Pharmacy Technicians work under the supervision of Pharmacists. They work in drug stores, pharmacies, and even in general merchandising stores.
Any retail setting that requires a Pharmacist must have at least one Pharmacy Technician. This means that a single pharmacy or drug store can have 1 or 2 Pharmacy Techs.
If you would like to become a pharmacy tech, click here to read our guide.
Pharmacy Tech Salary
How much does a Pharmacy Tech make? The average pharmacy tech salary is $32,700 or an equivalent of $15.72 per hour. The lower 10% of Pharmacy Techs earns an annual average salary of $22,740 while the upper 10% earns an annual average salary of $48,010.
A pharmacy tech’s starting salary depends on the industry he/she is working in. Pharmacy Technicians working in hospitals enjoy the biggest salary of $37,390. This is followed by general merchandise stores with a salary of $31,450, food and beverage stores with $30,640 and pharmacies and drug stores with an average salary of $30,470.
Pharmacy tech salaries also depend on the amount of hours worked. They must adhere to the schedule of the retail store – which means a lot of technicians work at nights, over weekends, and even during holidays. Most work full time while others work part time.
Top 5 Paying States
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Washington | 2.48 | $19.38 | $40,300 |
 | Alaska | 2.04 | $19.22 | $39,980 |
 | California | 2.21 | $19.09 | $39,710 |
 | Hawaii | 2.49 | $17.50 | $36,400 |
 | Oregon | 2.84 | $17.44 | $36,270 |
Top Paying Industries
| Industry | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch | 0.30 | $19.94 | $41,480 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 0.55 | $19.11 | $39,750 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 0.01 | $18.98 | $39,480 |
| Offices of Physicians | 0.24 | $18.39 | $38,250 |
| Computer Systems Design Services | – | $18.33 | $38,120 |
Pharmacy Tech Job Description
What does a pharmacy tech do? Basically, pharmacy techs help licensed pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers. They are often the first people customers meet when buying their medicines at a drug store. Because of this, pharmacy techs need to have very good customer-service skills since they are placed at the forefront of the drug store or pharmacy. They interact with customers most of the time so they must be polite and friendly.
Pharmacy techs also need to be detail oriented and have good listening and math skills. Part of their job involves packaging and labeling prescription medication. The slightest mistake can lead to serious health consequences so a pharmacy tech needs to be meticulous, have great communication skills, and have excellent math skills to be able to analyze and compute dosages, as well as money.
A pharmacy tech must also have good organizational skills since it will be his or her job to keep track of inventory, and inform the pharmacist for lack of supply.
Among other duties and responsibilities include taking information needed to fill a prescription from customers, measuring amounts of medication, processing insurance claims, and accepting payments.
Most states also allow pharmacy techs to mix medications. They can also work in hospitals where they give medication to health professionals, as well as facilitate intravenous medications.
A pharmacist tech career can give a person several choices in terms of the industry he/she wants to work in. As of 2016, 52% of pharmacy techs worked in pharmacies and drug stores, while 16% worked in hospitals, 10% worked in general merchandise stores, and 8% in grocery stores.
Pharmacy Tech Job Outlook
About 47,600 jobs for pharmacy technicians are seen to be created during the years 2016 to 2026. The projected increase is seen at 12% – which is faster than most occupations.
There are several factors that lead to this projected rise in employment. One of the reasons is that the general population of the United States is aging. The older a person is, the more medication he/she needs especially if that person has a chronic disease. Advances in the pharmaceutical industry will also bring in more demand for pharmacy techs.
And with the increasing number of people having health insurance through federal health insurance reform will make medicine more accessible – increasing the demand for more pharmacy techs. The high demand will make the industry more appealing for those looking to have a stable and long-term job.
Those who have formal training, certification, and experience are more likely to have better job prospects.
Pharmacy Tech Salary by State
| Flag | State | Employment per 1000 Jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Alabama | 3.911 | $12.94 | $26,920 |
| Alaska | 2.04 | $19.22 | $39,980 |
 | Arizona | 3.337 | $15.99 | $33,270 |
 | Arkansas | 2.955 | $13.14 | $27,330 |
| California | 2.207 | $19.09 | $39,710 |
 | Colorado | 1.879 | $16.02 | $33,320 |
 | Connecticut | 2.083 | $15.60 | $32,450 |
 | Delaware | 2.4 | $14.60 | $30,370 |
 | Florida | 3.302 | $13.90 | $28,900 |
 | Georgia | 3.022 | $13.46 | $27,990 |
| Hawaii | 2.488 | $17.50 | $36,400 |
 | Idaho | 2.392 | $15.16 | $31,530 |
 | Illinois | 3.126 | $13.95 | $29,020 |
 | Indiana | 3.07 | $13.82 | $28,750 |
 | Iowa | 2.886 | $14.10 | $29,320 |
 | Kansas | 2.939 | $13.80 | $28,700 |
 | Kentucky | 3.83 | $13.06 | $27,170 |
 | Louisiana | 3.046 | $14.39 | $29,920 |
 | Maine | 3.472 | $14.17 | $29,480 |
 | Maryland | 2.429 | $15.40 | $32,030 |
 | Massachusetts | 2.523 | $15.29 | $31,800 |
 | Michigan | 2.736 | $14.02 | $29,160 |
 | Minnesota | 2.49 | $15.34 | $31,900 |
 | Mississippi | 3.013 | $13.36 | $27,780 |
 | Missouri | 3.555 | $13.73 | $28,560 |
 | Montana | 2.954 | $16.06 | $33,410 |
 | Nebraska | 2.646 | $13.87 | $28,840 |
 | Nevada | 2.295 | $16.15 | $33,600 |
 | New Hampshire | 2.164 | $13.63 | $28,350 |
 | New Jersey | 2.333 | $15.21 | $31,650 |
 | New Mexico | 3.07 | $14.92 | $31,030 |
 | New York | 1.882 | $15.40 | $32,030 |
 | North Carolina | 3.058 | $13.50 | $28,080 |
 | North Dakota | 1.455 | $17.36 | $36,120 |
 | Ohio | 2.839 | $13.43 | $27,930 |
 | Oklahoma | 3.548 | $13.68 | $28,450 |
| Oregon | 2.841 | $17.44 | $36,270 |
 | Pennsylvania | 2.578 | $14.19 | $29,510 |
 | Rhode Island | 2.644 | $15.05 | $31,300 |
 | South Carolina | 3.087 | $13.76 | $28,620 |
 | South Dakota | 3.03 | $14.15 | $29,430 |
 | Tennessee | 4.377 | $14.24 | $29,630 |
 | Texas | 2.679 | $15.30 | $31,830 |
 | Utah | 2.69 | $16.32 | $33,940 |
 | Vermont | 1.835 | $15.67 | $32,600 |
 | Virginia | 2.36 | $13.88 | $28,860 |
| Washington | 2.476 | $19.38 | $40,300 |
 | West Virginia | 4.347 | $12.75 | $26,510 |
 | Wisconsin | 2.863 | $14.21 | $29,550 |
 | Wyoming | 1.896 | $16.29 | $33,880 |
Top paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland/Fremont/Hayward – CA Metropolitan Division | 2.30 | $24.05 | $50,030 |
| San Francisco/San Mateo Redwood City-CA Metropolitan Division | 1.57 | $22.29 | $46,350 |
| San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara – CA | 1.80 | $21.76 | $45,260 |
| Napa, CA | 1.41 | $21.72 | $45,190 |
| Santa Rosa / Petaluma, – CA | 2.01 | $21.67 | $45,070 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas
| Area | Employment per 1000 jobs | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western – North Dakota – nonmetropolitan area | 0.84 | $20.21 | $42,040 |
| Southeast Alaska – nonmetropolitan area | 1.77 | $19.45 | $40,460 |
| Northern Mountains – Region of California – nonmetropolitan area | 2.70 | $19.32 | $40,190 |
| Mother Lode – Region of California – nonmetropolitan area | 2.43 | $19.29 | $40,130 |
| North Coast – Region of California – nonmetropolitan area | 3.29 | $18.81 | $39,130 |
