Pharmacist Salary in Alaska and How to Increase your Pay

The pharmacist salary in Alaska is about $142,610 annually and up to $68.50 hourly. Pharmacy is a very lucrative job in Alaska. If you have years of experience and diverse areas of expertise in the field, a huge paycheck is guaranteed.

In Alaska, as in other states, pharmacists have the responsibility of dispensing prescription medications to patients.

Also, they offer expertise in the safe use of dispensed prescriptions. They conduct wellness and health screenings, provide immunizations, oversee medications dispensed to patients, and advise patients on healthy lifestyles.

Pharmacist Salary in Alaska Cities

The table below shows how much salaries pharmacists make across the cities in the State of Alaska:

	City	Salary hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Anchorage	$76.14	$158, 375
2.	Badger	$75.38	$156.790
3.	Bethel	$75.11	$156,239
4.	Butte	$74.89	$155,963
5.	Chena ridge	$73.99	$153,900
6.	College	$75.45	$156,936
7.	Eielson AFB	$74.00	$153,920
8.	Fish hook	$74.50	$155,100
9.	Fairbanks	$75.41	$156,852
10.	Farmer’s Loop	$74.5	$155,000
11.	Gateway	$75.09	$156,200
12.	Goldstream	$74.98	$155,963
13.	Homer	$75.11	$156, 239
14.	Juneau	$75.46	$156,965
15.	Kalifornski	$74.30	$154,556
16.	Kenai	$75.11	$156,239
17.	Ketchikan	$75.44	$156, 915
18.	Knik-Fairview	$75.40	$156,832
19.	Kodiak	$75.11	$156,239
20.	Kotzebue	$74.80	$155,584
21.	Lakes	$75.95	$157,976
22..	Meadow Lakes	$74.66	$155,309
23.	Nikiski	$75.11	$156,239
24.	Nome	$74.95	$155,911
25.	Palmer	$75.11	$156,239
26.	Petersburg	$74.43	$154,829
27.	Sitka	$74.43	$154,829
28.	Soldotna	$75.11	$156,239
29.	Steele Creek	$74.66	$155,309
30.	Sterling	$75.11	$156,239
31.	Tanaina	$75.50	$157,040
32.	Unalaska	$74.03	$154,000
33.	Utqiagvik	$74.66	$155,300
34.	Valdez	$75.11	$156,239
35.	Wasilla	$75.50	$157,040

Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Alaska

As a pharmacist, earnings are determined by a few key factors, which include the city where you live in Alaska.

Some cities in Alaska pay pharmacists more money when compared to other cities. This is not because the U.S. government established a law which says that some cities should provide more lucrative jobs to pharmacists than others.

The main reason is due to the companies which have been established in the cities.

For example, if there are more companies in some cities in Alaska, looking for pharmacists, while pharmacists are not really sought for in another city, technically, this means that the pay in the first city would be more than in the second.

From top to bottom, here’s a list of the 10 highest paying cities for pharmacists in Alaska:

	City	Salary Hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Anchorage	$76.14	$158, 375
2.	Lakes	$75.95	$157,976
3.	Tanaina	$75.50	$157,040
4.	Wasilla	$75.50	$157,040
5.	Ketchikan	$75.47	$156, 977
6.	Juneau	$75.46	$156,965
7.	College	$75.45	$156,936
8.	Fairbanks	$75.41	$156,852
9.	Knik-Fairview	$75.40	$156,832
10.	Badger	$75.38	$156.790

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Alaska

Unique skills or expertise in the field are big factors that determine the salary of a pharmacist in Alaska.

Pharmacists that specialize in retail pharmacy arguably earn the highest in the field. This is one of the major booming specialty or skills in pharmacy that can cause one to be very highly sought-after.

In one year, one can earn $150,000 or even higher.

Patient counseling, also, is another major specialty in pharmacy. One can earn around $145,000 or higher in one year.

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Alaska

A pharmacist with entry-level qualifications and has less than 1 year of experience should expect to earn a total compensation (includes bonuses, tips, and overtime pay) of about $53.99 on average per hour based on about 400 salaries.

