Pharmacologist
Pharmacologistcareers in the U.S. (published occupation) earn a national median of $103,410 per year (May 2025), with a typical entry of doctoral or professional degree.
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Pharmacologist at a glance
- Median yearly pay
- $103,410
- National estimate · May 2025
- Median hourly
- $50
- Annual median ÷ 2,080 hours
- U.S. workers
- 172.3K
- In the published occupation · May 2025
- Typical entry
- Doctoral or professional degree
- Usual entry-level education (BLS OOH)
The education path
Degrees that lead here
The usual starting education for pharmacologist is doctoral or professional degree. Compare that with what programs are actually available online.
How to become a
How to become a Pharmacologist
A pharmacologist career in the United States is what the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks as the occupation this career is grouped with. The route in is straightforward: start with the education BLS reports as typical, compare that with the online programs that lead to the role, and use the pay figures below as a realistic starting point.
The education path
BLS reports the typical entry point for pharmacologist as a doctoral or professional degree. A doctoral or professional degree is several years of advanced study after a bachelor's or master's degree.
That degree is the standard first step, and it is the level most online programs are built around. Students cover general requirements first, then the major coursework tied to the occupation, and many move from a two-year program into a full bachelor's degree without starting over.
Within the directory, the degree-finder routes that lead here are Doctoral programs, Certificate programs, Associate's programs. Each link preloads your level and field, so you arrive at the first question that actually needs an answer instead of starting from scratch.
What the work pays
Nationally, the occupation this career is grouped with reported a median of $103,410 per year in the May 2025 OEWS estimate. BLS derives an hourly figure from a standard 2,080-hour year, which puts this career at about $50 per hour.
Across the country, the published occupation counts 172,340 workers for the 2025 reference year. A national median is a snapshot of the whole occupation, not a promise for one job, offer, or region.
Ways in and what comes next
The direct route in matches the published entry level: a doctoral or professional degree. From there, most progression happens on the job, and pay typically rises with experience within the band above.
Careers that sit next to pharmacologist in the same field are worth comparing before you commit, including Clinical Research Associate Cra at $103,410 per year, Toxicologist at $103,410 per year, Neuroscientist at $103,410 per year. Each has its own page with the same published-source pay band, so the comparison is apples to apples.
Already thinking about switching? The degree finder asks what you enjoy and what you want from a career, then returns programs that match your answers. Nothing in the results is ordered by payment, and no school can buy a higher position.
The honest version
Every figure on this page comes from published BLS data or the career directory behind the site; nothing is estimated, interpolated, or inflated. Verify anything that matters to your decision against the sources linked above, then run the finder to see which online programs fit your level, field, and timeline.
Questions people ask
How much does a pharmacologist earn?
The published BLS OEWS median for the occupation this career is grouped with is $103,410 per year (May 2025), about $50 per hour at the standard 2,080-hour year.
How many pharmacologist jobs exist in the United States?
172,340 workers were counted nationally for the 2025 OEWS reference year.
What education do you need to become a pharmacologist?
The published typical entry-level education is a doctoral or professional degree. A doctoral or professional degree is several years of advanced study after a bachelor's or master's degree.
How long does it take to become a pharmacologist?
From the published entry point (a doctoral or professional degree), the time depends on the route you choose and whether you study full time, part time, or online. The degree programs that lead here list their own lengths, and transfer credits from earlier study can shorten them.
Which degrees point toward a pharmacologist career?
Certificate, associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs can all lead toward this field. The routes that tend to lead here in the directory are Doctoral programs, Certificate programs, Associate's programs, and the degree finder preloads your level and subject so you can see what is actually available online.
See which online programs lead to Pharmacologist
Answer a few questions about your level, subject, and goals. The finder skips what is already answered and shows programs that actually match.
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About this career page
Median pay, hourly pay, employment, and percentile ranges are the national estimates published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program for the 2025 reference year.
Typical entry-level education follows the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Pay varies by state, employer, and experience, and a national median is never a promise for your specific job or region.
Every figure on this page is real and labelled with its year. No figure is estimated, interpolated, or inflated.
- Source
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Directory updated
- November 2026