Pharmacist · Massachusetts · SOC 29-1051
Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- Pharmacists in Massachusetts earn a BLS median of $136,030, with real take-home of $126,334 after BEA RPP adjustment.
- State ranks #27 nationally on nominal wage, #49 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.
- BEA RPP near 100 means nominal pay translates almost 1:1 into real take-home.
- Bottom quartile $129,330, top quartile $150,210. The P90 ($161,770) is roughly 1.6× the P10 ($99,090).
Wage breakdown — Massachusetts
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $99,090 | $92,027 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $129,330 | $120,111 |
| P50 (median) | $136,030 | $126,334 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $150,210 | $139,503 |
| P90 (top tier) | $161,770 | $150,239 |
| Mean | $133,640 | $124,114 |
| Employment | 7,950 Pharmacists in Massachusetts | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | Massachusetts index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 107.7 |
| Goods | 100.0 |
| Services | 166.1 |
| Rents | 130.1 |
Massachusetts is a high-cost state — RPP 107.7 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (130.1) and services (166.1).
After-tax take-home — Massachusetts (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Pharmacist) | $136,030 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$21,465 | 15.8% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$6,802 | 5% flat 2026 (4% surtax above $1M) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$10,406 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $97,357 | 71.6% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $90,417 | ÷ (107.7 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the Massachusetts state-tax burden means for Pharmacist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 5.0% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $97,357 (71.6% of gross). After the 107.7 RPP, real take-home is $90,417.
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. Massachusetts sits at #27 on nominal pay and #49 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Massachusetts falls 22 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Pharmacist make in Massachusetts?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $136,030 for Pharmacists in Massachusetts as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $129,330 and the 75th-percentile is $150,210.
- What is the real (cost-adjusted) Pharmacist salary in Massachusetts?
- After BEA RPP adjustment (regional price parity index 107.7 for Massachusetts), the real-wage equivalent is $126,334 — what the $136,030 nominal salary actually buys. Quartiles in real terms: $120,111 to $139,503.
- How are Massachusetts 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.
- Where does Massachusetts rank for Pharmacist pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, Massachusetts ranks among the 51 states and DC by median pay. After the BEA cost-of-living adjustment the ordering changes — high-cost states fall, low-cost states rise. Both rankings are shown in the data table on this page.
- How wide is the wage spread in Massachusetts?
- P10 to P90 spans $99,090 to $161,770. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
- Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Massachusetts?
- 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 Massachusetts.
- Retail vs hospital vs clinical pharmacist pay in Massachusetts?
- 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.
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.
Cross-comparison: see how Massachusetts 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.