Pharmacist Salary in Montana and How to increase your Pay

The pharmacist salary in Montana is $116,233 per year and $52.73 per hour on the average.

A pharmacist is a health care professional that dispenses and manages medication. While there are many factors which can impact a pharmacist’s salary in Montana, there are several things that you can do to increase your pay.

Pharmacist Salary in Montana Cities

Here are the salaries of pharmacists across the cities of Montana:

	City	Hourly Salary	Annual Salary
1	Billings	$52.64	$116,030
2	Missoula	$50.66	$111,673
3	Great Falls	$50.38	$111,045
4	Bozeman	$53.17	$117,209
5	Silver Bow	$58.63	$129,228
6	Helena	$52.68	$116,114
7	Kalispell	$49.91	$110,025
8	Havre	$52.56	$115,856
9	Belgrade	$50.41	$111,117
10	Anaconda-Deer Lodge County	$52.84	$116,465
11	Helena Valley Southeast	$68.00	$149,893
12	Evergreen	$55.63	$122,619
13	Miles City	$54.44	$120,007
14	Lockwood	$56.61	$124,778
15	Helena Valley West Central	$61.10	$134,675
16	Whitefish	$49.04	$108,105
17	Livingston	$49.67	$109,478
18	Laurel	$48.56	$107,030
19	Sidney	$54.30	$119,689
20	Lewistown	$52.71	$116,197
21	Columbia Falls	$47.79	$105,332
22	Orchard Homes	$74.13	$163,403
23	Polson	$47.44	$104,574
24	Glendive	$53.08	$117,001
25	Four Corners	$51.27	$113,022
26	Hamilton	$47.40	$104,476
27	Browning	$59.04	$130,150
28	Dillon	$49.18	$108,417
29	Helena Valley Northwest	$61.73	$136,070
30	Crow Agency	$61.52	$135,614
31	Malmstrom AFB	$54.11	$119,265
32	Hardin	$51.67	$113,891
33	Helena Valley Northeast	$58.07	$127,998
34	Glasgow	$50.46	$111,225
35	Big Sky	$52.08	$114,807

10 Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Montana

Here are some of the highest paying cities for pharmacists in Montana:

	City	Hourly Salary	Annual Salary
1	Orchard Homes	$74.13	$163,403
2	Helena Valley Southeast	$68.00	$149,893
3	Helena Valley Northwest	$61.73	$136,070
4	Crow Agency	$61.52	$135,614
5	Helena Valley West Central	$61.10	$134,675
6	Browning	$59.04	$130,150
7	Silver Bow	$58.63	$129,228
8	Helena Valley Northeast	$58.07	$127,998
9	Lockwood	$56.61	$124,778
10	Miles City	$54.44	$120,007

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Montana

Pharmacist with highly desirable skills and certifications make more money in Montana than those without them.

This is due to the fact that employers in Montana value and reward employees with specialized skills.

Examples of valuable skills and certifications for pharmacists in Montana include, but are not limited to:

1. Certified Pharmacy Manager(s)
2. Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) with experience in pharmacy
3. Certified Nurse/Midwife with experience in pharmacy and as a pharmacist
4. Certified Clinical Pharmacist (CCP)  

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Montana

Experience also contributes to a pharmacist’s salary in Montana. If you have experience in your profession, you will be valued more and can make more money.

A pharmacist in their first year would earn $104,029 while a pharmacist with over 10 years of experience would earn $128,692.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Montana

These are some of the highest paying companies for pharmacists in Montana:

	Company	Hourly Salary	Annual Salary
1	Dignity Health	$75.93	$167,369
2	UCLA Health	$75.67	$166,792
3	Meijer	$73.92	$162,937
4	Raley’s / Bel Air / Nob Hill	$71.12	$156,774
5	Oregon Health & Science University	$69.17	$152,471
6	Costco Wholesale	$67.82	$149,484
7	Adventist Health	$65.46	$144,285
8	eTeam Inc	$64.97	$143,213
9	MedWatchers Inc	$64.19	$141,502
10	Pharmedium	$63.27	$139,463

10 Highest Paying Pharmacist Jobs in Montana

These are some of the highest paying pharmacist jobs in Montana:

1. Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist: $152,377
2. Clinical Staff Pharmacist: $133,967
3. Clinical Pharmacist Specialist: $131,310
4. Travel Pharmacist: $129,826
5. Hospital Pharmacist: $123,684
6. Clinical Pharmacist: $123118
7. Intern Pharmacist: $56,341
8. Consultant Pharmacist: $104,321
9. Managed Care Pharmacist: $125660
10. Long-term care Pharmacist: $144,000.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in Montana

Pharmacists receive benefits from their employers in Montana, like medical, dental, life, vision and disability coverage.

