How To Become A Staff Pharmacist: What It Is and Career Path

Q: How much does a hospital staff pharmacist make?

A hospital staff pharmacist makes around $131,290 yearly. It's the median annual wage, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). A typical pharmacist made the median annual wage $128,710 yearly or $61.88 hourly in 2020. As most jobs go, factors like location, company, and experience can determine your salary.

Q: Is a pharmacist clinical staff?

Yes, a pharmacist can be part of the clinical staff. They are typically referred to as clinical pharmacists. A clinical pharmacist generally works in hospitals and handles more direct patient care like administering effective medications by evaluating the patient's health condition and checking medical history.

Q: What are the different levels of pharmacists?

There are at least fourteen different levels of pharmacists. Overall, it depends on the company and industry. Where you work in the field will determine your exact responsibilities. According to the healthcare website GoodRx, there are fourteen kinds of pharmacists:

Q: What does "staff pharmacist" mean?

A staff pharmacist can mean someone new to the company with only a few years of prior experience. It can also indicate an entry-level kind of position. For example, the responsibilities for a staff pharmacist according to a job listing posted by Safeway:

Q: What is the difference between a pharmacist and a staff pharmacist?

The difference between a pharmacist and a staff pharmacist is varying levels of experience. For example, a job listing by Safeway asking for a staff pharmacist only asked for a bachelor's degree in pharmacy or Pharm.D. and having an active pharmacy license. It didn't list any prior years of experience.

Q: What is the difference between a staff pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist?

The difference between a staff pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist is generally about where they work and their specific responsibilities. A staff pharmacist dispenses prescription medications to patients and provides their expertise in safely using prescribed narcotics. They are generally responsible for monitoring the medicine prescribed to patients and offering guidance on safe lifestyles such as food, stress control, and exercise.

Q: What is the highest position as a pharmacist?

The highest position as a pharmacist is the Director of Pharmacy. In this high-level management role, you are responsible for overseeing the daily operations of a pharmacy or similar establishment, ensuring everything runs smoothly and efficiently according to industry standards and policies.

What is a staff pharmacist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Expert

Antoine Al-Achi Ph.D.

A staff pharmacist works in a pharmacy setting to dispense medications to patients. They interpret prescriptions, interact with patients, and monitor drug interactions and side effects. Staff pharmacists also ensure proper storage and inventory of medications. They work closely with physicians, nurses, and healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive patient care. Additionally, they may be involved in medication therapy management, which involves reviewing patient medications to identify potential issues and make recommendations for optimizing drug therapy.

What general advice would you give to a Staff Pharmacist?

Antoine Al-Achi Ph.D.

Professor of Pharmaceutics and Biomedical Sciences Track-Head/Industrial Pharmacy (Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences), Campbell University

The premise behind biomedical science is to provide knowledge and applications in areas that directly affect people's health and life. Thus, keeping that in their mind while doing their daily tasks is of utmost importance.

ScoreStaff PharmacistUS Average

Salary

8.1

Avg. Salary $118,844

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

2.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.18%

Asian 20.72%

Black or African American 7.08%

Hispanic or Latino 5.60%

Unknown 3.97%

White 62.45%

Gender

female 53.46%

male 46.54%

Age - 40

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 40

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.7

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Staff Pharmacist?

Pros

Competitive salary
Job security
Opportunities for advancement
Flexible work schedules
Variety of work settings

Cons

High workload and stress levels
Long working hours
Limited autonomy in decision-making
Excessive paperwork and administrative tasks
Dealing with insurance companies and prior authorization requirements

Key steps to become a staff pharmacist

Explore staff pharmacist education requirements

Most common staff pharmacist degrees

Bachelor's

58.0 %

Doctorate

34.7 %

Master's

4.4 %

Start to develop specific staff pharmacist skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	21.02%
Patient Care	17.71%
Customer Service	16.63%
Patient Safety	10.86%
Compassion	8.77%

Complete relevant staff pharmacist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New staff pharmacists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a staff pharmacist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real staff pharmacist resumes.

