Pharmacist · New Jersey · SOC 29-1051
Pharmacist Salary in New Jersey (2026)
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2024 reference period · BEA Regional Price Parity 2023 vintage · Last synced 2026-05-05.
TL;DR
- $132,510 is the BLS median wage for Pharmacists in New Jersey; $121,635 is the BEA-adjusted purchasing-power equivalent.
- Mid-band cost of living: real and nominal wage are within a few percent of each other.
- BLS percentile breakdown: P10 $107,860 · P25 $128,020 · P75 $150,830 · P90 $164,020.
- Nominal: #45/51 · Real: #51/51 — ranking shifts by 6 positions after RPP.
Wage breakdown — New Jersey
| Percentile | Nominal (BLS) | Real (BEA RPP-adjusted) |
|---|---|---|
| P10 (entry tier) | $107,860 | $99,008 |
| P25 (lower quartile) | $128,020 | $117,513 |
| P50 (median) | $132,510 | $121,635 |
| P75 (upper quartile) | $150,830 | $138,451 |
| P90 (top tier) | $164,020 | $150,559 |
| Mean | $134,360 | $123,333 |
| Employment | 10,930 Pharmacists in New Jersey | |
Cost of living — BEA Regional Price Parity
| Component | New Jersey index (US = 100) |
|---|---|
| All-items RPP | 108.9 |
| Goods | 105.8 |
| Services | 114.8 |
| Rents | 134.1 |
New Jersey is a high-cost state — RPP 108.9 above the national 100 baseline. Most of the cost premium routes through rents (134.1) and services (114.8).
After-tax take-home — New Jersey (2024 BLS · 2024 tax year, single filer)
Layer-by-layer take-home math at the BLS median
| Layer | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gross BLS P50 (Pharmacist) | $132,510 | nominal median |
| Federal income tax | −$20,620 | 15.6% effective; std deduction $15,750 applied |
| State income tax | −$6,315 | 1.4–10.75% (graduated) |
| FICA (SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%) | −$10,137 | SS capped at $183,600 wage base |
| Take-home (after-tax) | $95,438 | 72.0% of gross |
| Real take-home (RPP-adjusted) | $87,605 | ÷ (108.9 / 100) BEA cost-of-living |
What the New Jersey state-tax burden means for Pharmacist take-home
Mid-band state-tax burden at 4.8% effective. Combined with federal and FICA, take-home is $95,438 (72.0% of gross). After the 108.9 RPP, real take-home is $87,605.
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. New Jersey sits at #45 on nominal pay and #51 on real (cost-adjusted) pay among the 51 states and DC. After cost adjustment, New Jersey falls 6 positions — the cost premium eats into the headline wage.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Pharmacist make in New Jersey?
- BLS reports a median annual wage of $132,510 for Pharmacists in New Jersey as of the latest OES release. That is the 50th-percentile figure — half earn more, half earn less. The 25th-percentile is $128,020 and the 75th-percentile is $150,830.
- How many Pharmacists does New Jersey employ?
- BLS OES counts 10,930 Pharmacists employed in New Jersey in the most recent release. Employment density relative to population determines whether wage tiers reflect a robust competitive market or a thinner labor pool.
- Where does New Jersey rank for Pharmacist pay?
- On nominal BLS wages alone, New Jersey 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.
- Is New Jersey a 'real-wage arbitrage' state for Pharmacists?
- No — New Jersey's RPP is close to the national 100 baseline, so nominal and real wages move roughly together. Neither an arbitrage nor a penalty state.
- 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.
- Retail vs hospital vs clinical pharmacist pay in New Jersey?
- 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.
- PharmD ROI in New Jersey — does the salary justify $150-220K of tuition?
- PharmD programs in New Jersey typically run $35-60K/year tuition × 4 years plus 4 years of foregone earnings, putting the all-in cost over $200K for many students. With a New Jersey pharmacist median in the BLS table above and retail pay compression in 2023-2025, ROI breakeven is now 12-18 years post-graduation in most markets — substantially worse than a decade ago. Hospital and industry tracks payback faster; retail-only careers have a much weaker ROI than the historical baseline.
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 New Jersey 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.