Pharmacist Salary in Colorado and How to Increase Your Pay

The pharmacist salary in Colorado is about $122,179 annually.

In Colorado, pharmacy is a very reputable profession that commands a lot of respect and a tangible pay. A pharmacist in Colorado earns up to $122,179 annually and $59.74 hourly.

The job of pharmacists is to dispense prescription medications to the patients and to make sure that they’re being properly used as they should. 

Pharmacist Salary in Colorado Cities

Here is how much salaries pharmacists earn across Colorado cities:

	Cities	Salary hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Arvada	$69.23	$144,007
2.	Aurora	$69.18	$143,911
3.	Black Forest	$69.72	$145,018
4.	Boulder	$70.13	$145,872
5.	Brighton	$68.86	$143,246
6.	Broomfield	$69.47	$144,512
7.	Cañon City	$65.29	$135,816
8.	Castle Rock	$68.15	$141,761
9.	Centennial	$62.80	$130,636
10.	Cimarron Hills	$65.12	$135,470
11.	Clifton	$66.80	$138,963
12.	Colorado Springs	$68.13	$141,728
13.	Columbine	$65.12	$135,470
14.	Commerce City	$69.23	$144,007
15.	Dakota Ridge	$63.36	$131,803
16.	Denver	$69.23	$144,007
17.	Durango	$63.36	$131,803
18.	Englewood	$69.23	$144,007
19.	Erie	$69.94	$145,492
20.	Evans	$67.18	$139,742
21.	Firestone	$68.38	$142,249
22.	Fort Carson	$63.36	$131,803
23.	Fort Collins	$66.69	$138,724
24.	Fountain	$67.95	$141,350
25.	Frederick	$69.67	$144,922
26.	Golden	$69.18	$143,911
27.	Grand Junction	$66.81	$138,973
28.	Greeley	$66.90	$139,157
29.	Greenwood Village	$63.36	$131,803
30.	Highlands Ranch	$63.36	$131,803
31.	Johnstown	$67.70	$140,818
32.	Ken Caryl	$67.70	$140,818
33.	Lafayette	$70.03	$145,681
34.	Lakewood	$63.36	$131,803
35.	Littleton	$69.18	$143,911
36.	Longmont	$69.94	$145,492
37.	Louisville	$70.10	$145,872
38.	Loveland	$66.55	$138,435
39.	Montrose	$67.06	$139,493
40.	Northglenn	$66.55	$138,435
41.	Parker	$68.64	$142,791
42.	Pueblo	$63.49	$132,060
43.	Pueblo West	$63.36	$131,803
44.	Security-Widefield	$66.55	$138,435
45.	Thornton	$69.23	$144,007
46.	Welby	$62.80	$130,636
47.	Wellington	$66.47	$138,624
48.	Westminster	$69.23	$144,007
49.	Wheat Ridge	$69.23	$144,007
50.	Windsor	$66.50	$138,339

Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Colorado

Pharmacists in Colorado understand that when it comes to earnings, they differ in various states. That’s why it’s important for anyone who wishes to work in this state to know which cities pay the most.

The 10 highest paying cities for pharmacists in Colorado are:

	City	Salary Hourly	Salary Yearly
1.	Boulder	$70.13	$145,872
2.	Louisville	$70.10	$145,872
3.	Lafayette	$70.03	$145,681
4.	Erie	$69.94	$145,492
5.	Longmont	$69.94	$145,492
6.	Black Forest	$69.72	$145,018
7.	Fort Collins	$66.69	$138,724
8.	Frederick	$69.67	$144,922
9.	Broomfield	$69.47	$144,512
10.	Denver	$69.23	$144,007

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Colorado

Pharmacists in Colorado are paid in relation to the skills they possess. With the right skillset, one can earn $155,000 or more in one year.

It’s important to develop your skills as a pharmacist as it’ll hugely influence your pay.

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Colorado

In the world of pharmacy, experience indeed matters a lot. Colorado pharmacists with just one year experience would only earn a total compensation (including bonuses, tips, and overtime pay) of about $52.04 on average per hour.

One with a good experience of 10-19 years can expect to receive a total average compensation of $65.37 per hour.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Colorado

Companies in Colorado differ in their paying capabilities. Some can afford to pay pharmacists higher than the others either due to the wealth they have or the value they place on the pharmacists.  

