Career options are almost limitless
Not all pharmacists choose the same career pathway! Among the many areas PharmD graduates choose to work in are:
- Clinical settings such as hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, health systems, etc.
- Retail settings (community pharmacies)
- Research
- Academia
- Regulatory agencies
- Associations
- Consulting (in the pharmaceutical industry, insurance industry and others)
- Pharmaceutical sales
- Federal government (armed forces, FDA, NIH)
A need for pharmacy professionals
The demand for trained pharmacy professionals has increased in recent years due to the rapid growth of the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, especially for the growing elderly population. The number of pharmacists in healthcare services is also increasing as pharmacists become more actively involved in drug therapy decision-making for patients of all ages.
A good salary
The job opportunities for pharmacists are excellent and the salaries high. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for pharmacists was $136,000 in May 2023.
A respected profession
Pharmacists were ranked as the fourth most trusted profession in 2022, according to the results of an annual Gallup poll that asks consumers to rate professions according to perceptions of honesty and ethical standards. Pharmacists were ranked as “very high” or “high” in this category by 63% of those surveyed in the poll.
Career placement assistance
The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development assists students throughout their college experience. They offer help in choosing a career path, identifying and securing opportunities that will allow you to gain experience and conducting a successful job search. The center is located in the University Union, Room 133.
Learn more
- Pharmacy is Right for Me: website for middle- and high-school students interested in becoming pharmacists
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
- Is pharmacy for you?: information on pharmacy education, careers, role of a pharmacist, job outlook, wage statistics
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacists: an overview of pharmacy occupations, nature of work, job outlook, earnings, etc.
- Public Health Online: explore working in public health
- National professional pharmacy organizations
- American Association of Colleges in Pharmacy (AACP)
- American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP)
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
- Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)
- American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
- American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists (ASHP)
- National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA)
- State professional pharmacy organizations