Contents
Pharmacy Technician Salary
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
| Hourly Wage | $9.89 | $11.69 | $14.10 | $17.22 | $20.38 |
| Annual Wage | $20,600 | $24,300 | $29,300 | $35,800 | $42,400 |
What does a pharmacy technician make? The primary duties of pharmacy technicians involve assisting pharmacists with the dispensing of prescriptions. They often collect information from patients or medical professionals and enter it into a computer, answer phones, and handle the payment process. Pharmacy technicians also label prescriptions, and depending on the state regulations where they are employed, can sometimes mix medications. The path to become a pharmacy technician usually involves on the job training. Some colleges offer programs to become a pharmacy technician.
Salary
In 2012, the median salary for pharmacy technicians was $29,320. The lowest 10 percent or pharmacy technicians made an annual salary of $20,580 or less. The top 10 percent employed in the field earned $42,400 or more.
Factors Impacting Salary
Of the top employers of pharmacy technicians, techs who work in ambulatory healthcare services earned the highest salaries. Hospitals and grocery stores followed with the second and third highest pay rates for those in the field. Pharmacy technicians who graduated from a pharmacy tech program will likely make more money than those who do not have a certificate. Experience is another factor that impacts salary since pharmacy technicians who have been in the field for several years will generally earn a higher wage than those just starting out.
Geographical Location and Salary
The state where a pharmacy technician is employed can further impact his or her salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the states where pharmacy techs are paid the most are the District of Columbia, Washington, California, Alaska, and Hawaii. The metropolitan areas where pharmacy technicians are paid the best include Oakland, CA, Napa, CA, and San Francisco, CA.
Work Environment and Schedule
The majority of pharmacy technicians work full time in grocery and drug store pharmacies. Since many pharmacies are open 24 hours a day, pharmacy technicians could work shifts consisting of nights, weekends, and holidays. In addition, some technicians work in hospitals and other types of stores that have pharmacies.
Job Outlook
The potential job outlook for pharmacy technicians is good. The field is expected to expand by 20 percent during the period between 2012 and 2022. The reasons for the job increase in the occupation is a result of the growing need for medications. More medications will be needed due to the expansion of the aging population and their use of medications, and higher numbers of people suffering from chronic diseases will need prescription drugs. New healthcare legislation will also give people access to prescription drug insurance coverage who did not previously have it. Furthermore, there is an increase in the development of new medications and more pharmacy technicians will be needed in pharmacies to help dispense the new drugs.
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Employment | % of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean salary |
| Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) | 5,850 | 0.29 | $19.66 | $40,890 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 3,680 | 0.55 | $18.78 | $39,050 |
| Offices of Physicians | 5,630 | 0.23 | $18.16 | $37,780 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 350 | 0.13 | $17.99 | $37,420 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 2,030 | 0.85 | $17.91 | $37,250 |
Salary By State
| State | 10% | 25% | Median | 75% | 90% | Jobs (2010) | Jobs (2020) | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $17,900 | $20,800 | $24,700 | $29,600 | $36,000 | 6,560 | 8,260 | +26% |
| Alaska | $28,100 | $33,200 | $39,100 | $45,900 | $52,300 | 550 | 680 | +24% |
| Arizona | $23,200 | $26,900 | $32,000 | $37,000 | $42,600 | 7,170 | 9,060 | +27% |
| Arkansas | $19,900 | $21,800 | $25,000 | $29,700 | $35,600 | 3,660 | 4,140 | +13% |
| California | $27,300 | $32,400 | $38,000 | $45,200 | $52,900 | 29,000 | 38,600 | +33% |
| Colorado | $23,200 | $27,000 | $32,200 | $37,100 | $42,900 | 4,450 | 6,090 | +37% |
| Connecticut | $21,900 | $25,500 | $30,700 | $38,000 | $45,400 | 3,410 | 3,970 | +17% |
| Delaware | $19,000 | $21,600 | $25,900 | $32,900 | $40,200 | 1,160 | 1,480 | +28% |
| District of Columbia | $24,900 | $30,100 | $38,000 | $47,200 | $65,100 | 720 | 890 | +23% |
| Florida | $20,500 | $23,600 | $27,800 | $32,800 | $37,600 | 21,670 | 27,080 | +25% |
| Georgia | $18,200 | $21,800 | $26,600 | $31,900 | $37,500 | 4,610 | 5,370 | +17% |
| Hawaii | $25,800 | $31,700 | $36,800 | $43,100 | $47,500 | 1,170 | 1,440 | +23% |
| Idaho | $21,700 | $25,600 | $30,100 | $35,400 | $38,800 | 1,570 | 2,000 | +28% |
| Illinois | $21,000 | $24,200 | $28,600 | $34,400 | $38,800 | 15,560 | 17,390 | +12% |
| Iowa | $20,700 | $23,400 | $27,600 | $32,500 | $37,400 | 3,570 | 4,620 | +29% |
| Kansas | $20,500 | $23,500 | $28,100 | $33,600 | $38,000 | 3,820 | 4,530 | +19% |
| Kentucky | $17,800 | $20,600 | $24,600 | $29,500 | $35,400 | 6,840 | 9,110 | +33% |
| Louisiana | $21,300 | $24,800 | $28,400 | $33,400 | $38,000 | 5,170 | 6,330 | +23% |
| Maine | $20,500 | $23,900 | $28,200 | $33,500 | $38,200 | 2,060 | 2,390 | +17% |
| Maryland | $21,300 | $25,300 | $30,000 | $36,400 | $44,300 | 6,340 | 7,660 | +21% |
| Massachusetts | $22,000 | $25,900 | $31,300 | $37,300 | $44,600 | 6,750 | 8,430 | +25% |
| Michigan | $19,100 | $22,700 | $27,400 | $32,400 | $37,400 | 11,010 | 12,880 | +17% |
| Minnesota | $21,800 | $26,000 | $31,500 | $37,500 | $44,200 | 6,960 | 8,690 | +25% |
| Mississippi | $18,300 | $21,400 | $25,700 | $30,200 | $35,800 | 3,460 | 3,660 | +6% |
| Missouri | $20,100 | $22,500 | $26,800 | $31,900 | $38,300 | 9,380 | 11,470 | +22% |
| Montana | $24,900 | $27,200 | $31,200 | $36,400 | $41,400 | 810 | 1,010 | +25% |
| Nebraska | $20,800 | $23,600 | $27,400 | $31,200 | $36,300 | 2,280 | 2,740 | +20% |
| Nevada | $25,000 | $28,400 | $33,300 | $38,100 | $46,500 | 2,370 | 2,780 | +17% |
| New Hampshire | $20,500 | $23,100 | $27,300 | $32,300 | $38,400 | 1,410 | 1,650 | +17% |
| New Jersey | $21,800 | $25,500 | $30,200 | $36,800 | $44,700 | 6,330 | 7,340 | +16% |
| New Mexico | $21,500 | $25,100 | $29,200 | $35,500 | $41,700 | 2,010 | 2,440 | +21% |
| New York | $20,300 | $23,800 | $30,400 | $37,200 | $44,400 | 15,520 | 19,620 | +26% |
| North Carolina | $18,600 | $22,100 | $27,100 | $33,000 | $38,000 | 11,290 | 13,880 | +23% |
| North Dakota | $24,500 | $27,400 | $31,900 | $37,700 | $44,000 | 680 | 830 | +22% |
| Ohio | $19,300 | $22,200 | $26,700 | $31,600 | $37,300 | 14,650 | 17,500 | +20% |
| Oklahoma | $19,100 | $21,800 | $25,600 | $30,000 | $35,900 | 4,460 | 5,380 | +21% |
| Oregon | $25,700 | $30,300 | $34,900 | $39,500 | $45,000 | 4,300 | 5,050 | 0% |
| Pennsylvania | $19,000 | $22,700 | $27,900 | $34,200 | $39,100 | 14,350 | 16,040 | +12% |
| Rhode Island | $20,700 | $23,200 | $29,200 | $36,400 | $43,500 | 1,430 | 1,890 | +32% |
| South Carolina | $19,400 | $23,100 | $27,600 | $33,100 | $38,500 | 6,100 | 7,920 | +30% |
| South Dakota | $21,800 | $25,100 | $28,000 | $31,100 | $36,700 | 1,160 | 1,460 | +26% |
| Tennessee | $20,500 | $23,500 | $27,800 | $33,000 | $37,800 | 10,810 | 13,770 | +27% |
| Texas | $22,700 | $26,400 | $31,000 | $36,300 | $41,100 | 27,510 | 34,880 | +27% |
| Utah | $23,600 | $27,000 | $31,400 | $35,900 | $38,700 | 3,030 | 3,990 | +32% |
| Vermont | $21,400 | $24,300 | $29,000 | $35,500 | $41,100 | 580 | 730 | +27% |
| Virginia | $20,700 | $23,500 | $28,400 | $34,700 | $39,700 | 8,480 | 11,250 | +33% |
| Washington | $30,200 | $33,900 | $39,300 | $45,300 | $50,600 | 7,270 | 8,510 | +17% |
| West Virginia | $18,000 | $20,900 | $24,500 | $29,600 | $35,600 | 3,160 | 3,690 | +17% |
| Wisconsin | $20,800 | $23,800 | $28,200 | $33,400 | $37,800 | 7,360 | 8,490 | +15% |
| Wyoming | $25,500 | $29,600 | $34,000 | $37,600 | $41,900 | 510 | 560 | +10% |
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