Is Walgreens pharmacist a good job?

Being a Walgreens pharmacist has mixed reviews; it offers good benefits and decent pay (around $120k-$140k) but often involves significant stress, understaffing, heavy workload, and poor work-life balance due to high volume and metric pressures, though some find specialty roles better or value the corporate structure for its lack of extra responsibility compared to hospitals. It's generally seen as challenging but potentially manageable for new grads or those in specific roles, with pros like good 401k/medical benefits and cons like overworked staff and unrealistic goals.

Is Walgreens a good place to work as a pharmacist?

Pharmacist employees have rated Walgreens with 2.9 out of 5 stars, based on 1,144 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Pharmacist professionals have an average working experience there.

How much do pharmacists make a year at Walgreens?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $155,000 and as low as $58,000, the majority of Walgreens Pharmacist salaries currently range between $116,500 (25th percentile) to $140,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $149,000 annually across the United States.

What is the highest paying job at Walgreens?

The highest-paying jobs at Walgreens are in the pharmacy, with Pharmacists and Pharmacy Managers earning the most, often over $100,000 annually, depending on location and experience, with Pharmacists averaging around $126k and Pharmacy Managers potentially earning over $170k. Corporate roles like Accenture Strategy or specialized engineering jobs (sometimes through partners) can also offer high salaries, but within Walgreens stores, licensed pharmacy roles lead the pay scale, followed by roles like Pharmacy Interns and Store Team Leaders. 

Does Walgreens pay for you to be a pharmacist?

The Walgreens Pharmacy Educational Assistance Program (PEAP) provides awards to pharmacy students during each year enrolled in a professional pharmacy program while working for Walgreens as a pharmacy intern, up to $40,000 total.

Walgreens - Do Pharmacists Hate it?

How long is a pharmacist shift at Walgreens?

Walgreens pharmacy shift hours vary significantly by location (store hours, staffing) but generally include 6-12 hour shifts, often rotating mornings (e.g., 7/8 AM - 3/4 PM) and evenings (e.g., 2/4 PM - 10 PM) for pharmacists and technicians, with some stores operating 24/7 and offering flexible or split shifts, so checking specific store schedules is best. 

How long is Walgreens pharmacist training?

It takes 2-5 years to do your pharmacy training with Walgreens.

Is a pharmacist a stressful job?

A survey by the Pharmacy Workforce Center found that while 72% of pharmacists report high job satisfaction, 45% also report experiencing moderate to high levels of work-related stress, highlighting the importance of developing resilience and self-care strategies.

What are the perks of working at Walgreens?

Your pay, paid time off, profit-sharing, company-paid disability and life insurance, an extensive wellness program and a long list of employee discount programs— together with your healthcare coverage—make up the full picture of your employee benefits: in other words, Your Total Rewards.

Is Walgreens a better pharmacy than CVS?

CVS and Walgreens are very similar, with differences often coming down to personal preference, local store experience, and specific deals, but recent data suggests CVS has a slight market share lead. While both offer comparable convenience, prices, and rewards, some consumers find Walgreens' pharmacy service slightly better due to staffing, while CVS's app/system might be more user-friendly; however, experiences vary greatly by location, with some finding Walgreens cleaner and CVS messy, or vice versa. 

What qualifications do you need to work at Walgreens pharmacy?

The specific qualifications you need to work at Walgreens will depend on the position you are applying for. Most entry level positions require at least a high school diploma or equivalent, while more advanced positions may require additional qualifications such as certifications or degrees.

What store pays pharmacists the most?

For retail pharmacies, Kaiser Permanente, Safeway, Rite Aid, Wegmans, and CVS Health/Walmart consistently rank among the highest payers, with reported total pay often exceeding $130,000-$140,000 annually, though exact figures vary by location and role (like Pharmacist Manager). The highest overall pharmacist roles, including retail, are often found in Ambulatory Health Care Services or Hospitals, but within retail, locations like Washington D.C., New York, and Washington state tend to offer higher average salaries, notes ZipRecruiter and Glassdoor. 

Is it better to work at Walgreens or Walmart?

