As we reviewed in Pharmacist Pay in the Top 20 Metro Markets, the largest number of pharmacist jobs are found in the biggest U.S. metropolitan markets. However, a closer look at data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reveals that smaller metro areas are where pharmacists often times find better pay. A review of May 2019 BLS data shows that only two of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas were among the 20 best metro areas for pharmacist pay:
| Metropolitan Area | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyler, TX | 270 | $161,790 | ||
| 2 | Vallejo-Fairfield, CA | 380 | $158,250 | ||
| 3 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 270 | $157,850 | ||
| 4 | Madera, CA | 120 | $156,250 | ||
| 5 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,700 | $152,840 | ||
| 6 | San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 210 | $152,410 | ||
| 7 | Salinas, CA | 270 | $151,980 | ||
| 8 | Bakersfield, CA | 620 | $151,620 | ||
| 9 | McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 420 | $150,950 | ||
| 10 | Yuba City, CA | 80 | $150,830 | ||
| 11 | Merced, CA | 200 | $150,520 | ||
| 12 | Modesto, CA | 320 | $150,180 | ||
| 13 | Redding, CA | 140 | $150,030 | ||
| 14 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 200 | $149,320 | ||
| 15 | Appleton, WI | 120 | $149,090 | ||
| 16 | San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward (#) | 3,880 | $148,390 | ||
| 17 | Fresno, CA | 640 | $147,580 | ||
| 18 | Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 80 | $147,530 | ||
| 19 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (#) | 2,980 | $147,190 | ||
| 20 | Madison, WI | 870 | $146,920 | ||
| National | 311,200 | $125,510 | |||
(#) a top 20 U.S metro population area
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on October 31, 2020