The pharmacist’s compensation package also includes bonuses, stock options, and profit sharing option.

Medical coverage: This includes medical coverage such as health, dental, and vision insurance.

Non-medical benefits: This includes the following non-medical benefits:

• Pension (401K) plan
• Paid time off (vacations and holidays)
• Life insurance and disability insurance

Bonus: The pharmacist in Montana may receive a bonus from their employers, like the signing bonus and annual bonus.

Profit sharing: The pharmacist may receive share of the profit he/she makes for his/her employer in Montana.

Stock options: The pharmacist receives stock options from his/her employer that can be used to buy company stocks later at a predetermined price.

The person can then resell them if they are valued more in the market at a future date.

What Related Job Titles to Pharmacist Earn in Montana

Here is a list of what related occupations to pharmacist earn in the State of Montana:

• Biomedical scientist; $73,996
• Clinical laboratory scientist; $83,587
• Medical representative; $79784
• Pharmaceutical sales representative; $110082
• Physician – immunologist/allergist; $239940

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Montana

The job outlook for pharmacists in Montana is good and is expected to grow. Pharmacists are needed in Montana because of the growing senior population.

Having more seniors means more medications that need to be dispensed.

The aging population is also a factor for this job outlook increase because of the increase in geriatric patients who might have cancer or heart problems.

How to increase your Pay as a Pharmacist in Montana

There are several ways to increase your pay as a pharmacist in Montana, here are ideas you can put to use:

1. Get New Certification

The pharmacy profession in Montana is constantly in need of pharmacists.

Although there are many pharmacy schools and training programs offered, you can get certified without going to school and without even working in the industry.

There are two ways you can get certified: through the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists (ASHP) Certification Program or through the Board of Registration in Pharmacy(BRPh).

2. Take on Additional Responsibilities

Most employers in Montana have a need for pharmacists, so if your company does not, you can find one that does.

Pharmaceutical companies can hire pharmacists for their own pharmacy or for other areas of the office such as information technology and quality assurance.

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities will often hire pharmacists for specific departments or positions within the pharmacy department.

You may also be able to take on additional responsibilities such as management or leadership roles within the pharmacy department.

More Tips to increase your Pay as a Pharmacist in Montana

3. Apply for a Better Pay Grade or Job Title

The pay scale will depend on which branch of pharmacy you are in. Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy assistants in Montana usually earn the lowest in the field, while pharmacists usually earn the highest.

There are also many different job titles that show you are a pharmacist, including: clinical pharmacist, pharmaceutical consultant, and pharmaceutical manager, and pharmaceutical technician.

4. Get a Promotion

The pharmacy profession is one that is always in need of new pharmacists. If you would like to become a pharmacist and you think that the pay isn’t as good as it could be, then there are two things you can do to get promoted.

First, you can work your way up from a low-paying pharmacy assistant position to a higher paying pharmacist position.

You can also leave your current job for a position at another healthcare facility.

More Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Montana

There are more career opportunities for pharmacists in Montana that you can leverage to increase your income. Some of these include:

1. Pharmacy Director

Pharmacy directors are responsible for the daily operations of a pharmacy.

They make sure that the pharmacy staff is dispensing medications correctly and efficiently, as well as staying on top of new drug developments and potential drug interactions.

2. Pharmacy Supervisor

Supervisors are responsible for the day-to-day operations of a pharmacy.

They are not as involved as directors, but they do have administrative duties, such as supervising other staff, setting schedules and budgeting.

3. Pharmacy Administrator

Pharmacists who work in healthcare facilities that employ more than one pharmacist may need to be administrators, especially if there are multiple pharmacies on the premises.

They have the same tasks as supervisors and directors but with some additional tasks like overseeing the entire pharmacy function of a healthcare facility.

4. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Sales representatives work to increase the sales of a pharmaceutical company’s product. They are responsible for handling phone calls, presentations, and sales visits in the community.

Conclusion

Despite the ups and downs, pharmacists are one of the most in-demand jobs that are growing in Montana.

The health care industry is constantly growing; therefore, there is a need for people who can dispense medications to patients.

Hopefully, this article has helped you learn more about this job and the many ways you can increase your income in Montana as a pharmacist.

Information sources: payscale.com, bls.gov, indeed.com, glassdoor.com, beckershospitalreview.com, salary.com, pharmacytechnicianguide.com, pharmapproach.com,