Pharmacist Salary in Illinois and How to Increase your Pay

The pharmacist salary in Illinois is about $125,520 annually and $60.30 hourly.

Pharmacists, being highly respected medical personnel in Illinois, are responsible for the dispensing of appropriate medication to patients as well as patient counseling.

Pharmacists Salary in Illinois Cities

Here are the salary expectations for pharmacists across the cities of Illinois:

	City		Salary (Yearly)
1.	Arlington Heights	$71.10	$147,891
2.	Aurora	$72.57	$150,952
3.	Bartlett	$72.57	$150,952
4.	Belleville	$67.47	$140,346
5.	Berwyn	$72.82	$151,466
6.	Bloomington	$67.47	$140,346
7.	Bolingbrook	$71.10	$147,891
8.	Buffalo Grove	$71.10	$147,891
9.	Carol Stream	$71.85	$149,452
10.	Carpentersville	$70.62	$146,898
11.	Champaign	$67.47	$140,346
12.	Chicago	$72.71	$151,238
13.	Cicero	$67.47	$140,346
14.	Crystal Lake	$67.47	$140,346
15.	Decatur	$67.18	$139,746
16.	DeKalb	$67.18	$139,746
17.	Des Plaines	$72.71	$151,238
18.	Downers Grove	$72.57	$150,952
19.	Elgin	$71.58	$148,894
20.	Elmhurst	$72.71	$151,238
21.	Evanston	$72.65	$151,124
22.	Glenview	$72.65	$151,124
23.	Hanover Park	$72.57	$150,952
24	Hoffman Estates	$72.65	$151,124
25.	Joliet	$71.10	$147,891
26.	Lombard	$72.57	$150,952
27.	Moline	$63.92	$132,954
28.	Mount Prospect	$72.57	$150,952
29.	Naperville	$71.58	$148,894
30	Normal	$63.92	$132,954
31	Oak Lawn	$72.73	$151,295
32	Oak Park	$72.82	$151,466
33	Orland Park	$71.10	$147,891
34	Palatine	$71.58	$148,894
35.	Park Ridge	$72.73	$151,295
36	Peoria	$71.10	$147,891
37	Plainfield	$71.58	$148,894
38	Quincy	$63.92	$132,954
39	Rockford	$67.47	$140,346
40	Rock Island	$63.92	$132,954
41	Romeoville	$71.10	$147,894
42	Schaumburg	$71.85	$149,452
43	Skokie	$72.82	$151,466
44	Springfield	$63.92	$132,954
45	Streamwood	$72.57	$150,952
46	Tinley Park	$70.62	$146,898
47	Urbana	$63.92	$132,954
48	Waukegan	$67.47	$140,346
49	Wheaton	$71.85	$149,452
50	Wheeling	$71.10	$147,894

Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Illinois

The pay for pharmacists in Illinois varies from city to city. The highest paying cities in Illinois for pharmacists include:

	City	Salary (Hourly)	Salary (Yearly)
1.	Berwyn	$72.82	$151,466
2.	Oak Park	$72.82	$151,466
3.	Skokie	$72.82	$151,466
4.	Park Ridge	$72.73	$151,295
5	Oak Lawn	$72.73	$151,295
6:	Elmhurst	$72.71	$151,238
7:	Des Plaines	$72.71	$151,238
8.	Chicago	$72.71	$151,238
9.	Evanston	$72.65	$151,124
10.	Glenview	$72.65	$151,124

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Illinois

The more skilled a pharmacist is in Illinois, the more favorably he’ll be looked upon by employers in the State.

It’s very important for pharmacists to undergo further development to acquire more knowledge and certifications as it boosts their pay.

Employers deem pharmacists who possess the appropriate skills needed in the company as valuable and because of that, they’re handsomely rewarded for their skills.

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Illinois

When a pharmacist is just fresh out of school, they are unlikely to really be trusted or appreciated by employers due to lack of experience.

The value placed on experience in the field is massive.