It's a trade-off: Walmart often offers better pay, more staff support, and more structured breaks (especially in pharmacy), while Walgreens is sometimes seen as having lower stress or a less demanding overall environment, though frequently understaffed, with the best choice depending heavily on the specific store's management, location, and your role (retail vs. pharmacy). Many prefer Walmart for better compensation and benefits and better staffing/support, while Walgreens might be chosen for a potentially calmer, though often busier, smaller-scale experience. 

What caused Walgreens' downfall?

Walgreens is struggling due to a combination of declining prescription profits from Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), increased competition (Walmart, Costco), changing consumer habits, high debt, overexpansion, and operational issues like understaffing and theft, leading to lower retail sales and store closures despite pandemic-era vaccination boosts. Misguided health care acquisitions (VillageMD, Summit Health) also burdened finances, forcing a strategic pivot away from being a primary care provider to focusing on core pharmacy and virtual health, notes.
 

What is the starting salary for a pharmacist at Walgreens?

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $155,000 and as low as $58,000, the majority of Entry Level Walgreens Pharmacist salaries currently range between $116,500 (25th percentile) to $140,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $149,000 annually across the United States.

Why are so many pharmacists quitting?

Long shifts, on-call weekends, and unrealistic expectations are driving burnout. Studies show that up to 70% of pharmacists experience job dissatisfaction due to high work demands, lack of support, and burnout. It's no wonder the profession is losing people.

Do pharmacists have a lot of free time?

Your hours are flexible

“Hospital pharmacists generally work an 8-hour day, “ Moss says, “but a lot of retail pharmacists work 12-14 hour days. They open and close. That's how they get a day off.”

Will AI replace pharmacists?

No, AI is unlikely to completely replace pharmacists; instead, it will augment their roles, handling repetitive tasks like data analysis and dispensing, allowing pharmacists to focus on complex patient care, clinical decision-making, empathy, and building trust, though the profession will evolve, requiring adaptability and new skills in data literacy and tool proficiency. AI will transform workflows and potentially reduce headcount in some areas, but human connection, judgment, and navigating ethical complexities remain essential. 

How many hours does a Walgreens pharmacist work?

8 am to 8pm, some 12 hours shift and if there is a training like CPR or issues at other store maybe 14-15 hour lots of driving without compensation.

Does CVS or Walgreens pay pharmacy techs more?

Generally, pay between CVS and Walgreens for pharmacy technicians is very comparable, with slight variations depending on location, experience, and specific role (like Certified Tech or Lead Tech), but some data suggests CVS might offer slightly higher hourly rates for technicians, though both face criticism for low starting wages in retail. CVS Health showed higher average hourly pay for technicians in one comparison ($17.65 vs $16.60 at Walgreens), while Pharmacy Technician Guide showed slightly wider ranges for both, with CVS potentially higher overall ($24k-$44k vs $23k-$42k). 

Is Walgreens a good company to work for as a pharmacist?

Don't work here.

Now they expect pharmacists to take on technical tasks, yet they still demand zero errors and expect the promise time to remain unaffected. Working for Walgreens means accepting a mediocre job.

Do pharmacists make 100k a year?

Yes, most pharmacists earn well over $100,000 a year, with the median salary around $137,480 in May 2024, meaning half earn more and half earn less, and the top earners exceeding $172,040. While entry-level pay can sometimes start near $100k, experienced pharmacists in desirable locations or specializations often earn significantly more, though salaries depend heavily on factors like location, setting (hospital vs. retail), and experience. 

What will happen to Walgreens Pharmacy?

Under Sycamore, Walgreens will split into five independent companies: Walgreens (pharmacy), The Boots Group (health and beauty retail business), Shields Health Solutions (specialty pharmacy solutions), CareCentrix (home health) and VillageMD (primary care). Sycamore Partners and Walgreens declined to comment.

Is Walgreens no longer paying holiday pay?

Yes, Walgreens significantly cut paid holiday time for its hourly store employees in late 2025, eliminating six paid holidays (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July) after being acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners, a cost-cutting move that means workers now only get extra holiday pay if they work the holiday, not paid time off if they don't, impacting hundreds of thousands of low-wage staff.