How much does a Pharmacist make in District of Columbia?

BLS reports a median annual wage of $141,560 for Pharmacists in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $129,890 and the 75th-percentile is $164,990.

How are District of Columbia Pharmacist salaries calculated on this page?

Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.

What does the top of the Pharmacist pay scale look like in District of Columbia?

The 90th percentile lands at $177,150. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $164,990.

How many Pharmacists does District of Columbia employ?

BLS OES counts 820 Pharmacists employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?

The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.

Retail vs hospital vs clinical pharmacist pay in District of Columbia?

BLS aggregates pharmacists (29-1051) into one figure. In {state}, retail chain pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, independents) historically led on starting pay but has compressed as chain consolidation and store-closure cycles squeeze hours. Hospital pharmacy in {state} typically pays mid-band with stronger benefits and pension. Clinical and specialty (oncology, infectious disease, ambulatory care) leads at the senior level, especially with PGY-1/PGY-2 residency credentials. Industry (pharma, PBM, managed care) sits at the high end.

Is the pharmacist labor market oversupplied in District of Columbia?

District of Columbia pharmacist labor markets vary. National PharmD graduate output peaked around 2018 and has stayed above retiree replacement rates, contributing to chain-pharmacy hour cuts and offers below historical BLS norms in saturated metros. Rural District of Columbia markets remain undersupplied — sign-on bonuses of $20-50K for rural retail or hospital roles are common. Hospital and clinical roles requiring PGY-1/PGY-2 residency are not oversupplied; specialty boards (BCPS, BCOP, BCACP) are still differentiators that push pay above the BLS median.

District of Columbia Pharmacist Salary: BLS $142K Median, Real $128K (2026)

TL;DR

$141,560 is the BLS median wage for Pharmacists in District of Columbia; $127,862 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
Cost premium eats $13,698 from the headline wage; the state ranks much lower on real take-home than nominal.
Quartile range $129,890 (bottom 25%) to $164,990 (top 25%); the P10-P90 envelope is $48,170 to $177,150.
On a real-wage basis, this state sits at #47 of 51; nominal rank is #8.

Wage breakdown — District of Columbia

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$48,170	$43,509
P25 (lower quartile)	$129,890	$117,321
P50 (median)	$141,560	$127,862
P75 (upper quartile)	$164,990	$149,025
P90 (top tier)	$177,150	$160,008
Mean	$136,920	$123,671
Employment	820 Pharmacists in District of Columbia

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	District of Columbia index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	110.7
Goods	106.5
Services	109.0
Rents	168.1

District of Columbia is a high-cost state — RPP 110.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (168.1) and services (109.0).

After-tax take-home — District of Columbia (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Pharmacist)	$141,560	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$22,792	16.1% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$9,192	4–10.75% (graduated)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$10,829	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$98,747	69.8% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$89,192	÷ (110.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the District of Columbia state-tax burden means for Pharmacist take-home

District of Columbia carries one of the heavier state-tax loads in the country at this income tier (6.5% effective on the BLS median). Combined with federal and FICA, gross-to-take-home spread is 30.2%, leaving $98,747 pre-RPP and $89,192 after the 110.7 cost-of-living index — a $52,368 gap from the headline gross.

Computed from 2026 IRS federal brackets (Rev. Proc. 2025-32), 2026 state DOR brackets, and 2026 FICA rates. Single filer, standard deduction, no other adjustments. See methodology · tax for limitations (married filers, ITM/SALT itemizers, retirement deferrals, HSA, dependent credits, etc.).

National context

Across the United States, BLS reports a national median of $137,480 for Pharmacists with mean pay of $137,210 and total employment of 328,870. District of Columbia sits at #8 on nominal pay and #47 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, District of Columbia falls 39 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Pharmacist make in District of Columbia?: BLS reports a median annual wage of $141,560 for Pharmacists in District of Columbia as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $129,890 and the 75th-percentile is $164,990.
How are District of Columbia Pharmacist salaries calculated on this page?: Nominal wages come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) — annual employer surveys, May 2026 reference period. Real-wage figures use BEA Regional Price Parities (2023 vintage) to adjust for state-level cost of living. No self-report or jobs-board data is mixed in.
What does the top of the Pharmacist pay scale look like in District of Columbia?: The 90th percentile lands at $177,150. That tier typically reflects senior roles, specialty certifications, high-cost-of-living metros within the state, or union-negotiated rate cards. Below that, the P75 quartile is $164,990.
How many Pharmacists does District of Columbia employ?: BLS OES counts 820 Pharmacists employed in District of Columbia in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for District of Columbia?: The BLS median is a calibration anchor, not a ceiling. Use it to validate that an offer is in-band — anything well below the P25 in this state is a flag, anything above the P75 typically requires demonstrable specialty depth, niche credentials, or a high-COL metro within District of Columbia.
Retail vs hospital vs clinical pharmacist pay in District of Columbia?: BLS aggregates pharmacists (29-1051) into one figure. In {state}, retail chain pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, independents) historically led on starting pay but has compressed as chain consolidation and store-closure cycles squeeze hours. Hospital pharmacy in {state} typically pays mid-band with stronger benefits and pension. Clinical and specialty (oncology, infectious disease, ambulatory care) leads at the senior level, especially with PGY-1/PGY-2 residency credentials. Industry (pharma, PBM, managed care) sits at the high end.
Is the pharmacist labor market oversupplied in District of Columbia?: District of Columbia pharmacist labor markets vary. National PharmD graduate output peaked around 2018 and has stayed above retiree replacement rates, contributing to chain-pharmacy hour cuts and offers below historical BLS norms in saturated metros. Rural District of Columbia markets remain undersupplied — sign-on bonuses of $20-50K for rural retail or hospital roles are common. Hospital and clinical roles requiring PGY-1/PGY-2 residency are not oversupplied; specialty boards (BCPS, BCOP, BCACP) are still differentiators that push pay above the BLS median.

Sources & methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES), SOC 29-1051, 2024 reference period.
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities, 2023 vintage (all-items, goods, services, rents).
Real-wage figures = nominal BLS wage ÷ (state RPP / 100).
See the methodology page for full computation details and limitations.

By Marcus Liang · Founder & Editor · Last synced 2026-05-05.

Cross-comparison: see how District of Columbia Pharmacist pay ranks against the other 254 state × occupation pages on the Real Wage Atlas → — four-way ranking by real wage, after-tax take-home, state-tax savings, and cost-of-living arbitrage.