
| 3rd | $164,610 | $148,672 26th |
| Hawaii | ||
| 4th | $163,220 | $148,448 27th |
| Washington | ||
| 5th | $160,610 | $150,085 24th |
Similar occupations
Related occupations from O*NET, in O*NET's order, with their BLS median pay. Each figure shows the place it is for.
- Emergency Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$335,550/year U.S.
- Nurse Practitioner salary in California
$168,520/year California
- Family Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$244,180/year U.S.
- Physician Assistant salary in California
$165,650/year California
- General Internal Medicine Physician salary in the U.S.
$256,560/year U.S.
- Registered Nurse salary in California
$140,270/year California
Outlook
- Projected employment change, 2025–35 (U.S.)
- +5.2%
- Typical education needed for entry (U.S.)
- Doctoral or professional degree
BLS publishes employment projections only for the U.S. as a whole. BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35
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Pharmacist salary in nearby places
- Pharmacist salary in Arizona
$146,930/year Arizona
- Pharmacist salary in Nevada
$140,030/year Nevada
- Pharmacist salary in Oregon
$165,960/year Oregon
- Pharmacist salary in the U.S.
$140,910/year U.S.
Sources and update
- Wages and employment: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.
- Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
- Related occupations: O*NET® 31.0 Database, CC BY 4.0. Attributions
- Employment projections and typical education: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35.
- Neighboring states: U.S. Census Bureau, County Adjacency File, 2024.
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