How much does it cost to open a pharmacy in California?
Robert Miller
Updated on March 05, 2026
Opening a pharmacy will cost on average $400,000 to $600,000. You must realistically determine how you will obtain that financial capital using one or a combination of the following options: Personal Investment.
How much does it cost to open a pharmacy?
Independent pharmacy start-up costs can vary based on location, inventory, and staffing costs. On estimate, you’ll need between $350–450K to start your pharmacy.
How much money can you make owning a pharmacy?
Depending on the financial success of the pharmacy’s operations, total annual earnings, including your salary, could be $200,000, or higher for a pharmacy filling 200 prescriptions per day.
How does a pharmacist make money?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, pharmacists earn $126,120 annually, or $60.64 per hour on the job. Percentile-wise, the top 10% of U.S. pharmacists earned around $161,250 in 2018, while the bottom 10% of the pharmacy trade earned about $87,790.
What are the costs of opening a pharmacy?
For example, startup costs, such as the pharmacy location, staffing, equipment, and inventory, add up quickly—especially when you aren’t making money yet. Additionally, you have to consider the licenses, contracts, and insurance required to open a pharmacy, all of which cost time and money.
How much does it cost to get a pharmacy license in California?
Initial License/Certificate Fee Effective 7/1/17 Effective 4/1/2020; Pharmacist Initial License Fee: $195.00: $215.00
How much does it cost to hire a pharmacist?
The cost of hiring staff, according to Bureau of Labor statistics, runs an average of $13.32 per hour for each pharmacy technician and more than $106K per year for each pharmacist. If you, as an owner, are also the pharmacist, you’ve got some wiggle room here.
Why is it important to have enough capital to open a pharmacy?
The reality of opening a new independent pharmacy is that profits aren’t guaranteed, and you won’t see any right away. That’s why having enough capital is extremely important. For example, startup costs, such as the pharmacy location, staffing, equipment, and inventory, add up quickly—especially when you aren’t making money yet.
