Pharmacy professionals are still in high demand. The aging population and the growth in prescriptions are just part of what is fueling the need for pharmacy personnel and driving wage increases. Although the rate of salary increase for some positions, such as retail staff pharmacist, has slowed, other pharmacy positions are experiencing pay increases that are nearly double the increases over the prior year. Geography strongly influences the total compensation for pharmacists.
That’s the conclusion of the latest salary survey on pharmacy personnel conducted by Mercer. The semi-annual survey contains detailed information on pay levels and pay practices for pharmacy personnel reported in more than 380 metropolitan areas across the U.S. The position of regional pharmacy operations manager earns median total cash compensation of $130,400 compared to $122,100 in 2006, which is an increase of 6.8 % and more than twice the pay increase of 3.1 % in 2005. Similarly, clinical pharmacists saw pay raises increase from 3.9 % in 2006 to 6.3 % in 2007.
Here are some of the results from the Mercer survey — year-over-year pay comparison of select pharmacy positions.
| Job title | 2007 Median Total Cash Compensation | 2006 Median Total Cash Compensation | 2005 Median Total Cash Compensation |
| Regional Pharmacy Operations Manager | $130,400 | $122,100 | $118,400 |
| Pharmacy Team Manager | $109,200 | $104,300 | $99,700 |
| Staff Pharmacist – Retail | $102,800 | $98,600 | $93,600 |
| Clinical Pharmacist | $99,800 | $93,900 | $90,400 |
| Pharmacy Technician | $22,500 | $21,800 | $20,800 |
