Pharmacists · North Carolina

Pharmacists Salary in North Carolina

Pharmacists in North Carolina earn a median annual wage of $138,860 —1.5% below the national median of $140,910. That ranks NC #29 of 51 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$138,860
Median hourly
$66.76
Entry level (P10)
$101,670
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$169,820
90th percentile
Employment
11,430
2.3 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
-1.5%
U.S. $140,910

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$101,670
$128,660
$138,860
$159,010
$101,670$138,860$169,820
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $138,860.

Employment concentration (1.12×) is close to the national average.

Highest-paying states for pharmacists

All 51 states ranked by median annual wage. North Carolina is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1Alaska$167,310$80.445600.84
2Oregon$165,960$79.793,2500.80
3California$164,610$79.1434,0300.90
4Hawaii$163,220$78.471,1900.91
5Washington$160,610$77.227,3501.00
6Minnesota$159,740$76.806,3101.03
7Colorado$156,030$75.014,5600.77
8District of Columbia$153,400$73.758500.58
9Delaware$152,880$73.507900.79
10Wisconsin$148,740$71.515,7300.94

Related occupations in North Carolina

Occupations in the same job family, compared within North Carolina.

OccupationNorth Carolina medianU.S. median
Registered Nurses$84,350$97,550
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses$63,270$64,400
Pharmacy Technicians$44,530$45,750
Physicians, All Other$260,330$265,930
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians$60,650$62,930
Nurse Practitioners$128,990$132,300

Frequently asked questions

How much do pharmacists make in North Carolina?

The median annual wage for pharmacists in North Carolina is $138,860, or $66.76 per hour. That is 1.5% below the national median of $140,910.

What is the entry-level pharmacists salary in North Carolina?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $101,670 per year ($48.88/hour). The 25th percentile is $128,660.

How many people work as pharmacists in North Carolina?

About 11,430 people work in this occupation in North Carolina, or 2.3 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is North Carolina a good state for pharmacists?

North Carolina ranks #29 of 51 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment concentration (1.12x) is close to the national average.

Which state pays pharmacists the most?

Alaska has the highest median wage at $167,310 per year, followed by Oregon ($165,960) and California ($164,610).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes