How to become a pharmacist

Healthcare (clinical) · SOC 29-1051

How you get in

A degree is the usual way in.

1. Doctoral or professional degree
2. Work as a pharmacist

Programs that lead to this job

These are the federal program codes (CIP) that the Department of Education maps to this occupation, and how many US colleges, community colleges or trade schools report awarding credentials in each.

Program	Code	Schools
Pharmacy	CIP 51.2001	144
Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy	CIP 51.2008	5
Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program, General	CIP 60.0801	0
Combined Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0802	0
Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0803	0
Cardiology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0804	0
Clinical Pharmacogenomics Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0805	0
Community/Community-Based Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0806	0
Corporate Pharmacy Leadership Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0807	0
Critical Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0808	0
Drug Information Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0809	0
Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0810	0
Family Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0811	0
Geriatric Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0812	0
Health System Medication Management Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0813	0
Health System Pharmacy Administration and Leadership Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0814	0
Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0815	0
Internal Medicine Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0816	0
Investigational Drugs and Research Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0817	0
Managed Care Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0818	0
Medication Systems and Operations Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0819	0
Medication-Use Safety Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0820	0
Neonatal Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0821	0
Nephrology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0822	0
Neurology Pharmacy Residency/Fellowship Program	CIP 60.0823	0

…and 10 more related programs.

See the 145 schools that offer these programs →

Common questions

How long does it take to become a pharmacist?

Typically eight years or more of study. That is the usual route rather than a rule — people arrive by other paths all the time.

How much do pharmacists make?

The US median is $140,910 a year, meaning half earn more and half less. Pay varies widely by state, employer and experience.

Do you need a degree to become a pharmacist?

Yes — a degree is the usual way in.

Where can you train to become a pharmacist?

145 US colleges, community colleges and trade schools award credentials in a matching program. See which ones →

Pay and growth are national figures. What you earn depends on where you work, your employer and your experience, and these are projections rather than promises. Education requirements describe how most people enter the job, not a rule — plenty of people take another route.

Pay, growth, openings and entry requirements: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Program-to-occupation mapping: NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk (2020/2018). School counts: IPEDS completions, 2022–23.

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