Pharmacy Technicians: Career Profile
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.
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What Do Pharmacy Technicians Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of pharmacy technicians span:
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Enter prescription information into computer databases.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- 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- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
- Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
What Pharmacy Technicians Need to Know
Top pharmacy technicians draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Accredited Pharmacy Technician
- Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT)
- Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician)
- Compounding Pharmacy Tech (Compounding Pharmacy Technician)
- Compounding Technician
- Drug Coordinator
- Hospital Pharmacy Tech (Hospital Pharmacy Technician)
- Inpatient Pharmacy Tech (Inpatient Pharmacy Technician)
Employment and Demand
There are about 2,505,396 pharmacy technicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +1.6% over the projection horizon.
Pharmacy Technicians Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $72,773 |
| Hourly median | $34.99 |
| 10th percentile | $47,776 |
| 25th percentile | $60,275 |
| 75th percentile | $85,272 |
| 90th percentile | $97,771 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $56,140 |
| Oregon | $51,210 |
| Alaska | $50,440 |
| California | $49,640 |
| Minnesota | $48,560 |
| Colorado | $48,070 |
| Arizona | $47,620 |
| North Dakota | $47,600 |
| Montana | $46,980 |
| Utah | $46,760 |
| Nevada | $46,670 |
| Wyoming | $46,490 |
| Vermont | $46,050 |
| District of Columbia | $45,670 |
| Hawaii | $45,380 |
| New Hampshire | $45,300 |
| Idaho | $45,210 |
| New Mexico | $44,970 |
| Massachusetts | $44,640 |
| Illinois | $44,610 |
| Connecticut | $44,190 |
| Texas | $43,920 |
| South Dakota | $43,760 |
| Wisconsin | $43,620 |
| Delaware | $43,470 |
| Maryland | $43,100 |
| Virginia | $42,490 |
| Nebraska | $41,400 |
| Iowa | $41,380 |
| Maine | $40,950 |
| New York | $40,840 |
| Michigan | $40,040 |
| Indiana | $40,020 |
| North Carolina | $39,870 |
| Florida | $39,640 |
| Kansas | $39,210 |
| Virgin Islands | $39,070 |
| South Carolina | $38,960 |
| New Jersey | $38,890 |
| Louisiana | $38,700 |
| Georgia | $38,390 |
| Mississippi | $38,210 |
| Oklahoma | $38,200 |
| Tennessee | $38,130 |
| Missouri | $37,990 |
| Ohio | $37,860 |
| Rhode Island | $37,730 |
| Alabama | $37,690 |
| Kentucky | $37,630 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,560 |
| Arkansas | $37,380 |
| West Virginia | $37,370 |
| Guam | $31,340 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,880 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for pharmacy technicians vary by region. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $50,366 | 13.3% | 0.80 |
| Rocky Mountains | $46,999 | 3.3% | 0.86 |
| Southwest | $44,172 | 12.3% | 0.98 |
| New England | $43,808 | 4.9% | 1.04 |
| Plains States | $41,740 | 6.5% | 0.99 |
| Great Lakes | $41,225 | 15.7% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,932 | 14.4% | 0.96 |
| Southeast | $39,101 | 28.3% | 1.18 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Pharmacy Technicians
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | CA | $81,310 | 190 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $70,740 | 2,080 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $61,990 | 4,460 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $61,290 | 460 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $59,960 | 5,330 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | CA | $55,810 | 3,140 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | WA | $55,690 | 280 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $54,740 | 2,740 |
Which Industries Hire Pharmacy Technicians
The largest employers of pharmacy technicians work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 345,940 | $38,630 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 103,460 | $49,340 |
| Wholesale Trade | 10,060 | $44,120 |
| Finance and Insurance | 6,390 | $45,700 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4,370 | $46,080 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,520 | $53,530 |
| Manufacturing | 2,290 | $46,850 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,350 | $44,890 |
Pharmacy Technicians work in the following industries:
Software Pharmacy Technicians Use
- Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for pharmacy technicians tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
How to Become Pharmacy Technicians
Typical pharmacy technicians positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Medical and Health Services Managers (Supplemental)
- Pharmacists (Primary-Short)
- Anesthesiologist Assistants (Supplemental)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (Supplemental)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (Primary-Long)
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Surgical Technologists (Primary-Long)
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for pharmacy technicians commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians).
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