2023 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 $116,610 to $123,880 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 13.71%, whereas salary growth was negligible at 0.85%, however current salary of pharmacists in KY is slightly better than the national average. According to BLS, there will be around 200 job openings for aspiring pharmacists every year until 2030, representing an excellent employment growth of 2.18% 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 $122,730 whereas if you want to work as a part time pharmacist, you can make an average of $59.00 per hour. Pharmacists in Kentucky earn 2.36% lower than the national average.
| Type | Average Salary |
| Hourly Wage | $59.00 |
| Monthly Salary | $10,230 |
| Annual Salary | $122,730 |
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 $78,850 per annum, you can start making $105,670 within five years. In a span of 5-9 years, you can fetch $127,240 and with an experience of 10-19 years, you may get $136,420 per annum. 20+ years of experienced pharmacists in KY earn an annual income of $162,820.
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
| Less than 1 year (Starting) | $37.91 | $78,850 |
| 1-4 years | $50.80 | $105,670 |
| 5-9 years | $61.17 | $127,240 |
| 10-19 years | $65.59 | $136,420 |
| 20 years or more | $78.28 | $162,820 |
Salary Growth (2017-2021)
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 in KY was 0.39% higher in 2018, and then went down to 0.04% in 2019.
| Year | Average Annual Salary | Growth |
| 2017 | $121,970 | 0.23% |
| 2018 | $122,450 | 0.39% |
| 2019 | $122,400 | -0.04% |
| 2020 | $121,680 | -0.59% |
| 2021 | $122,730 | 0.86% |
| Total | $1,040 | 0.85% |
Employment Growth (2017-2021)
Kentucky employed over 4,840 pharmacists all across the state in the year 2017, representing a growth of 8.76%. In 2018 and 2019, pharmacists were employed at a growth rate of 3.51% and 3.39% respectively. In 2021, KY pharmacists’ employment growth rate was 2.43% and 4.63% in negative in 2020. KY is expected to hire pharmacists at a higher rate in the coming years.
| Year | Employment | Growth |
| 2017 | 4,840 | 8.76% |
| 2018 | 5,010 | 3.51% |
| 2019 | 5,180 | 3.39% |
| 2020 | 4,940 | -4.63% |
| 2021 | 5,060 | 2.43% |
| Total | 610 | 13.71% |
Industry Wise Income and Employment (2021)
Retail pharmacies in Kentucky employ the largest number of 2,040 pharmacists and pay an annual salary of $115,780, whereas KY Outpatient Care Centers employ the smallest number of 120 pharmacists, paying an average salary of $147,160 per annum. Outpatient Care Centers and Hospitals pay the highest salaries to pharmacists. However, there’s hardly a difference in the annual salaries of pharmacists among all healthcare industries.
| Industry | Employment | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary |
| Retail Pharmacies | 2,040 | $55.67 | $115,780 |
| Hospitals | 1,320 | $62.42 | $129,840 |
| Grocery Stores | 390 | $56.40 | $117,320 |
| Other General Merchandise Stores | 320 | $61.89 | $128,730 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 120 | $70.75 | $147,160 |
Kentucky Metro Wise - Salary and Employment (2021)
Based on your job location in Kentucky, your annual salary can vary up to $6740 per annum, as Louisville/Jefferson County Knox pays the highest salary of $123,880 per annum and Elizabethtown-Fort Knox pays the lowest salary of $119,800 per annum, amongst all the cities in Kentucky. Louisville/Jefferson County and Lexington-Fayette employ the largest number of pharmacists in the state, whereas Elizabethtown-Fort Knox and Bowling Green employ the smallest number of pharmacists in KY.
| AREA_TITLE | Employment | Hourly | Annual | Starting Salary | Experienced Salary |
| Louisville/Jefferson County | 1,630 | $59.56 | $123,880 | $95,700 | $162,200 |
| Lexington-Fayette | 880 | $56.06 | $116,610 | $45,090 | $152,790 |
| Bowling Green | 150 | $58.26 | $121,170 | $96,090 | $162,820 |
| Elizabethtown-Fort Knox | 130 | $57.59 | $119,800 | $96,700 | $132,170 |
| Owensboro | 130 | $59.30 | $123,350 | $71,500 | $165,950 |
Pharmacist Employment Outlook in KY (2020-2030)
Kentucky is an excellent opportunity for the aspiring pharmacists. In next eight years, Kentucky is expected to have over 5,040 pharmacists which represents an estimated employment growth rate of a whopping 2.18%, which is lower higher than the estimated national average. The state of KY will open around 200 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.
| 2020 Employment | 2030 Employment | Percent Change | Projected Annual Job Openings | |
| Kentucky | 5,040 | 5,150 | 2.18% | 200 |
| United States | 323,500 | 331,100 | 2.35% | 13,600 |
Pharmacist Kentucky VS Pharmacist National
Kentucky Pharmacists earn an annual average salary of $122,730 which is -2.36% lower than the national average at $125,690 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 | $59.00 | $60.43 | -1.42 | -2.36% |
| Monthly Salary | $10,230 | $10,470 | -240 | -2.29% |
| Annual Salary | $122,730 | $125,690 | -2,960 | -2.36% |
National Figures