Veterinarian vs Pharmacist Salary
Pharmacists earn approximately 16.4% more than Veterinarians nationally — $128,000 vs $110,000.
Veterinarian vs Pharmacist: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Pharmacists out-earn Veterinarians by $18,000 per year — a 16.4% gap. That works out to roughly $1,500/month or $9/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $18,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$180,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$720,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $18,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $3,582,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Veterinarian in California ≈ $129,800 (1.18× national)
- Veterinarian in Mississippi ≈ $92,400 (0.84× national)
- Pharmacist in California ≈ $151,040
- Pharmacist in Mississippi ≈ $107,520
Use our Veterinarian salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Healthcare
Related tools
Veterinarian salary by state — Pharmacist salary by state — Best cities for Veterinarian — Best cities for Pharmacist — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.