A pharmacist having one to four years of experience earns a total average compensation of $55.55 based on 1,604 salaries.

A pharmacist who has about 5-9 years of experience earns an average compensation of $58.74 based on 772 salaries.

A pharmacist with 10-19 years of experience receives a total average compensation of $64.90 or more based on 750 salaries.

Employees can earn an average compensation of about $60 in their late careers, that is, 20 years of experience or above.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Alaska

Pharmacists that earn the most are employed by some of the highest paying companies in Alaska.

These companies are able to pay pharmacists in Alaska this handsomely due to their very essential role in healthcare, which is instrumental to the success of the company.

In other words, pharmacists are very important to these companies and are paid lucratively because of that.

Below is a list of the 10 highest paying companies for pharmacists in the Alaska:

	Company	Salary Yearly	Salary Hourly
1	Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium	$188,323	$90.54
2	Stanford Health Care	$177,694	$85.43
3	Vtech Solution Inc.	$161,116	$77.46
4	UCLA Health	$160,992	$77.40
5	Dignity Health	$154,648	$74.35
6	Meijer	$153,670	$73.88
7	MedWatchers Inc.	$144.060	$69.26
8	Costco Wholesale	$141,356	$67.96
9	Riverside Health System	$139,547	$67.09
10	Parkland Health & Hospital System	$139,048	$66.85

10 Highest Paying Jobs for Pharmacists in Alaska

There are lots of high paying job opportunities for pharmacists in Alaska. They include:

• Pharmacist/Supervisory Pharmacist:Salary is about $158,000 per year.
• Ambulatory Pharmacist:Salary is about $127,000 yearly.
• Pharmacist – Intermittent – Pharmacy Inpatient:Salary is about $135,000 yearly.
• Pharmacist In-Charge/Pharmacy Manager:Salary is about $134,000 yearly.
• Inpatient Staff Pharmacist: Salary is about $128,000 yearly.
• Pharmacy Manager: Salary is about $125,000 yearly
• Relief Ambulatory Pharmacist: Salary is about $118,000 a year.
• Pharmacist – Intermittent – Pharmacy Outpatient: Salary is about $143,000 yearly.
• Staff Pharmacist Retail:Salary is about $114,000 yearly.
• Pharmacy Residency Program Coordinator:Salary is about $72,900 every year.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in Alaska

As a result of the high demand for pharmacists in Alaska, most employers continuously devise ways to make themselves distinct from one another.

They intend to achieve this by offering a very attractive benefits package to their employees. Below are some of the major benefits enjoyed by thousands of pharmacists:

• Remote work and flexible work hours

Remote job positions are now very common in the field of pharmacy. Now, employees can easily work from home, instead of having to always work from an office. These remote positions enable them to enjoy flexible hours.

• Healthcare

Health insurance is a very essential feature of a pharmacist’s benefits package in Alaska.

Some companies are ready to cover 100% of the healthcare costs of their employees including full vision, dental, prescription drug and overall health insurance.

Interestingly, this has been proven to be an effective way to motivate pharmacists in Alaska to perform better.

• Bonuses

Every pharmacist employed in Alaska is entitled to a performance-based bonus in that role. Usually, the bonus is offered to high-performing pharmacists to encourage them to put in more effort on the job.

• Paid housing and relocation assistance

In some large companies, pharmacists do enjoy the privilege of paid housing. As long as they’re employed by the company, they can live in that beautiful house for free.

This is to take away the high cost of rent or building a house. Some others are even entitled to relocation assistance. The company financially aids them when they want to relocate.

• Paid time off

After great, diligent service, a paid time off is really a welcome benefit that one can enjoy as a pharmacist in Alaska. It’s a strategy employed by many companies to win pharmacists over from other employers.

What Related Job Titles Do Pharmacist Earn in Alaska

Aside from pharmacy, there are other related roles in Alaska through which one can earn a significant amount of money.

Surprisingly, their paychecks can be sometimes as big as a pharmacist’s, which is why many people still seek to occupy these roles.

