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

The 90th percentile lands at $162,550. 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 $148,900.

How many Pharmacists does Nebraska employ?

BLS OES counts 2,290 Pharmacists employed in Nebraska in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.

Why is the BEA RPP for Nebraska different from a single CPI number?

BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Nebraska's overall index of 90.3 reflects rents 74.3, services 79.4, and goods 96.5.

How wide is the wage spread in Nebraska?

P10 to P90 spans $58,090 to $162,550. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.

Is Nebraska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Pharmacists?

Yes — the BEA RPP of 90.3 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $133,340 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $147,683. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Pharmacists comparing offers across regions.

What are the limits of these Pharmacist salary numbers?

BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.

Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nebraska?

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 Nebraska.

Pharmacist Pay in Nebraska: $133K Median + Purchasing Power (2026)

TL;DR

Nebraska pays Pharmacists a BLS median of $133,340 — the more useful number is $147,683, what that paycheck buys after rent and services.
Wage envelope: $58,090 (P10) to $162,550 (P90), with quartiles at $122,340 and $148,900.
Below-100 RPP flips this state above its nominal rank in real-wage terms; the gap is about $14,343.
State ranks #42 nationally on nominal wage, #21 on real (RPP-adjusted) wage.

Wage breakdown — Nebraska

Percentile	Nominal (BLS)	Real (BEA RPP-adjusted)
P10 (entry tier)	$58,090	$64,339
P25 (lower quartile)	$122,340	$135,500
P50 (median)	$133,340	$147,683
P75 (upper quartile)	$148,900	$164,917
P90 (top tier)	$162,550	$180,035
Mean	$127,300	$140,993
Employment	2,290 Pharmacists in Nebraska

Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity

Component	Nebraska index (US = 100)
All-items RPP	90.3
Goods	96.5
Services	79.4
Rents	74.3

Nebraska sits below the national baseline (RPP 90.3), so nominal pay translates to a higher real wage than the BLS median suggests — particularly visible in rents at 74.3.

After-tax take-home — Nebraska (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)

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

Layer	Amount	Note
Gross BLS P50 (Pharmacist)	$133,340	nominal median
Federal income tax	−$20,820	15.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied
State income tax	−$6,658	2.46–5.84% (graduated, 3.99% top by 2027)
FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%)	−$10,201	SS capped at $183,600 wage base
Take-home (after-tax)	$95,662	71.7% of gross
Real take-home (RPP-adjusted)	$105,952	÷ (90.3 / 100) BEA cost-of-living

What the Nebraska 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 $95,662 (71.7% of gross). After the 90.3 RPP, real take-home is $105,952.

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. Nebraska sits at #42 on nominal pay and #21 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, Nebraska climbs 21 positions — the cost of living is favorable relative to the wage.

Frequently asked questions

What does the top of the Pharmacist pay scale look like in Nebraska?: The 90th percentile lands at $162,550. 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 $148,900.
How many Pharmacists does Nebraska employ?: BLS OES counts 2,290 Pharmacists employed in Nebraska in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
Why is the BEA RPP for Nebraska different from a single CPI number?: BEA splits regional price parity into three components — goods, services, and rents — reweighted to the BEA's national consumption basket. Nebraska's overall index of 90.3 reflects rents 74.3, services 79.4, and goods 96.5.
How wide is the wage spread in Nebraska?: P10 to P90 spans $58,090 to $162,550. That spread captures entry-level to top-quartile pay, including specialty differentials and metro-area variance within the state.
Is Nebraska a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Pharmacists?: Yes — the BEA RPP of 90.3 is below the national 100 baseline, so nominal $133,340 stretches to a real-wage equivalent of $147,683. The take-home advantage versus a higher-RPP state is meaningful for Pharmacists comparing offers across regions.
What are the limits of these Pharmacist salary numbers?: BLS OES is an employer survey of W-2 wages — it excludes contractor pay, bonuses outside the base wage definition, equity compensation, and tip income. Self-employed practitioners and gig workers are not represented. For occupations with significant non-W-2 income, the BLS figure is a floor, not a complete picture.
Should I negotiate based on the BLS median for Nebraska?: 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 Nebraska.

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 Nebraska 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.