Quick answer:Pharmacists in the Albany area earn a median $136,720 per year, below the national median of $140,910, and the metro employs about 1,050 of them (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Pharmacy Pay in Albany, NY
Metric
Albany metro
New York
National
Median annual wage
$136,720
$142,090
$140,910
10th percentile
$97,340
$92,910
$99,290
25th percentile
$129,940
$129,240
$129,380
75th percentile
$151,350
$163,510
$161,840
90th percentile
$164,330
$174,550
$174,230
Employment
1,050
19,760
321,970
Location quotient
1.13
-
1.00
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metropolitan statistical area.
What the Numbers Say About This Market
The Albany median of $136,720 is below the national median of $140,910, and below the New York statewide median of $142,090 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
The metro’s location quotient of 1.13 means pharmacists are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.
Pharmacist employment follows retail pharmacy density and hospital systems, which makes it one of the more evenly distributed healthcare occupations across a state.
Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Every state licenses pharmacists through its own board of pharmacy. The national constants are a Doctor of Pharmacy from a program with accreditation from ACPE, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the NAPLEX administered through NABP. Boards commonly add a jurisprudence examination covering their own law and a supervised practice-hours requirement, and rules for licensure transfer between states vary.
Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.
How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention.
Advertising plays no part.
This page lists 6 schools
within 191 miles, closest group first, then ordered by
BOC Score with the highest at the top.
6 of them carry a score.
LOCAL RANK
Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%
Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal
about the institution rather than about this subject.
Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from
this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.
The median annual wage for pharmacists in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area is $136,720, below the national median of $140,910 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How many pharmacists work in the Albany area?
The Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY metro area employs about 1,050 pharmacists (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Do pharmacists in Albany need a license?
Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Every state licenses pharmacists through its own board of pharmacy. The national constants are a Doctor of Pharmacy from a program with accreditation from ACPE, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the NAPLEX administered through NABP. Boards commonly add a jurisprudence examination covering their own law and a supervised practice-hours requirement, and rules for licensure transfer between states vary. Confirm current requirements with your state board of pharmacy.
Can I study pharmacy online from Albany?
The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state board of pharmacy.
Is Albany a better market than the rest of New York?
The Albany metro median is $136,720 against a statewide median of $142,090 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Pharmacists (SOC 29-1051), national, state and metropolitan estimates
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements
Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.
