Pharmacy
Types of Degrees Pharmacy Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Doctor’s Degree | 14,696 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 2,649 |
| Master’s Degree | 1,604 |
| Graduate Certificate | 338 |
| Basic Certificate | 84 |
| Associate Degree | 22 |
| Undergraduate Certificate | 7 |
What Pharmacy Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to pharmacy were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Pharmacy Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Sales and Marketing - Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Skills for Pharmacy Majors
pharmacy majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Abilities for Pharmacy Majors
As a pharmacy major, you will find yourself needing the following abilities:
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
What Can You Do With a Pharmacy Major?
People with a pharmacy degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Health Specialties Professors | 25.9% | $97,370 |
| Marketing Managers | 10.1% | $134,290 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | 13.4% | $84,810 |
| Pharmacists | 5.6% | $126,120 |
| Sales Managers | 7.5% | $124,220 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of pharmacy majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 549 |
| Black or African American | 206 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 178 |
| White | 1,355 |
| International Students | 165 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 196 |
Geographic Diversity
Pharmacy appeals to people across the globe. About 6.2% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- India
- China
- South Korea
- Canada
- Saudi Arabia
How Much Do Pharmacy Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
Salaries According to BLS
Pharmacy majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $122,320 to $140,320 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Pharmacy
Some careers associated with pharmacy require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to pharmacy have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 0.9% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 0.4% |
| Some College Courses | 1.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.3% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 28.5% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 4.6% |
| Master’s Degree | 17.2% |
| Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 0.1% |
| First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession. | 12.7% |
| Doctoral Degree | 19.2% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 12.2% |
Online Pharmacy Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 2 | 1 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 1 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 12 | 2 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 35 | 14 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 167 | 21 |
| Post-Master’s | 13 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 121 | 1 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 144 | 5 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 1 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Pharmacy Worth It?
The median salary for a pharmacy grad is $123,670 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 210% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,675,400 after 20 years!
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Majors Related to Pharmacy
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to pharmacy.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By {} under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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