Pharmacist Jobs in California
Pharmacist jobs in California are among the most active in the country, with strong demand across retail chains, hospital health systems, managed care organizations, and specialty pharmacy settings at every level from staff pharmacist through director of pharmacy. Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Diego anchor the largest share of openings, with major employers such as Kaiser Permanente, Sutter Health, and CVS Health maintaining a consistent hiring presence throughout the state. Clinical pharmacy, oncology, and ambulatory care are the specialties drawing the most attention from California employers right now. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Job Overview
As a Staff Pharmacist, you’ll deliver safe, responsive patient care while supporting reliable pharmacy operations. You’ll assess medication needs, guide appropriate medication use, and work closely with patients and healthcare professionals. This role calls for sound clinical judgment, clear communication, and consistent attention to regulatory requirements. Bilingual Chinese/English required for community communications.
Duties
- Review prescriptions and patient information, assess medication needs, and support medical management, medication administration, and pain management.
- Prepare and compound medications using aseptic technique and applicable United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Chapter 797 standards.
- Provide patient service, customer service, client communication, and immunizations as authorized; support care for pediatric patients.
- Maintain accurate records and inventory, use pharmacy software and Pharmacy Information Systems (PIS), and coordinate with electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) systems.
- Follow state and federal pharmacy laws, drug regulation, healthcare compliance, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, and clinical confidentiality policies.
Your impact: Careful medication review and clear guidance help patients and care teams make informed, safer treatment decisions.
Skills
- Required: Current authorization to practice as a pharmacist in the applicable jurisdiction; knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology; patient assessment and patient care skills.
- Required: Understanding of pharmaceutical regulatory compliance, pharmacy operations, inventory management, and medication safety.
- Preferred: Clinical pharmacy, critical care, community pharmacy, or long-term care (LTC) pharmacy experience; pharmacy residency.
- Preferred: Experience managing pharmacy teams; familiarity with basic life support (BLS) and relevant clinical settings.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to use pharmacy software while protecting patient information.
Pay: $55.74 - $65.00 per hour
Expected hours: 40.0 per week
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Language:
- Chinese (Required)
Work Location: In person
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Find Pharmacist JobsPharmacist Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Pharmacist Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Walgreens34
- CVS Health20
- Sutter Health15
- Kaiser Permanente11
- Vons8
Top Industries Hiring
- Retail13
- Healthcare & Medical Services8
- Insurance3
- Education2
- Science & Research1
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in pharmacist jobs across California.
- Active California pharmacist license issued by the California State Board of Pharmacy
- Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited college of pharmacy program
- Completion of NAPLEX and MPJE licensing examinations required for California licensure
- One to two years of pharmacy practice experience in retail, hospital, or clinical setting
- Proficiency with pharmacy dispensing and clinical management software systems
- Strong patient counseling skills and ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary care teams
Pharmacist Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a pharmacist in California?
To become a pharmacist in California, you must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from an accredited program, pass the NAPLEX and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination, and obtain a license from the California State Board of Pharmacy. California also requires completion of an intern pharmacist registration during your schooling. The Board of Pharmacy manages all licensure applications and issues the license that California employers require before you can practice.
How much do pharmacists make in California?
Pharmacists in California earn a median of about $164,610 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $90,560 for the lowest 10% to over $213,820 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire pharmacists in California?
Employers hiring pharmacists in California right now include Walgreens, CVS Health, and Sutter Health, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. California's size and density of integrated health systems, large retail pharmacy networks, and managed care plans means hiring is ongoing across both urban medical centers and community pharmacy locations throughout the state.
Which California cities have the most pharmacist jobs?
Los Angeles, San Diego, and Fresno have the most pharmacist openings in California. Los Angeles draws the largest volume given its concentration of hospital systems, integrated health networks, and retail locations, while San Francisco and San Diego support strong demand through academic medical centers, biotechnology-affiliated specialty pharmacy, and established managed care organizations that employ clinical and ambulatory care pharmacists.
Are there remote pharmacist jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. About 11% of pharmacist openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting the largely on-site, patient-facing nature of most pharmacy roles. The parts of the role most likely to go remote are medication therapy management, prior authorization review, telepharmacy verification, and clinical utilization management positions within managed care or pharmacy benefit management organizations.
How can I get hired as a pharmacist in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is completing a pharmacy residency through a California health system such as Kaiser Permanente, UCSF Health, or UCLA Health, which operate PGY1 programs designed for new graduates. Candidates without residency experience often start as pharmacist-in-charge candidates in community pharmacy or transition from intern pharmacist and pharmacy technician roles. A California intern pharmacist registration, strong clinical rotations at California sites, and board certification in a specialty area all improve competitiveness with employers who prefer local training.
Where can I find and apply to pharmacist jobs in California?
You can find and apply to pharmacist jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across retail, hospital, specialty, and managed care settings. Find the roles that fit your experience and credentials and apply directly to the employers posting them.
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