Here are some of the most common job titles in Alaska that are related to pharmacy:

• Pharmacy Technician

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists in the preparing and distribution of medications, and also in the maintenance of drug inventory, pharmacy and patient records. For a pharmacy technician, the salary is about $33,000 in Alaska.

• Pharmaceutical Sales Reps

Pharmaceutical sales representatives sell the pharmaceutical products of their company. Their average earning is $76,327 per year in Alaska.

• Pharmaceutical Research Technician

Pharmaceutical research technicians aid doctors, veterinarians, and/or scientists with research and development of new or existing medications.

A quality pharmaceutical research technician earns about $41,000 on average yearly in Alaska.

• Laboratory Technician

Laboratory technicians perform various procedures in a laboratory setting. A laboratory technician earns an average of $49,800 every year in Alaska.

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Alaska

The employment of some pharmacists is projected to go down by 2 percent from 2020 to 2030 generally, in the United States.

However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for pharmacists generally is expected to increase by about 6 to 7 percent from 2016 to 2026.

There’s a projection of about 11,300 openings for pharmacists every year, over the decade on average in Alaska.

These openings are expected to result from the need to replace the workers who exit the labor force in retirement, for example, or transfer to other occupations.

Hence, demand is projected to increase very well for pharmacists in some healthcare settings like hospitals and clinics which will need more pharmacists to provide patient care and to also oversee the medications given to patients.

Considering the upsurge of use of prescription drugs, pharmacists also play roles that go beyond a pharmacy.

Since the job is one in demand, the range of salary, as well as other numerous benefits will also improve a lot as more companies need the services of pharmacists.

How to increase your Pay as a Pharmacist in Alaska

As a pharmacist, DNA testing is becoming a very intriguing field within healthcare, and undergoing training on DNA sequencing will give pharmacists a huge boost as this field is certain to grow in the future.

Another way to supplement your income as a pharmacist is to teach workshops and get paid for it. Once you design a workshop, you can simply replicate it in the different areas you’ll travel to, as long as there’s a crowd willing to learn.

You can also boost your earnings as a pharmacist through certificate acquisition like oncology and ambulatory care, in order to have an edge over others.

As a pharmacist, you can also boost your pay by offering to consult in medication therapy management (MTM). This service is provided by a pharmacist to aid people in gaining more knowledge and understanding of their health conditions, and the medications needed to treat them.

More Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Alaska

There are several career opportunities available to pharmacists in Alaska. They include:

• Hospital Pharmacy

Hospital pharmacists are members of the health care team composed of nurses and physicians and have the opportunity of directly being involved with patient care.

The clinical skills and knowledge that contemporary pharmacists possess position the hospital pharmacist an authoritative source of drug information for doctors, nurses, and patients.

• Community/Retail Pharmacist

Community/retail pharmacists play a huge role in the “wellness” movement, especially through counseling patients about preventive medicine.

They render service to patients and the community at large by providing medications and other associated services, giving information and advice on health, and by referring patients to other care sources like doctors when necessary.

Community/retail pharmacists must be knowledgeable about the composition of drugs, the physicochemical properties of drugs, their uses and even the drug manufacturer, as well as how these drugs are tested for strength and peace.

• Industrial Pharmacy

Industrial pharmacists are pharmacists engaged in quality control, marketing, product development, research and sales and administration.

A lot of pharmacists obtain postgraduate degrees in this field. Those who have an interest in sales and administration can serve as medical representatives by combining this with their technical background in pharmacy.

They offer explanations of the advantages and merits of the products that their firms produce.

• Veterinary Pharmacy

The veterinary pharmacist focuses on the treatment of animals. A veterinary pharmacist needs to be well grounded in the knowledge of the basic care given to animals. He should be capable of providing the essential medication to animals and livestock.

Conclusion

Pharmacy is a very good occupation in Alaska that has the potential to get anyone a very good pay if you’re willing to get the necessary skills required.

It’s well sought-after and the future is a very bright one. This article has helped you understand what needs to be done and the cities that pay very well.

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