The 10 highest paying companies for pharmacists in the State of Colorado:

	Company	Salary Yearly	Salary Hourly
1.	Stanford Health Care	$177,694	$85.43
2.	Aspen Valley Hospital	$165,172	$79.41
3.	UCLA Health	$160,992	$77.40
4.	Dignity Health	$154,648	$74.35
5.	Meijer	$153,670	$73.88
6.	MedWatchers Inc	$144,060	$69.26
7.	Costco Wholesale	$141,356	$67.96
8.	Riverside Health System	$139,861	$67.09
9.	Children’s Hospital Colorado	$136,302	$65.53
10.	Swedish Medical Center	$134,284	$64.56

10 Highest Paying Jobs for Pharmacists in Colorado

Pharmacists in Colorado are presented with high paying Job opportunities. They include:

• Director Pharmacy: Salary is about $234,832 yearly.
• Manager System Pharmacy 340B: Salary is about $218,441 yearly.
• Informatics Pharmacist Regional: Salary is about $198,140 yearly.
• Pharmacist Specialist Community Connect: Salary is about $198,140 yearly.
• Pharmacist – PRN Position: Salary is about $174,720 yearly.
• Clinical Pharmacist Staff: Salary is about $174,158 yearly.
• Pharmacist PRN: Salary is about $171,828 yearly.
• Pharmacy Clinical Manager (INTERNAL ONLY): Salary is about $170,830 yearly.
• Retail Pharmacist – Pharmacy at Valley View: Salary is about $170,643 each year.
• Pharmacist Clinical Specialist, Denver Health Medical Plan: Salary is about $170,600 yearly.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in the State of Colorado

There are numerous benefits and bonuses available to pharmacists working in Colorado. They include:

• Flexible work hours

Some companies allow their workers to work on a shift basis, choosing what hours of the day they’ll love to work. This benefit is a welcome one for pharmacists.

• Vision insurance

Many companies in Colorado offer to take care of all vision related challenges of their staff which includes the pharmacists.

• Paid housing

Some pharmacists who get employed by top companies are also rewarded with a house where they can live in as they work with the company. Who wouldn’t want a free house?

What Related Job Titles to Pharmacist Earn in Colorado

There are other lucrative jobs in Colorado that are much like pharmacy. You may want to look into those too. They include:

• Regulatory affairs manager

They are responsible for designing and analyzing information in laboratory investigations, trials, and experiments.

For the regulatory affairs manager, the salary is about $107,783 per year.

• Pharmaceutical sales reps

Pharmaceutical sales representatives educate medical professionals on the products of their company and on how their devices, drugs, and treatments can meet the needs of their patients.

Their average earning is $75,327 per year.

• Research scientist

They are tasked with planning and conducting experiments, writing grant proposals, completing funding applications and working alongside support staff and team members.

A good research scientist earns about $107,617 on average yearly.

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Colorado

In the last five years in Colorado, the salary of pharmacists have grown at nearly 5% and is projected to grow even further in the coming years, even up to 2028.

Employment for pharmacists has also been on a rise at a growth rate of over 13%.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate of pharmacists in Colorado will remain marginally positive until 2028, and over 320 job vacancies will be available every year.

How to Increase Your Pay as a Pharmacist in Colorado

To increase your pay as a pharmacist in Colorado, you may need to undergo further training in order to increase your value to your company.

Another good way is to earn a promotion in your workplace. It automatically leads to an increase in salary.

More Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Colorado

Opportunities available to pharmacists in Colorado are so many, they include:

• Research pharmacy

Research pharmacists are responsible for the development of new drugs and the profiling of their effectiveness, actions, interactions, and side-effects.

In a year, they are paid about $135,200.

• Community pharmacy

Community pharmacists are responsible for informing their customers about what drugs could interact with alcohol or with each other.

They aid in the prevention of troublesome or dangerous or drug combinations or side-effects of medication. They earn about $113,337.

• Veterinary pharmacy

These pharmacists are wholly interested in animals; their well-being and their healthcare, and are very grounded when it comes to animal knowledge. They earn about $132,915.

Conclusion

This article has provided detailed information to help you understand exactly the salary pharmacists should expect to earn in Colorado and guide you towards making the right choice in your career path.

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