PublicPay

Pharmacist federal salary series 0660

Full-time federal employees in the Pharmacist series earned a median of $171,949 in annualized adjusted basic pay in September 2026, 57% above the all-federal median of $109,641. The middle half earned between $157,286 and $185,662.

Median pay
$171,949
full-time, September 2026
Middle 50%
$157,286–$185,662
25th–75th percentile
Employees
14,669
in this series, all schedules
Change in median
+1.5%
vs. September 2025
Pay distribution, full-time employees with published pay, September 2026
Pharmacist
All federal (full-time)

What shapes pharmacist pay

The most common grade with published pay is GS-13 (7,056 employees, median $177,755). The largest employer of this series with published pay is the Department of Veterans Affairs (12,605 employees). Among states with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay, the median is highest in District of Columbia ($208,748) and lowest in Iowa ($156,718), a gap that partly reflects locality pay differences. Federal pay depends mostly on grade and step, plus a locality adjustment for where the job is located; see the GS pay scale explainer.

Pharmacist pay by grade

Grades with at least 30 full-time employees with published pay. GS grades are listed first; other pay plans follow.

Pharmacist pay by grade
Pay plan–grade Employees Median pay Middle 50%
GS-11 470 $121,089 $104,502–$136,098
GS-12 5,521 $163,500 $151,566–$174,792
GS-13 7,056 $177,755 $166,102–$189,717
GS-14 562 $198,488 $187,093–$208,940
GS-15 195 $226,670 $209,476–$241,658
AD (ungraded) 628 $52,602 $49,194–$55,081

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Pharmacist pay by agency

Pharmacist pay by agency
Agency Employees Median pay Middle 50%
Department of Veterans Affairs 12,605 $173,267 $159,015–$186,580
Department of Health and Human Services 966 $157,898 $148,875–$167,902
Department of Justice 76 $117,698 $104,502–$126,895

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Pharmacist pay by state

The 10 states with the most employees in this series and published pay.

Pharmacist pay by state
State Employees Median pay Middle 50%
California 1,109 $199,521 $183,897–$213,070
Florida 1,075 $164,583 $151,922–$174,563
Texas 942 $172,559 $158,842–$182,911
Ohio 574 $174,628 $158,959–$189,414
Illinois 523 $178,930 $160,572–$190,680
Pennsylvania 473 $162,903 $148,937–$175,769
Maryland 470 $166,700 $154,419–$187,093
North Carolina 454 $175,123 $161,956–$182,791
New York 447 $160,942 $148,269–$172,118
Arizona 429 $172,216 $157,500–$185,885

middle 50% (25th–75th percentile) 10th–90th percentile median all-federal median ($109,641)

Compare pharmacist pay across all states and agencies →

Change since September 2025

The median moved +1.5% from $169,480 in September 2025 to $171,949 in September 2026. Headcount went from 14,659 to 14,669 (+0.1%). A change in the median reflects both pay adjustments and who joined or left the workforce, so it is not the same as a pay raise.

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