Pay by state · 54 areas
Pharmacy Technician Salary by State (2026)
Pharmacy Technicians earn the most in Washington at $58,900 a year and the least in West Virginia at $38,210 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $45,750. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $58,900Washington
- National median
- $45,750BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $38,210West Virginia
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for pharmacy technicians
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Washington$58,900
- 2California$55,110
- 3Oregon$54,900
- 4Alaska$52,640
- 5Colorado$49,970
Lowest median pay
- 1West Virginia$38,210
- 2Arkansas$38,680
- 3Alabama$39,030
- 4Mississippi$39,040
- 5Kentucky$39,200
All states
Pharmacy Technician salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of pharmacy technicians OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WAWashington | $58,900 | $50,400 | $67,630 | 8,150 | $55,040 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $55,110 | $46,430 | $65,590 | 39,860 | $49,774 |
| 3 | OROregon | $54,900 | $48,190 | $62,560 | 4,320 | $53,115 |
| 4 | AKAlaska | $52,640 | $47,140 | $59,350 | 800 | $51,427 |
| 5 | COColorado | $49,970 | $46,300 | $58,300 | 6,010 | $48,490 |
| 6 | MTMontana | $49,400 | $45,920 | $55,690 | 1,340 | $52,195 |
| 7 | MNMinnesota | $48,300 | $43,490 | $54,440 | 7,340 | $48,975 |
| 8 | WYWyoming | $48,260 | $42,890 | $53,540 | 600 | $52,065 |
| 9 | UTUtah | $48,140 | $41,750 | $52,570 | 5,030 | $48,693 |
| 10 | NVNevada | $47,980 | $39,600 | $52,090 | 4,070 | $47,990 |
| 11 | VTVermont | $47,940 | $38,890 | $53,040 | 760 | $48,939 |
| 12 | AZArizona | $47,640 | $45,890 | $54,060 | 12,970 | $47,320 |
| 13 | NDNorth Dakota | $47,560 | $41,380 | $54,250 | 890 | $53,463 |
| 14 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $47,410 | $46,270 | $59,470 | 1,130 | $43,139 |
| 15 | NHNew Hampshire | $47,360 | $38,650 | $52,610 | 1,970 | $45,466 |
| 16 | CTConnecticut | $47,050 | $38,760 | $54,270 | 5,200 | $45,411 |
| 17 | HIHawaii | $46,760 | $38,520 | $59,010 | 1,540 | $42,528 |
| 18 | ILIllinois | $46,650 | $38,190 | $49,150 | 21,340 | $46,670 |
| 19 | NMNew Mexico | $46,630 | $40,560 | $50,250 | 2,550 | $50,568 |
| 20 | NENebraska | $46,610 | $38,860 | $49,270 | 2,660 | $51,730 |
| 21 | MAMassachusetts | $46,470 | $39,050 | $59,580 | 10,150 | $43,940 |
| 22 | DEDelaware | $46,430 | $38,090 | $48,040 | 1,480 | $46,519 |
| 23 | IDIdaho | $46,420 | $39,670 | $50,460 | 2,950 | $48,610 |
| 24 | SDSouth Dakota | $46,170 | $39,050 | $48,870 | 1,230 | $52,119 |
| 25 | WIWisconsin | $45,970 | $37,960 | $50,070 | 9,540 | $48,855 |
| 26 | TXTexas | $45,900 | $37,730 | $48,960 | 41,740 | $47,292 |
| 27 | MEMaine | $45,400 | $38,620 | $48,870 | 2,070 | $46,780 |
| 28 | MDMaryland | $45,120 | $37,400 | $50,120 | 7,990 | $42,988 |
| 29 | IAIowa | $44,860 | $37,790 | $48,670 | 4,630 | $51,116 |
| 30 | VAVirginia | $44,610 | $37,960 | $49,150 | 10,720 | $44,123 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $44,560 | $37,700 | $47,850 | 10,790 | $47,745 |
| 32 | NCNorth Carolina | $44,530 | $37,480 | $48,480 | 17,260 | $47,209 |
| 33 | LALouisiana | $44,410 | $37,740 | $47,970 | 6,700 | $50,347 |
| 34 | RIRhode Island | $44,380 | $38,590 | $50,940 | 1,540 | $43,391 |
| 35 | MIMichigan | $44,340 | $37,520 | $48,730 | 14,240 | $46,083 |
| 36 | NYNew York | $43,930 | $37,740 | $49,980 | 24,400 | $40,706 |
| 37 | FLFlorida | $43,590 | $37,040 | $47,570 | 38,460 | $42,151 |
| 38 | KSKansas | $43,310 | $37,510 | $47,140 | 4,270 | $48,086 |
| 39 | SCSouth Carolina | $42,120 | $36,990 | $47,810 | 8,070 | $44,928 |
| 40 | TNTennessee | $41,920 | $37,060 | $48,270 | 11,870 | $45,630 |
| 41 | GAGeorgia | $41,910 | $37,130 | $48,490 | 14,680 | $43,523 |
| 42 | OHOhio | $40,650 | $36,650 | $48,200 | 17,820 | $43,816 |
| 43 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $40,620 | $37,150 | $58,240 | 40 | N/A |
| 44 | OKOklahoma | $40,500 | $37,010 | $46,750 | 5,500 | $46,105 |
| 45 | MOMissouri | $40,100 | $36,270 | $47,100 | 12,610 | $44,155 |
| 46 | PAPennsylvania | $40,040 | $36,160 | $46,870 | 18,880 | $41,036 |
| 47 | NJNew Jersey | $39,610 | $36,710 | $49,600 | 14,020 | $36,405 |
| 48 | KYKentucky | $39,200 | $36,330 | $46,470 | 8,870 | $43,479 |
| 49 | MSMississippi | $39,040 | $36,840 | $46,060 | 4,040 | $44,898 |
| 50 | ALAlabama | $39,030 | $36,730 | $46,260 | 8,510 | $43,941 |
| 51 | ARArkansas | $38,680 | $36,600 | $45,470 | 4,560 | $44,492 |
| 52 | WVWest Virginia | $38,210 | $35,750 | $45,070 | 3,560 | $42,694 |
| 53 | GUGuam | $36,010 | $28,780 | $36,640 | 140 | N/A |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $29,520 | $25,890 | $43,130 | 5,820 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For pharmacy technicians, the adjustment does not change the leader: Washington is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $55,040.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Pharmacy Technician pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays pharmacy technicians the most?
Washington reports the highest median wage for pharmacy technicians at $58,900 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($55,110) and Oregon ($54,900).
Which state pays pharmacy technicians the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia reports the lowest median for pharmacy technicians at $38,210 a year, $20,690 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $40,620, Guam reports $36,010 and Puerto Rico reports $29,520.
Is the highest-paying state the best for pharmacy technicians after cost of living?
Yes. Washington stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $55,040 in national-average dollars from a raw $58,900. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.