Pharmacist Salary in Iowa and How to Increase your Pay

The pharmacist salary in Iowa is about $117,500 annually and $56.40 hourly.

In Iowa, pharmacists are responsible for overseeing the distribution of medications to people having different health conditions, whether it is mental or physical.

Pharmacists Salary in Iowa Cities

Here are the salaries of pharmacists across Iowa cities:

	City	Salary (hourly)	Salary (Yearly)
1.	Altoona	$66.28	$137,879
2.	Ames	$65.67	$136,594
3.	Ankeny	$66.28	$137,879
4.	Bettendorf	$63.92	$132,954
5.	Boone	$65.67	$136,594
6.	Burlington	$63.97	$133,062
7.	Cedar Falls	$61.74	$128,434
8.	Cedar Rapids	$63.97	$133,062
9.	Clinton	$63.97	$133,062
10.	Clive	$66.28	$137,879
11.	Coralville	$64.89	$134,983
12.	Council Bluffs	$64.89	$134,983
13.	Davenport	$64.89	$134,983
14.	Des Moines	$66.28	$137,879
15.	Dubuque	$64.89	$134,983
16.	Fort Dodge	$65.67	$136,594
17.	Grimes	$66.28	$137,879
18.	Indianola	$66.28	$137,879
19.	Iowa City	$64.89	$134,983
20.	Johnston	$66.28	$137,897
21.	Marion	$65.67	$136,594
22.	Marshalltown	$61.74	$128,434
23.	Mason City	$61.74	$128,434
24.	Muscatine	$63.97	$133,062
25.	Newton	$65.67	$136,594
26.	North Liberty	$64.89	$134,983
27.	Norwalk	$66.28	$137,879
28.	Oskaloosa	$65.67	$136,594
29.	Ottumwa	$65.08	$135,386
30.	Sioux City	$63.97	$133,062
31.	Spencer	$61.74	$128,434
32..	Storm Lake	$57.80	$120,229
33.	Urbandale	$66.28	$137,879
34.	Waterloo	$61.74	$128,434
35.	West Des Moines	$66.28	$137,879

Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Iowa

The different cities in the State of Iowa offer different salaries to their pharmacists. The ten highest paying cities are:

	City	Salary (Hourly)	Salary (Yearly)
1.	Grimes	$66.28	$137,879
2.	Indianola	$66.28	$137,879
3.	Urbandale	$66.28	$137,879
4.	West Des Moines	$66.28	$137,879
5.	Norwalk	$66.28	$137,879
6.	Johnston	$66.28	$137,897
7.	Des Moines	$66.28	$137,879
8.	Clive	$66.28	$137,879
9.	Ankeny	$66.28	$137,879
10.	Altoona	$66.28	$137,879

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Iowa

For pharmacists in Iowa, certain skills mark them out in the market, give them an edge over others and also ensure that they receive a very high pay.

It’s true that pharmacy is a lucrative profession; having certain skills makes it even more lucrative.

Pharmacists who specialize in inpatient pharmacy and relief pharmacy can earn up to $144,000 per annum.

Hence, pharmacists are to always learn so as to keep improving, and also gain more certifications.

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Iowa

In Iowa, pharmacists who are just starting out receive a smaller pay than those with years of experience.

This is because experience has a lot of value in the profession.

A pharmacist in Iowa with little or no experience will earn about $49.51 per hour while another pharmacist with a high number of years of experience will earn about $61.25 per hour.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Iowa

If you’re looking to work in Iowa as a pharmacist, there are certain companies you should look to apply to as they pay the most. They are:

	Company	Salary (Yearly)	Salary (Hourly)
1.	Dignity Health	$155,656	$75.93
2.	UCLA Health	$157,393	$75.67
3.	Meijer	$154,752	$74.40
4.	Oregon Health & Science University	$145,537	$69.97
5.	Costco Wholesale	$140,836	$67.71
6.	Riverside Health System	$139,547	$67.09
7.	Long Beach Memorial	$134,180	$64.51
8.	MedWatchers Inc	$133,515	$64.19
9.	Pharmedium	$131,601	$63.27
10.	Soleo Health	$129,771	$62.39

10 Highest Paying Jobs for Pharmacists in Iowa

High paying jobs are the dream of every pharmacist and it’s certain you’re not an exception.

