Career comparison
Pharmacist vs. Physician assistant
Pharmacists and physician assistants earn about the same: medians of $140,910 and $135,880.
Physician assistants have the stronger outlook: +21% projected growth through 2035, vs. +5%.
Getting in is slower for pharmacists: about 5.8 years vs. 3.9 years for someone with a bachelor's in another field.
At a glance
| Pharmacist | Physician assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $140,910 | $135,880 |
| Top 10% earn over | $174,230 | $190,280 |
| Growth to 2035 | +5% | +21% |
| Openings per year | 12,500 | 11,500 |
| Jobs today | 325,200 | 168,900 |
| Typical entry education | Doctoral or professional degree | Master's degree |
| Time to qualify* | 5.8 years | 3.9 years |
| Training cost* | $126K–$277K | $94K–$217K |
* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.
Pay
Pharmacist
Physician assistant
Switching from one to the other
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Getting in
Pharmacist
- Entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: NAPLEX · MPJE law exam · State pharmacist license
Physician assistant
- Entry education
- Master's degree
- On-the-job training
- None
- Prior experience
- None
Required: PANCE certification exam · State PA license
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Pharmacist: 18% usually work over 40 hours a weekPhysician assistant: 68% usually work over 40 hours a week
Pharmacist: core tasks
- Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability.
- Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics.
- Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy.
- Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage.
- Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure.
Physician assistant: core tasks
- Make tentative diagnoses and decisions about management and treatment of patients.
- Interpret diagnostic test results for deviations from normal.
- Prescribe therapy or medication with physician approval.
- Obtain, compile, and record patient medical data, including health history, progress notes, and results of physical examination.
- Examine patients to obtain information about their physical condition.
Skills: what carries over
Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Monitoring.
New for a pharmacist moving to physician assistant: Active Learning.
New for a physician assistant moving to pharmacist: Complex Problem Solving.
Interests (Holland codes): Pharmacist: Investigative, Social, Conventional. Physician assistant: Social, Investigative, Conventional.
Outlook to 2035, and AI
Pharmacist
+5%
about as fast as average · 12,500 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Physician assistant
+21%
much faster than average · 11,500 openings a year
BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.
Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.
Questions people ask
Who makes more, a pharmacist or a physician assistant?
Pharmacists and physician assistants earn about the same: medians of $140,910 and $135,880.
Which has the better job outlook?
Physician assistants have the stronger outlook: +21% projected growth through 2035, vs. +5%.
How long does it take to become a physician assistant?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 3.9 years, with tuition of roughly $93,600 to $216,500. Required: PANCE certification exam, State PA license.
How long does it take to become a pharmacist?
For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 5.8 years, with tuition of roughly $125,800 to $277,000. Required: NAPLEX, MPJE law exam, State pharmacist license.