2021 Pharmacist Salary in Kentucky
If you want to work as a pharmacist in Kentucky, you should know that pharmacist salary in Kentucky can vary from $104,940 to $142,650 per annum, based on your job location in KY. Elizabethtown-Fort Knox, Bowling Green and Owensboro pay the highest salaries, whereas Louisville/Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette pay the lowest among all cities in KY. In last five years, Kentucky pharmacists’ employment grew over 19%, whereas salary growth was negligible at 0.25%, however current salary of pharmacists in KY is slightly better than the national average. According to BLS, there will be around 230 job openings for aspiring pharmacists every year until 2028, representing an excellent employment growth of 7.52% in the state of Kentucky.
Average Salary of Pharmacist in Kentucky
Being a pharmacist working in Kentucky, you can expect to earn an average annual salary of $122,400 whereas if you want to work as a part time pharmacist, you can make an average of $58.85 per hour. Pharmacists in Kentucky earn 2.54% lower than the national average.
| Type | Average Salary |
| Hourly Wage | $58.85 |
| Monthly Salary | $10,200 |
| Annual Salary | $122,400 |
Pharmacist Salary by Experience in KY
As and when you gain your working experience as a pharmacist, Kentucky will raise your salary accordingly. Starting your pharmacist career from $88,260 per annum, you can start making $111,330 within five years. In a span of 5-9 years, you can fetch $125,430 and with an experience of 10-19 years, you may get $145,510 per annum. 20+ years of experienced pharmacists in KY earn an annual income of $161,170.
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
| Less than 1 year (Starting) | $42.43 | $88,260 |
| 1-4 years | $53.53 | $111,330 |
| 5-9 years | $60.31 | $125,430 |
| 10-19 years | $69.96 | $145,510 |
| 20 years or more | $77.48 | $161,170 |
Salary Growth
In last five years, only in the year 2015, salary of the pharmacists working across the state grew by 0.46% in negative. In rest four years, there was negligible change in the salary growth rate. Pharmacists’ salary in KY was 0.39% higher in 2018, and then went down to 0.04% in 2019.
| Year | Average Annual Salary | Growth |
| 2015 | $121,530 | -0.46% |
| 2016 | $121,690 | 0.13% |
| 2017 | $121,970 | 0.23% |
| 2018 | $122,450 | 0.39% |
| 2019 | $122,400 | -0.04% |
| Total | $310 | 0.25% |
Employment Growth
Kentucky employed over 4,340 pharmacists all across the state in the year 2015, representing a growth of 0.23%. In 2016 and 2017, pharmacists were employed at a growth rate of 2.47% and 8.06% respectively. In 2018, KY pharmacists’ employment growth rate was 3.39% and 3.28% in 2019. KY is expected to hire pharmacists at a higher rate in the coming years.
| Year | Employment | Growth |
| 2015 | 4,340 | 0.23% |
| 2016 | 4,450 | 2.47% |
| 2017 | 4,840 | 8.06% |
| 2018 | 5,010 | 3.39% |
| 2019 | 5,180 | 3.28% |
| Total | 850 | 19.63% |
Industry Wise Income and Employment
Retail pharmacies in Kentucky employ the largest number of 2,220 pharmacists and pay an annual salary of $120,560, whereas KY department stores employ the smallest number of 130 pharmacists, paying an average salary of $120,100 per annum. General Merchandise Stores and Hospitals pay the highest salaries to pharmacists. However, there’s hardly a difference of $4,110 in the annual salaries of pharmacists among all healthcare industries.
| Industry | Employment | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary |
| Retail Pharmacies | 2,220 | $57.96 | $120,560 |
| Hospitals | 1,290 | $59.73 | $124,210 |
| Grocery Stores | 410 | $59.49 | $123,730 |
| Other General Merchandise Stores | 300 | $60.51 | $125,840 |
| Department Stores | 130 | $57.75 | $120,100 |
Kentucky Metro Wise - Salary and Employment
Based on your job location in Kentucky, your annual salary can vary up to $25,050 per annum, as Elizabethtown-Fort Knox pays the highest salary of $142,650 per annum and Lexington-Fayette pays the lowest salary of $104,940 per annum, amongst all the cities in Kentucky. Louisville/Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette employ the largest number of pharmacists in the state, whereas Owensboro and Bowling Green employ the smallest number of pharmacists in KY.
| Area Name | Employment | Hourly | Annual | Starting Salary | Experienced Salary |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | 1,720 | $57.70 | $120,010 | $64,810 | $160,570 |
| Lexington-Fayette | 850 | $50.45 | $104,940 | $27,410 | $152,000 |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox | 150 | $68.58 | $142,650 | $109,650 | $205,690 |
| Owensboro | 130 | $61.83 | $128,600 | $108,700 | $163,140 |
| Bowling Green | 110 | $67.25 | $139,880 | $111,150 | $164,340 |
Pharmacist Employment Outlook in KY
Kentucky is an excellent opportunity for the aspiring pharmacists. In next eight years, Kentucky is expected to have over 4,860 pharmacists which represents an estimated employment growth rate of a whopping 7.52%, it’s over 7% higher than the estimated national average. The state of KY will open around 230 vacancies every year for the potential pharmacists. Walmart, PharMerica, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, Baptist Healthcare System and many others are the top pharmacists’ employers in Kentucky.
| 2018 Employment | 2028 Employment | Percent Change | Projected Annual Job Openings | |
| Kentucky | 4,520 | 4,860 | 7.52% | 230 |
| United States | 314,300 | 314,100 | -0.06% | 14,100 |
Pharmacist Kentucky VS Pharmacist National
Kentucky Pharmacists earn an annual average salary of $122,400 which is 2.54% lower than the national average at $125,510 per annum. Part time pharmacists in KY also earn slightly better hourly remuneration than that compared to the national average.
| Type | Kentucky Salary | US Salary | Difference | % Difference |
| Hourly Wage | $58.85 | $60.34 | -$1.49 | -2.53% |
| Monthly Salary | $10,200 | $10,460 | -$260 | -2.55% |
| Annual Salary | $122,400 | $125,510 | -$3,110 | -2.54% |