This is a list of the ten highest paying jobs for pharmacists in Iowa:

• Clinical Pharmacologist: Salary is about $152,000 yearly.
• Inpatient Pharmacist: Salary is about $144,000 yearly.
• Clinical Pharmacist, Pharmacy, Per Diem: Salary is about $140,000 each year.
• Licensed Pharmacist: Salary is about $133,000 yearly
• Chief Pharmacist: Salary is about $132,000 yearly.
• Clinical Staff Pharmacist: Salary is about $125,000 yearly.
• Clinical Pharmacist – Full Time – Varied: Salary is about $120,000
• Pharmacy Operations & Compliance Coordinator: Salary is about $118,000 yearly
• Clinical Specialty Pharmacist: Salary is about $118,000
• Hospital Staff Pharmacist – Salary is about $116,000 yearly.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in Iowa

It’s important that a pharmacist be well informed about the benefits and bonuses available to them so they can negotiate better contracts. Here are some of those benefits:

• Student Loan Repayment

Employees offer to pay in part or in full over a period of time, the loan that the employee pharmacist may have taken during undergraduate years.

• Paid sick time

Pharmacists working in Iowa who are unwell are allowed to take a few days, depending on the severity of the ailment to take care of their health whilst still being paid.

• Working Remotely

Pharmacists in Iowa can enjoy the benefit of working remotely instead of always going to the office to work.

What Related Job Titles to Pharmacist Earn in Iowa

Certain jobs are similar to pharmacy and pharmacists may decide to venture into them. They include:

• Biomedical Scientist

Biomedical scientists have the same academic path as their pharmacist counterparts; however, they work in labs or offices as opposed to pharmacists who work directly with the patients.

The biomedical scientist’s salary is about $88,480 per year.

• Research Scientist

The research scientist’s job is to work in drug trials so as to prepare medications which are provided for test subjects and also to oversee the proper dispensing of these medications.

Their average earning is $91,510 per year.

• Toxicologist

Unlike pharmacologists who focus on the positive effect of chemicals, toxicologists, on the other hand, are focused on the adverse effect of these chemicals on the human body.

Toxicologists earn about $80,724 on average yearly.

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Iowa

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Iowa has quite a promising growth rate in employment for pharmacists and is at 3%.

Due to the huge need for pharmacists in the State, the salary is projected to go up by 2.5% in the next ten years.

How to Increase your pay as a Pharmacist in Iowa

One way to increase your pay as a pharmacist in Iowa is to further your education to get a Master’s degree and a PhD too. This would place you on a higher salary scale.

Another way to increase their salaries in Iowa is to offer consulting services. As a consultant, you’ll be highly regarded in the field and more people would pay to seek counsel from you. 

More Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Iowa

In Iowa, there are certain opportunities that are available for pharmacists. They include:

• Oncology Pharmacy

An oncology pharmacist is responsible for the treatment or care of cancer patients in the hospital. They earn about $128,000 per annum in Iowa.

• Hospital Pharmacist

Hospital pharmacists are tasked with the dispensing of medications to patients in the hospital. They earn about $100,000 per annum.

• Relief Pharmacist

Relief pharmacists are tasked with the filling of prescriptions for the healthcare needs of the patients and to also manage the operations of the pharmacy. They earn about $119,000 every year.

Conclusion

This article is helpful to pharmacists looking to live and work in Iowa, to boost their knowledge of the possible salary they can each in the State.

By learning about the cities and companies that pay the highest salaries to pharmacists in Iowa, individuals can make a good decision about working and living in the State.

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