National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Doctors earn a national median of $236,000/year vs Pharmacists at $132,750/year. Doctors earn 44% more nationally. The gap is $103,250 per year — or $8,604 per month.
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Doctor
$236,000
national median/year
$19,667/mo • $113/hr
VS
Pharmacist
$132,750
national median/year
$11,063/mo • $64/hr
Annual salary gap
$103,250
Doctors earn 44% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,170,369.
Best states for Pharmacists
vs Doctors
Arkansas+$-94,000
Mississippi+$-96,000
Nevada+$-96,000
West Virginia+$-96,000
Iowa+$-98,000
Best states for Doctors
vs Pharmacists
Massachusetts+$116,000
New Jersey+$114,000
Minnesota+$112,000
Connecticut+$110,000
Maryland+$110,000
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Doctors earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Doctors is $236,000 versus $132,750 for Pharmacists — a difference of $103,250 per year or $8,604 per month.
The national median salary gap between Doctors and Pharmacists is $103,250 per year. Doctors earn 44% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,170,369.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Massachusetts pays Doctors the highest median salary at $258,320 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Pharmacists the highest median salary at $148,320 per year.
Salary is one factor — Doctors earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Physicians and Surgeons and Pharmacists both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Doctors earn approximately $113 per hour nationally and Pharmacists earn approximately $64 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
