Compared with the local labor market
Pharmacist pay vs. Arkansas
Across all employers in Arkansas, the median wage for Pharmacists — about 2,900 people — is $136,060. AR Department of Health pays a median base salary of $118,399 for this role, 13% below that figure — about the 18th percentile of local pay for the occupation.
Where AR Department of Health sits in the local pay range
$105,560
$130,260
$136,060
$154,540
$164,940
AR Department of Health median · $118,399
The bar is the range of annual wages for Pharmacists across every employer in Arkansas, from the 10th to the 90th percentile, with the middle 50% highlighted. The marker shows AR Department of Health’s median base salary for this role. Both figures are base pay only.
And across the country
Nationwide, the median wage for Pharmacists — about 321,970 people — is $140,910. AR Department of Health’s median base salary is 16% below that national figure, about the 20th percentile of pay for the occupation nationally.
$99,290
$129,380
$140,910
$161,840
$174,230
AR Department of Health median · $118,399
Local and national wages differ for reasons beyond how well a job pays — cost of living, the mix of employers, and local demand for the occupation all move the Arkansas range relative to the national one.
Median total compensation for this role at AR Department of Health is $118,399, which includes overtime and employer-paid benefits. The benchmark above excludes both, so total compensation is deliberately not compared against it.
Benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025). BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) covers all employers in the area — private, non-profit, and government alike — so this is a comparison against the whole local labor market for the occupation, not against private-sector pay. OEWS wages are straight-time pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials, and employer-paid benefits, so the government figure shown here is base pay on the same basis. Total compensation is not comparable to it. Job titles are matched to the closest standard occupation, so the comparison is between similar work rather than an identical job classification.
Compare departments
This role across Arkansas
Pharmacist is held in 2 Arkansas departments. In AR Department of Health, the median of $118,399 ranks #2 of 2.
Highest-paying departments for this role
Median total compensation for the Pharmacist role in other Arkansasdepartments (highest first). Each bar links to that department’s page for this role.
Compare jurisdictions
Pharmacist beyond Arkansas
This role is reported in 16 jurisdictions. In Arkansas, the median of $128,604 ranks #10 of 16. See Pharmacist across all of Arkansas →
Highest-paying jurisdictions for this role
Median total compensation for comparable Pharmacistroles in other jurisdictions. Titles are matched by normalized name across sources, not identical job classification, and pay is not cost-of-living adjusted. Each bar links to that jurisdiction’s page for the role.