79 U.S. Pharmaceutical Statistics & Demographics

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry generated $550 billion in revenue in 2021. Find more pharmaceutical statistics below.

steven zauderer
Steven Zauderer
September 29, 2024
min read

If you're wondering how much money the pharmaceutical industry makes each year, or how many companies are in this industry, you've come to the right place. We've compiled the latest statistics from various studies and summarized them below:

Top 10 Pharmaceutical Statistics

  1. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry generated $550 billion in revenue in 2021.
  2. Americans spent $576.9 billion on medicine in 2021.
  3. The U.S. is expected to spend $605-$635 billion on medicine in 2025.
  4. There are more than 310,574 pharmacists currently employed in the United States.
  5. 56.8% of all pharmacists are women, and 43.2% are men.
  6. The most common ethnicity of pharmacists is White (66.2%). That's followed by Asian (18.9%), Black or African American (7.6%), and Hispanic or Latino (4.7%).
  7. In 2021, women earned 98% of what men earned in the pharmaceutical industry.
  8. Pharmacists are 65% more likely to work at private companies compared to public companies.
  9. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry employs over 1.3 million people.
  10. There are over 40,000 FDA-approved drugs on the market.
Category Data
2021 Average Salary $128,570 per year. $61.81 per hour.
Number Of Jobs In 2021 323,500
Number Of Pharmacists 310,574
Average Age 42 years old
Employment Change, 2021-31 7,700
Job Outlook, 2021-31 2%

Crucial Pharmaceutical Industry Statistics

1. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry employs over 1.3 million people.

2. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry generated over $550 billion in revenue in 2021.

3. There are over 5,000 pharmaceutical companies in the U.S.

4. Generic drugs account for about 88% of prescriptions filled in the U.S.

5. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry spends over $60 billion on research and development each year.

6. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world.

7. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has over 500,000 unique products available.

8. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth over $1 trillion.

9. The U.S. spends over $323 billion on prescription drugs each year.

10. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, accounting for nearly one-third of all pharmaceutical exports.

11. The global pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth over $1.2 trillion.

12. The global pharmaceutical industry is projected to grow to more than $1.5 trillion by 2021.

13. The global pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at a rate of 4.7% each year.

14. The top 10 pharmaceutical companies account for over 35% of the global pharmaceutical market.

15. The U.S. accounts for nearly 40% of the global pharmaceutical market.

The U.S. accounts for nearly 40% of the global pharmaceutical market.

16. The U.S. accounts for nearly 20% of the global pharmaceutical research and development.

17. There are over 40,000 FDA-approved drugs on the market.

18. The top 10 drugs account for over 18% of the global pharmaceutical sales.

19. The top 10 drugs account for over 50% of the global pharmaceutical sales in the U.S.

20. The FDA is the only organization that can approve drugs in the U.S.

21. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is one of the biggest industries in terms of market size.

22. The global biopharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth nearly $500 billion.

23. The global biopharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at a rate of 4.4% each year.

24. The U.S. accounts for nearly one-third of the global biopharmaceutical market.

25. The top 10 biopharmaceutical companies account for more than 25% of the global market.

26. The U.S. is the world's largest market for pharmaceuticals.

largest market for pharma

27. The U.S. accounts for nearly 40% of the global pharmaceutical research and development.

28. The U.S. accounts for more than 60% of the global biopharmaceutical research and development.

29. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, accounting for nearly one-third of all pharmaceutical exports.

30. The U.S. accounts for nearly 45% of all global pharmaceutical sales.

u.s. accounts

31. The top 10 drugs account for over 50% of all global pharmaceutical sales in the U.S.

32. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry invests over $40 billion each year in research and development.

33. The global pharmaceutical industry employs over 5 million people.

global pharmaceutical industry employment

34. The global pharmaceutical industry generates over $1 trillion in revenue each year.

35. The global pharmaceutical industry is projected to grow to more than $1.5 trillion by 2021.

36. The global pharmaceutical market is expected to grow at a rate of 4.7% each year.

37. The top 10 pharmaceutical companies account for over 35% of the global pharmaceutical market.

38. There are more than 500,000 unique products available in the U.S. pharmaceutical industry.

39. The U.S. is the largest consumer of pharmaceuticals.

40. The U.S. accounts for nearly 20% of the global pharmaceutical research and development.

41. The top 10 drugs account for over 18% of the global pharmaceutical sales.

42. The FDA approves an average of 20 to 30 new drugs each year.

43. The U.S. spends over $323 billion on prescription drugs each year.

44. The U.S. is the world's largest exporter of pharmaceuticals, accounting for nearly one-third of all pharmaceutical exports.

45. Generic drugs account for about 88% of prescriptions filled in the U.S.

46. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth over $1 trillion.