Research staff pharmacist duties and responsibilities

Dose and manage all Vancomycin and Aminoglycoside antibiotics throughout the entire hospital including overseeing, evaluating, and ordering antibiotic labs.
Maintain excellent relationship with patients base on consultations, efficacy, and compassion.
Implement value-added customer service programs including individualize counseling, smoking cessation classes, and flu and pneumonia immunization clinics.
Coordinate prescription fulfillment and verification, including reviewing patient profiles for interactions, allergies, and compatibility prior to dispensation.

Prepare your staff pharmacist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your staff pharmacist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a staff pharmacist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Pharmacist Resume templates

Build a professional Staff Pharmacist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Staff Pharmacist resume.

Apply for staff pharmacist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a staff pharmacist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Staff Pharmacist Job

Kristina Shkolnik

Staff Pharmacist

I was born into poverty overseas where a country collapsed. I was then raised separate from my parents to obtain a good education. Then, I had moved back in with them at another country overseas far from my homeland. During my growing up when I was raised by my grandmother while my parents lived overseas, I have cared for her as she was also disabled due to a bad surgery. Then, moving to a city with a booming healthcare industry and within a close vicinity of a top nation's hospital, I decided to pursue a career in healthcare being passionate about medicine, and more specifically pharmacy. One thing that intrigued me was how my family members had told me of adverse outcomes due to anesthesia during some of my family members' surgeries, one being the one that disabled my grandmother in part due to the physician's reckless behavior and the medications being used during anesthesia. I've become very intrigued with how chemicals work in our body. Furthermore, when I moved back in with my parents, I've learned one of my dearest family members was diagnosed with cancer. I was petrified and also considering my family members were struggling financially already while being immigrants, these news on top of already being in poverty and considerations of the costs associated with trying to receive care for my family member was quite scary. I've then completed a biochemistry Bachelor's degree at one of the top nation's private universities in the midwest. However, what most people did not know about me is that I've also been disabled during that time fighting for life and dealing with super inflated drug prices for a life saving brand name medication as well as navigating the complexities of the healthcare system in a country where I've moved to in order to be reunited with my parents and sibling as well as to continue my further education. I've then on completed my BSci in Pharmaceutical Sciences and my PharmD. After struggling with the complexities of the US healthcare system trying to afford my own prescriptions, and also continuing to care for my grandmother and my younger brother while living also with my parents where one was struggling from cancer and pursuing my education and while struggling with a disability myself, I've been super passionate about providing patients counseling on their medications, especially those who may be foreign, or who may struggle with accessibility and affordability of their medications. I wanted to be on the frontlines of providing

How do staff pharmacists rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Staff Pharmacist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Pay is fair for a starting pharmacist (CVS). The technicians are alright. 401K Helping people (and I really mean it).

Cons

Typical pharmacist complaints like tired legs, stress, etc. Terrible work-life balance. You make a good amount of money, sure, but there's a point where money doesn't bring happiness like it used to.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

it helps a lot. i really needed this.

Cons

i like everything. theres nothing i dont like.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

The ability to make a difference in someones Health and Wellness

Cons

Inability to balance Life and Work and Family

Staff Pharmacist FAQs

What is a staff pharmacist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Staff Pharmacist?

What are the pros and cons of being a Staff Pharmacist?

Staff Pharmacist career paths

Key steps to become a staff pharmacist

Explore staff pharmacist education requirements

Most common staff pharmacist degrees

Start to develop specific staff pharmacist skills

Complete relevant staff pharmacist training and internships

Research staff pharmacist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your staff pharmacist resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Staff Pharmacist Resume templates

Apply for staff pharmacist jobs

How Did You Land Your First Staff Pharmacist Job

Average staff pharmacist salary

How do staff pharmacists rate their job?

Staff Pharmacist reviews

Staff Pharmacist FAQs

How much does a hospital staff pharmacist make?

Is a pharmacist clinical staff?

What are the different levels of pharmacists?

What does "staff pharmacist" mean?

What is the difference between a pharmacist and a staff pharmacist?

What is the difference between a staff pharmacist and a clinical pharmacist?

What is the highest position as a pharmacist?

Search for staff pharmacist jobs