Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts and How to Increase your Pay

By | July 15, 2023
Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts
Plymouth, Billerica, and Woburn are some of the cities that pay the highest salaries to pharmacists in Massachusetts. Image source: Theatre Pharmacy.

The pharmacist salary in Massachusetts is about $121,605 annually.

A pharmacist is a health care professional who is in charge of filling prescriptions and giving advice on medications.

Pharmacists in Massachusetts have many different roles, including working with patients to find the prescription that suits their needs and advising people on the side effects and risks of taking drugs.

They are also responsible for providing information about which drugs are less or more expensive, reviewing the contents of prescriptions for errors by the doctor or pharmacist before they are dispensed, and managing drug inventories.

Pharmacists Salary in Massachusetts Cities

Here are the salaries pharmacists earn in various cities in Massachusetts:

CityHourly SalaryAnnual Salary
1Boston$50.26$110,785  
2Worcester$14.88$32,802  
3Springfield$56.54$124,620  
4Cambridge$23.28$51,315  
5Lowell$58.26$128,421  
6Brockton$27.24$60,049  
7New Bedford$53.97$118,974  
8Quincy$57.79$127,386  
9Lynn$54.88$120,964  
10Fall River$53.41$117,731  
11Newton$49.29$108,653  
12Somerville$58.86$129,733  
13Lawrence$44.00$96,979  
14Framingham$51.07$112,570  
15Haverhill$52.79$116,369  
16Waltham$55.61$122,572  
17Plymouth$63.30$139,530  
18Malden$54.71$120,598  
19Brookline$57.42$126,568  
20Medford$56.72$125,017  
21Taunton$53.95$118,914  
22Weymouth$55.66$122,698  
23Chicopee$54.22$119,526  
24Revere$52.37$115,428  
25Peabody$45.82$100,993  
26Methuen$55.42$122,170  
27Everett$54.22$119,520  
28Arlington$54.29$119,671  
29Attleboro$54,05$119,143  
30Barnstable Town$55.79$122,983  
31Salem$54.88$120,976  
32Billerica$60.56$133,501  
33Pittsfield$55.77$122,927  
34Beverly$54.09$119,218  
35Leominster$52.28$115,249  
36Westfield$56.26$124,006  
37Fitchburg$52.79$116,373  
38Woburn$59.08$130,240  
39Holyoke$54.61$120,370  
40Amherst Town$52.83$116,444  
Pharmacists salaries across Massachusetts cities

10 Cities with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts 

These are the ten highest paying cities for pharmacists in Massachusetts:

CityHourly WageAnnual Salary
Plymouth$63.30$139,530
Billerica$60.56$133,501
Woburn$59.08$130,240
Somerville$58.86$129,733
Lowell$58.26$128,421
Quincy$57.79$127,386
Brookline$57.42$126,568
Medford$56.72$125,017
Springfield$56.54$124,620
Westfield$56.26$124,006
Cities that pay the highest salaries to pharmacists in Massachusetts

Skill-based Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts

A pharmacist in Massachusetts who has any of the following specialties: geriatrics, primary care, dietetics, or BLS certification earns more than a pharmacist who does not have any of these specialties or certification.

Experience-based Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts 

A pharmacist with less than one year of experience can expect to earn $49.19 per hour in Massachusetts.

The average pharmacist with more than ten years of experience earns $60.85 per hour.

10 Companies with Highest Pharmacist Salary in Massachusetts 

The top ten companies that pay the highest salaries in Massachusetts for pharmacists are:

 CompanyHourly SalaryAnnual Salary
1.Dignity Health $75.93$167,396
2.UCLA Health $75.67$166,792
3.Meijer$74.32$163,822
4.Oregon Health & Science University$69.17$152,471
5.Costco Wholesale$67.28$148,300
6.Riverside Health System$67.09$147,888
7.Adventist Health$65.46$144,285
8.,MedWatchers Inc.$64.19$141,502
9.Pharmedium$63.27$139,463
10Soleo Health$62.82$138,472
Companies that pay the highest salaries to pharmacists in Massachusetts

10 Highest Paying Pharmacist Jobs in Massachusetts

These are some of the highest paying pharmacist jobs in Massachusetts (with their salaries):

  1. Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist; $155,531.
  2. IT Pharmacist; $129,929.
  3. Advanced Practice Pharmacist; $125,770.
  4. Senior Clinical Pharmacist; $125,159.
  5. Primary Care Pharmacist; $123,383.
  6. Inpatient Pharmacist; $138,4788.
  7. Per Diem Pharmacist; $133,683.
  8. IT Pharmacist; $129,929.
  9. Hospital Pharmacist; $129,210.
  10. Clinical Pharmacist; $120,599.