With just a year of experience or less in in Illinois, a pharmacist could earn a total compensation (including bonuses, tips, and overtime pay) of about $93,981on average every year, while they could earn about $11 every year with more experience in the bag.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Illinois

Some companies are able to pay a lot of money to pharmacists for their services in Illinois when compared to others, they include:

	Company	Salary (Yearly)	Salary (Hourly)
1	Stanford Health Care	$177,694	$85.43
2	UCLA Health	$160,992	$77.40
3	Dignity Health	$154,648	$74.35
4	Meijer	$153,670	$73.88
5	MedWatchers Inc	$144,060	$69.26
6	Costco Wholesale	$141,356	$67.96
7	Riverside Health System	$139,547	$67.09
8	Parkland Health & Hospital System	$139,048	$66.85
9	Swedish Medical Center	$134,284	$64.56
10	TotalMed	$131,934	$63.43

10 Highest Paying Jobs for Pharmacists in Illinois

Here are some of the highest paying jobs for pharmacists in the State of Illinois:

• Hospital Pharmacist: Salary is about $145,000
• Inpatient Pharmacist: Salary is about $144,000 yearly.
• Pharmaceutical Physician: Salary is about $143,000 yearly.
• Pharmacist In Charge: Salary is about $130,000 yearly.
• Pharmaceutical Physician: Salary is about $143,000 yearly.
• Chief Pharmacist: Salary is about $132,500 yearly.
• Pharmacist In Charge: Salary is about $130,000 yearly.
• Relief Pharmacist: Salary is about $119,000 yearly.
• Hospital Staff Pharmacist: Salary is about $116,000 yearly.
• Pharmacist Retail: Salary is about $115,000 yearly.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in Illinois

Getting a job as a pharmacist in Illinois attracts tons of benefits apart from the basic salary. They include:

• Relocation Benefits: The pharmacist is aided in the relocation process if he/she wants to move from one Illinois city to another, especially due to closeness to workplace.

• Paid Leave: A pharmacist can be afforded some time off from work with pay to get some rest and spend time with loved ones.

• Paid Trainings: Pharmacists can be encouraged by employers to develop themselves better through reimbursement of the tuition fees that they lay for those trainings.

What Related Job Titles to Pharmacist Earn in Illinois

There are job titles in Illinois that are similar to that of a pharmacist and they include:

• Compounder

Compounders are responsible for the mixing or combining of ingredients in order to create substances based on an already preset formula.  They earn about $39,500 every year.

• Pharmacometrician

Pharmacometricians are professionals that work on all the parts of the development and approval lifecycle of drugs in order to understand the interactions between xenobiotics and patients.

Their average earning is $61,000 per year.

• Regulatory affairs manager

Regulatory affairs managers are responsible for overseeing the regulation process, creating procedures to verify compliance and coordinating company inspections.

 They earn about $107,783 per year on average.

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Illinois

Due to the growing population and the increasing demand of prescription drugs in Illinois, the State has become a very suitable work place for the Pharmacists.

The employment growth in the State is projected to be increased by -4.87%, with the annual creation of 480 jobs for pharmacists.

Pharmacists’ salaries in the State of Illinois have been projected to increase in the next decade according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How to Increase your pay as a Pharmacist in Illinois

Here are ideas to apply to increase your salary as a pharmacist in Illinois:

• Take on lecturing jobs in addition to the job you have.
• Work extra shifts at your place of work for more pay.
• Save up to establish your own pharmacy.

More Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Illinois

Further career opportunities for pharmacists in Illinois include:

• Pharmacy dispenser

The pharmacy dispenser’s job is to select medical devices or drugs according to the prescription order of a patient and put them in a well labeled container.

Their salary is about $13.04 per hour.

• Chemotherapy pharmacist

Chemotherapy pharmacists prepare and dispense chemotherapy drugs used in cancer treatments and also determine their effectiveness.

The salary for the job is about $52.55 per hour.

• Clinical pharmacist

Clinical pharmacists are responsible for the evaluation of the drug regimen of a patient and may also make recommendation for an alternative pharmacotherapeutic plan if the prescribed medications caused allergic reactions. 

The salary for the position is about $117,977 per year.

Conclusion

This post has helped you to learn about the expected salaries pharmacists could earn in the State of Illinois, including the cities and companies that pay the most.

Pharmacists looking to live and work in Illinois will find this post helpful in making the right decision about their location.

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