A survey of selected teaching hospitals was conducted in early 1990 to determine salary ranges for pharmacist positions, salaries at which pharmacists were typically hired for these positions, differences in salary between clinical practitioner and managerial positions, and geographic differences in these salaries. Surveys were mailed to 50 members of the University Hospital Consortium (UHC) and 50 other university-affiliated and non-university-affiliated hospitals believed to be comparable to the investigators' hospital. Hospital capacity and census data, numbers of pharmacist and support staff positions, qualifications preferred and required for those positions, and salary information were requested. Data from 22 UHC hospitals and 23 non-UHC hospitals were evaluated. Relative to average daily census, UHC hospitals indicated higher pharmacist staffing levels and non-UHC hospitals reported higher support staff levels. More non-UHC hospitals than UHC hospitals (69.2% versus 43.5%) used an integrated model for delivery of clinical and distributive services. Nationally, the reported annual salaries were as follows: staff pharmacist, $34,881 to $47,906; clinical pharmacist, $37,768 to $51,564; clinical specialist, $38,905 to $55,282; supervisor, $39,905 to $54,416; assistant director, $43,554 to $58,758. Overall, typical hire rates (THRs) exceeded mean minimum salaries by about 10%. The percentages by which THRs exceeded mean minimum salaries were greatest in the West for staff pharmacist, clinical pharmacist, and clinical specialist positions and greatest in the Midwest for supervisor and assistant director positions. THRs for supervisors and assistant directors exceeded those for clinical specialists. Respondents' preferences varied regarding advanced education and training, and their actual requirements did not match their stated preferences.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)