47. The global pharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth over $1.2 trillion.

48. The global biopharmaceutical industry is estimated to be worth nearly $500 billion.

49. The U.S. accounts for nearly one-third of the global biopharmaceutical market.

50. The top 10 biopharmaceutical companies account for more than 25% of the global market.

51. The top 10 drugs account for over 50% of the global pharmaceutical sales in the U.S.

52. The average age for a pharmacist is 42 years old.

average age of a pharmacist

53. The U.S. accounts for nearly 40% of the global pharmaceutical research and development.

54. The U.S. accounts for more than 60% of the global biopharmaceutical research and development.

55. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry has an average annual growth rate of 4%.

u.s. pharma industry growth rate

56. The global biopharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at a rate of 4.4% each year.

57. There are over 40,000 FDA-approved drugs on the market.

Domestic + International Revenue Of The U.S. Pharma Industry 2010-2020

Year Total Domestic International
2020 $424 billion $307 billion $117 billion
2019 $429 billion $302 billion $126 billion
2018 $407 billion $280 billion $126 billion
2017 $334 billion $224 billion $109 billion
2016 $321 billion $218 billion $103 billion
2015 $302 billion $202 billion $100 billion
2014 $286 billion $178 billion $107 billion
2013 $282 billion $175 billion $106 billion
2012 $286 billion $178 billion $107 billion
2011 $305 billion $187 billion $117 billion
2010 $291 billion 184 billion $106 billion

Pharmaceutical Industry Jobs Statistics

  1. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry employs over 1.3 million people.
  2. The U.S. pharmaceutical industry is the largest pharmaceutical market in the world.
  3. The global pharmaceutical industry employs over 5 million people.

5 Best-Selling Drugs By Sales In 2020

Drug 2020 Sales
Humira $20.39 billion
Keytruda $14.38 billion
Revlimid $12.15 billion
Eliquis $9.17 billion
Imbruvica $8.43 billion

5 Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies

top five biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world
Source: Zippia.com
Company Revenue
Johnson & Johnson $82.1 billion
Pfizer $51.8 billion
Roche $63.5 billion
Novartis $47.5 billion
Merck & Co. $46.8 billion

Pharmacist Statistics & Demographics

  1. 56.8% of all pharmacists are women, and 43.2% are men.
  2. The most common ethnicity of pharmacists is White (66.2%). That's followed by Asian (18.9%), Black or African American (7.6%), and Hispanic or Latino (4.7%).
  3. In 2021, women earned 98% of what men earned in the pharmaceutical industry.
  4. Pharmacists are 65% more likely to work at private companies compared to public companies.

How many pharmacists are there in the U.S?

There are more than 310,574 pharmacists currently employed in the United States.

What percentage of people are pharmacists?

There are more than 310,574 pharmacists currently employed in the United States, and with the U.S. population being 331.9 million, we can estimate that less than 10% of 1% of the entire U.S. population is a pharmacist.

Why are pharmacists declining?

Pharmacist jobs are declining slightly. One probable reason is that as more people fill their orders online or through mail, there will be less demand for pharmacists working in retail pharmacies and drug stores.

Where do pharmacists earn the most?

Pharmacists earn the most in California, where the average pharmacist salary is $161,597.

What is the average age of a pharmacist?

The average age of an employed pharmacist is 42 years old.

Average salary of a pharmacist

The average salary of a pharmacist in 2021 is $128,570 per year, or $61.81 per hour according to the U.S. Bureau Of Labor Statistics.

How much does the pharmaceutical industry make a year?

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry generated over $550 billion in revenue in 2021.

How many pharmaceutical companies are there in the U.S.?

There are over 5,000 pharmaceutical companies in the U.S.

Is the pharmaceutical industry growing?

Yes, the pharmaceutical industry is growing. Experts predict that the global pharmaceutical industry will grow at a CAGR of 7.41%.

Which organizations can approve new drugs?

In the U.S., the only organization that can approve new drugs is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has different processes for over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

When did the U.S.'s pharmaceutical industry start?

The pharmaceutical industry started during the 19th century with traveling salesmen and shop owners.

Who created the modern U.S. pharmaceutical industry?

Charles Pfizer, Charles Erhardt, and Eli Lilly were scientists who helped create the modern U.S. pharmaceutical industry. They all had a common goal of creating safe and ethical drugs that had the ingredients printed on the label and were distributed across the U.S. by doctors instead of salesmen. These founders had lots of creativity and passion for their work which helped them start this massive industry.

Sources

  1. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/57126
  2. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/pharmacists.htm
  3. https://www.statista.com/statistics/238698/us-health-spending-leading-areas/
  4. https://www.phrma.org/-/media/Project/PhRMA/PhRMA-Org/PhRMA-Org/PDF/D-F/Economic-Impact-US-Biopharmaceutical-Industry-December-2019.pdf
  5. https://www.zippia.com/pharmacist-jobs/demographics/