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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.
What Tasks Do Pharmacy Technicians Do?
The core tasks performed by 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- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top pharmacy technicians rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Pharmacy Technicians Jobs
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
The U.S. employs around 2,505,396 pharmacy technicians working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +1.6% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Make?
| 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 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| 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
Earnings for pharmacy technicians differ across the country. 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 |
Top Metro Areas
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Pharmacy Technicians
The largest employers of pharmacy technicians are found across 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 |
Below are examples of industries where pharmacy technicians work:
Tech Stack
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
Daily working conditions for pharmacy technicians reflects the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Typical pharmacy technicians positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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
Sources
Data on this page comes 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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