Pharmacist vs Physician Assistant: Similar Pay, 5.2% vs 21.1% Growth

Pharmacist vs Physician Assistant: what changes?

Consider Pharmacist if you want to dispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. Consider Physician Assistant if you would rather provide healthcare services typically performed by a physician, under the supervision of a physician. Entry credentials differ: Pharmacist, doctoral or professional degree; Physician Assistant, master's degree.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Pharmacist and Physician Assistant. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Pharmacist

National median pay (2025): $140,910
Route into the job: A Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and state licensure are required. Check prerequisite coursework, the full program cost, and whether your intended role calls for residency training.
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Physical work: Much of the work is done standing. Ask about workload, interruptions, and breaks in the setting you are considering.
Schedule and hours: Most work full time. Pharmacies and hospitals may require nights, weekends, and holiday coverage.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 12,500

Know before you choose

Compare the full cost of the Pharm.D. route with hiring requirements in your intended setting, including any residency expectations.

BLS: entry routes, workplace, and schedules · Reviewed September 16, 2026. BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections.

See the full Pharmacist brief

Physician Assistant

National median pay (2025): $135,880
Route into the job: Master's degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 11,500

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Physician Assistant brief

How the national numbers differ

Physician Assistant has the edge on projected growth

Physician Assistant is at 21.1% projected growth, compared with 5.2% projected growth for Pharmacist.

Pharmacist has the edge on annual openings

Pharmacist is at 12,500 annual openings, compared with 11,500 annual openings for Physician Assistant.

Pharmacist has the edge on median pay

Pharmacist is at $140,910, compared with $135,880 for Physician Assistant.

68.3/ 100

Pharmacist

74.2/ 100

Physician Assistant

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence