State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Pharmacy Technician Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Pharmacy Technicians earn a median of $45,750 per year ($22.00/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 6.4% through 2034, with about 49,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 29-2052Healthcare Practitioners and TechnicalLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $45,750
- Projected growth
- +6.4%
- Openings a year
- 49,000
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Accredited Pharmacy Technician, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician), Compounding Technician, OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech), RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician).
How much do Pharmacy Technicians make?
10th percentile$36,020
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$37,850
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$45,750
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$49,990
Upper quartile
90th percentile$61,040
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $45,750 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $22.00/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $46,620 |
| People employed | 471,680 |
Versus all US occupations
At $45,750, Pharmacy Technicians earn 10% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $5,230 a year.
Versus healthcare practitioners and technical occupations
Inside the Healthcare Practitioners and Technical group, where the middle occupation pays $97,870, this is 53% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $61,040 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,020, a gap of 1.7×. That is a narrow spread, so experience and employer move pay less than in most occupations.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 18% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Washington pays the most at $58,900, and still leads at $55,040 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Pharmacy Technicians the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58,900 | $55,040 | 8,150 |
| California | $55,110 | $49,774 | 39,860 |
| Oregon | $54,900 | $53,115 | 4,320 |
| Alaska | $52,640 | $51,427 | 800 |
| Colorado | $49,970 | $48,490 | 6,010 |
| Montana | $49,400 | $52,195 | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $48,300 | $48,975 | 7,340 |
| Wyoming | $48,260 | $52,065 | 600 |
| Utah | $48,140 | $48,693 | 5,030 |
| Nevada | $47,980 | $47,990 | 4,070 |
Is Pharmacy Technician a growing career?
Pharmacy Technicians6.4%
All US occupations3.1%
+6.4% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Pharmacy Technicians to change 6.4% over 2024–2034, roughly 2.1× the 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 31,500 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 49,000 openings are projected each year, 10.0% of the 490,400 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Demand for pharmacy services is expected to increase because of the large number of older people, who typically use more prescription medicines than younger people. The growing prevalence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, in the general population also will lead to increased demand for prescription medications.
In addition, pharmacy technicians will be needed to take on a greater role in pharmacy operations because pharmacists are increasingly performing more patient care activities. Technicians will need to perform tasks, such as collecting patient information, handling prescription transfers, and verifying the work of other technicians, that were previously done by pharmacists.
How to become a Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy technicians typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and learn their duties through on-the-job training, or they may complete a postsecondary education program in pharmacy technology. Most states regulate pharmacy technicians, which is a process that may require passing an exam or completing a formal education or training program.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Some preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as pharmacy technicians.
- Post-Secondary Certificate42.0%
- High School Diploma35.7%
- Some College Courses14.6%
- Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)3.8%
- Bachelor's Degree3.8%
What does a Pharmacy Technician do?
Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.
Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense medications, manage inventory, and provide customer service in various healthcare settings.
Day-to-day tasks
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where pharmacy technicians work
| Pharmacies and drug retailers | 52% |
|---|---|
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 17% |
| General merchandise retailers | 9% |
| Grocery and specialty food retailers | 9% |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 4% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening4.0/5
- Reading Comprehension3.8/5
- Speaking3.8/5
- Critical Thinking3.3/5
- Active Learning3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Writing3.0/5
- Mathematics3.0/5
Transferable skills
- Social Perceptiveness3.1/5
- Service Orientation3.1/5
- Complex Problem Solving3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1/5
- Coordination3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Persuasion2.5/5
- Management of Personnel Resources2.5/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Internet browser software · in demand
- Medical software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Billing and invoicing software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software
- Inventory management software
- Label making software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Pharmacy Technician?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary4.2
Investigative3.0
Artistic1.0
Socialprimary3.3
Enterprising2.5
Conventionalprimary7.0
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Pharmacy Technician: frequently asked questions
How much do Pharmacy Technicians make?
Pharmacy Technicians earn a median of $45,750 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 10% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $22.00/hr. The middle half earn between $37,850 and $49,990. The top 10% earn $61,040 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Pharmacy Technician?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Pharmacy Technicians. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.0% hold post-secondary certificate.
Is Pharmacy Technician a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 6.4% over 2024–2034, more than double the 3.1% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 49,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Pharmacy Technician do?
Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense medications, manage inventory, and provide customer service in various healthcare settings. A core O*NET task: answer telephones, responding to questions or requests. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Internet browser software, Medical software.
Which states pay Pharmacy Technicians the most?
The highest state medians for Pharmacy Technicians are Washington ($58,900), California ($55,110), Oregon ($54,900) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Pharmacy Technician?
O*NET scores Pharmacy Technicians highest on the Conventional, Realistic and Social interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.