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PHARMACY TECHNICIAN SALARY

Pharmacy Technician Salary

Pharmacy technicians have careers that involve patient interaction, pharmaceutical knowledge, and administrative acumen.

They perform tasks that cross over administrative, computer software and customer service lines, and the career field has plenty of opportunities available for those with a certificate or degree and some clinical experience. As such, salaries for pharmacy technicians have potential, just like the career field itself. On top of salary, many techs receive additional employer benefits in terms of future education, healthcare and support in securing professional certifications.

Salary and Outlook

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics says the median annual salary for full-time pharmacy techs is $37,790, though the top 10% in the field earned more than $50,640.

ANNUAL MEDIAN SALARY OF

$37,790

Pharmacy Technician

Top 10% generally refers to workers who have a number of years' experience and have earned a degree and professional certification from accredited agencies or associations. Location may also play a factor in higher salaries, with metropolitan areas paying better than small towns or rural areas.

The profession is also holding steady, according to the BLS. The field has an anticipated growth rate of 5% through 2031, which is the national average for all careers for the same timeframe.

The total number of jobs expected to be added nationally is 22,400 for the same time period. This growth rate is attributed to the increasing demand for pharmaceuticals by older populations. Not only do the pharmaceutical companies continue bringing newer drugs to market, but the overall demand is increasing due to the fact that WWII's baby boom generation is nearing or passing retirement age and will be experiencing age-related illnesses that require medication.

Here are the BLS top states and cities for employment of pharmacy technicians, and what their annual wage is.

Median annual salaries by state

Pharmacy Technicians

National data

Median Salary: $37,790

Projected job growth: 5%

10th Percentile: $29,640

25th Percentile: $34,590

75th Percentile: $45,710

90th Percentile: $50,640

Projected job growth: 5%

State data

State Median Salary Bottom 10% Top 10%
Alabama $35,310 $28,070 $43,950
Alaska $47,380 $37,840 $61,540
Arizona $41,590 $32,420 $49,420
Arkansas $33,830 $28,550 $45,760
California $48,050 $36,770 $75,960
Colorado $43,250 $34,680 $53,560
Connecticut $36,560 $31,140 $50,840
Delaware $37,590 $28,650 $48,510
District of Columbia $45,090 $37,490 $60,110
Florida $36,810 $30,110 $46,810
Georgia $36,050 $28,960 $46,530
Hawaii $38,620 $30,450 $56,780
Idaho $38,300 $30,130 $49,770
Illinois $38,370 $29,420 $49,200
Indiana $37,190 $30,530 $45,870
Iowa $37,070 $30,110 $46,970
Kansas $38,020 $27,580 $48,640
Kentucky $35,230 $28,370 $45,870
Louisiana $36,820 $28,930 $46,630
Maine $37,140 $29,570 $47,270
Maryland $37,660 $31,230 $50,870
Massachusetts $40,230 $32,290 $61,130
Michigan $36,940 $28,800 $47,340
Minnesota $43,980 $35,670 $54,690
Mississippi $35,320 $28,210 $44,290
Missouri $36,230 $27,620 $47,550
Montana $39,070 $31,460 $48,300
Nebraska $36,620 $30,230 $46,920
Nevada $39,940 $30,240 $52,980
New Hampshire $37,300 $28,860 $48,700
New Jersey $37,590 $29,920 $50,530
New Mexico $38,680 $30,030 $50,270
New York $36,910 $31,370 $56,450
North Carolina $36,900 $29,320 $47,020
North Dakota $44,720 $33,930 $56,700
Ohio $36,500 $28,200 $47,480
Oklahoma $35,030 $28,540 $46,900
Oregon $45,880 $36,360 $59,500
Pennsylvania $36,310 $28,410 $46,070
Rhode Island $39,710 $29,910 $50,070
South Carolina $36,440 $28,960 $45,940
South Dakota $36,770 $30,850 $46,100
Tennessee $36,260 $28,600 $47,070
Texas $38,360 $29,780 $48,850
Utah $41,790 $34,600 $50,630
Vermont $37,200 $31,400 $47,440
Virginia $37,440 $29,340 $49,330
Washington $48,740 $36,810 $62,030
West Virginia $34,610 $28,070 $44,980
Wisconsin $37,390 $29,410 $48,680
Wyoming $41,130 $32,660 $50,260

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2022 median salary; projected job growth through 2031. Actual salaries may vary depending on location, level of education, years of experience, work environment, and other factors. Salaries may differ even more for those who are self-employed or work part time.

Highest paying annual wage metro areas for pharmacy technicians

Metro Area Median Annual Salary
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $58,640
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA $57,710
Napa, CA $55,390
Santa Rosa, CA $53,370
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA $52,760
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $50,390
Olympia-Tumwater, WA $49,340
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA $49,220
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA $48,990
Fairbanks, AK $48,440

Where do Pharmacy Techs Work and Who Pays Best?

Pharmacy technicians work in many different environments. Here is a look at some of the most common:

Big-Box Stores: Stores such as Costco offer pharmaceutical services to their customers. Costco, in particular, does a large volume of pharmaceutical business due to its price incentives. Pharmacy techs can also find work in mass-merchandising chains such as Walmart, Kmart, Target and Sam's Club.

Grocery Stores: In response to the growing demand for prescriptions and ease of access by consumers, grocery stores have started housing their own pharmacy departments. Since nearly everyone needs to grocery shop, having a pharmacy on site to fill prescriptions while purchasing groceries is convenient and simple.

Pharmacy Chains: The nation is dotted with large pharmacy chains such as Walgreen's, Rite-Aid and CVS, all of which need pharmacy technicians. When techs start a career with one of these large companies, they may find job stability. Often, workers are able to transfer to larger markets where their responsibilities and salaries are able to rise as well.

Regional Pharmacies: Even in the age of nationwide pharmacy chains, small pharmacies are still found. Smaller, regional chains are not unheard of, such as Bartell Drugs in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, or Boone Drugs, located in North Carolina and Tennessee.

Mail-Order Pharmacies: Pharmacy technicians in this environment have little, if any, interaction with patients, but serve a vital role for those who may not be as ambulatory as others. In fact, the online pharmacy business is booming because of its ecommerce convenience.

Hospitals: Every hospital must have a full-service pharmacy on-site to provide its healthcare providers with the medicines they need. The pharmaceutical techs who work in this sort of environment must often know how to compound drugs to help out patients with special or critical needs. The technicians in hospitals or long-term care facilities need to work directly with nurses or doctors, so may be required to have more education in basic health subjects and specialized pharmacy science subjects such as compounding.

Travel/Contract Jobs: Some pharmacy technicians are able to travel to different towns and states to assist customers who may live in rural areas or not have access to pharmacies. This sort of work exposes techs to a wide range of working environments, in addition to the opportunity to explore cities and towns as a full-time, if temporary, resident.

What You'll Learn in Pharmacy Technician School

Sometimes pharmacy technicians enter the field with only a high school diploma and then learn the profession on the job. But this is fast becoming old school thinking. More and more, entry-level pharmacy technicians are pursuing specialized education to learn the trade before starting work.

By taking specialized pharmacy science classes they'll learn subjects they'll need to know on the job, such as the following:

Records management

Medication dispensing and calculations

Pharmacy law

Ethics

Medical terminology

Pharmacology

Why Not Get Started Today?

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If you think you'd like to pursue a career as a pharmacy tech, talk with pharmacy professionals in your area to see what sort of opportunities are available. In particular, see what education they pursued and what they might recommend in order to enter the field.

Since most states require regulation for their pharmacy technicians, see if your future employer will help pay fees for the certification exam. Whether they contribute or not you should earn the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board national professional credential. Once you've earned this designation, you'll be respected by peers and understood to be serious about your profession and ethical values.

The field for pharmacy technicians continues to widen as the economy creates more and more demand for the role. If you are seeking a new career, or are just starting out, and have an interest in pharmacy science and helping people, you may want to consider getting an education as a pharmacy technician.

With career outlook looking good, the time to get started is now. Browse accredited pharmacy technician programs today and we'll connect you with school who can help put you on your career path.

Pharmacy Technician Career Guide

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