More Benefits for Pharmacists in Massachusetts

Pharmacists in Massachusetts enjoy benefits from employers like annual company awards, stock options and bonuses, paid vacation days and other perks.

Annual company awards are a great benefit for Massachusetts pharmacists to receive as they provide more money. The more awards you can get, the better.

Stock options are also a great benefit to have as they provide a nice boost in company stock as an incentive.

Bonus may also be offered by the employer if annual targets are met. This helps employees realize their full potential and reward them for their hard work.

Paid vacation days are also a nice benefit to have as it offers a break from work for the pharmacists, enabling them to come back refreshed and ready for another day of work.

Paid sick leave is another benefit provided by employers where employees can be taken off work if they are sick with a note from their doctor.

The days of sick leave that might be provided depends on your employer and varies from one employer to the other.

What Related Job Titles to Pharmacist Earn in Massachusetts

Some related jobs titles to pharmacists in Massachusetts and the salaries they earn are:

  • Pharmacy Manager

The pharmacy manager job is an occupation that involves the buying, receiving, and storing of pharmaceutical products, and supervising the staff members.

The pharmacy manager’s average salary in Massachusetts is $130,363, which is higher than that of a pharmacist.

  • Pharmacy Specialist

A pharmacy specialist is a pharmacy manager who specializes in different areas of pharmacy management.

The average salary for a pharmacy specialist in Massachusetts is $114,058.

  • Pharmacist in Charge

A pharmacist in charge is a pharmacy manager who has a great responsibility to manage the staff, inventory, finances and other activities of a pharmacy.

The average salary for a pharmacy manager in Massachusetts is $111,321.

Pharmacist Salary and Job Outlook in Massachusetts

The job outlook for pharmacists in Massachusetts is average.

Although the job market may vary according to different regions within the state, there will be little variation overall. 

Massachusetts pharmacist jobs are available due to the aging population of the state.

It is expected that the demand for pharmacists will be driven by Medicare patients as old people need more medications than younger people.

The average salary for a pharmacist varies greatly (up to $24,446), implying that there may be numerous opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location, and years of experience.

How to Increase your Pay as a Pharmacist in Massachusetts

If you want to ensure you are paid fairly the first step is to understand what the average pharmacist salary in Massachusetts is.

As one of the most highly paid jobs, a pharmacist should compare their salary with others doing similar jobs to make sure they are getting a fair deal.\

In order to increase your pay as a pharmacist in Massachusetts, there are several other tips that you can use:

  1. Negotiate your salary when starting your new job

When starting your new job as a pharmacist, you must negotiate your salary.

Small pay increases are easy to ask for and can help to secure a better salary in the future.

2. Become a pharmacist in another state

If you want to increase your salary as a pharmacist, you should consider relocating to another state with a higher salary for pharmacists. 

Massachusetts has the 12th best pharmacist salaries, so it is worth looking towards other states if you’re interested in increasing your earnings as a pharmacist.

3. Get a Promotion

If you work hard and impress your boss, you may be moved up the ladder and given more responsibility. Increasing your responsibilities can help you to earn more money. 

4. Get a Raise

Ask your employer for a raise. Companies are always looking to reward hard workers, so if you have been working hard and received positive feedback, then you may be able to negotiate a raise.

Career Opportunities for Pharmacists in Massachusetts

There are several career opportunities for advancement for pharmacists in Massachusetts. Some of these include:

  • Management

Pharmacist managers are responsible for supervising other pharmacists in the workplace and maintaining inventory.

  • Researchers

Pharmacists who enjoy a research environment may be interested in this position, which involves conducting clinical studies in the pharmaceutical field.

A Ph.D. or other advanced degree may be required for this job role.

  • Sales Representatives

If you love talking to people, you might enjoy the sales representative position, which entails visiting potential clients and informing them about new products or services your company has to offer.

  • Consultants

Massachusetts pharmacists who enjoy puzzles or solving problems may be interested in becoming consultants, which involves finding solutions to technical problems in the pharmaceutical industry.

Conclusion

If you are a pharmacist in Massachusetts, the opportunities for you are good moving forward and the salary is very competitive.

If you want to increase your pay, there are several job opportunities locally and regionally for you to consider.

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