Pharmacy Technician Salaries: How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Earn?

If you’ve ever walked into a large chain pharmacy such as CVS or Target and noticed a large collection of professionals buzzing about behind the counter (white coats starched and conspicuous nametags a’ shining), you probably thought, “Wow—they have a lot of pharmacists at this store.” But if you paused to take a closer look, you may have noticed that not all of the official looking folks behind the counter were pharmacists. Most establishments have one pharmacist (or pharmacist in charge) per shift, and the rest of the workers are usually assistants or, you guessed it—pharmacy technicians! 

The number of chain pharmacies, hospitals, and other places that dispense drugs has grown at such a rapid rate, that the demand for pharmacy technicians is higher than ever before. In fact, at 32 percent between now and 2020, employment growth in this field is among the highest in the country. Salaries for pharmacy technicians are on rise as well. To ensure quality and safety for both customers and employees, pharmacies, hospital, and other similar environments have raised standards. This means, employer requirements for pharmacy technicians are at the highest levels in history, and salaries are beginning to fall in line with these high expectations.

Nationwide, salaries for pharmacy technicians increased between Year 2000 and today as follows: 

Average Pharmacy Technician Salary Year 2000: $21,600
Average Pharmacy Technician Salary Year 2005: $25,350
Average Pharmacy Technician Salary Today: $28,400

While the average salary for pharmacy technicians is $28,400, this doesn’t mean all technicians earn this amount. Salaries vary based on a variety of factors such industry, size and type of company, geographic location, experience, and more. For example, the highest earners in the field, typically senior workers living in populous states/cities, average around $41,880. The bottom ten percent, typically entry-level workers living in smaller towns, average $20,310 per year. 

Pharmacy Technician Salary Trends by State

The District of Columbia, Hawaii, Alaska, Delaware, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, and Washington have experienced the highest average salary growth between 2006 and today, but this doesn’t mean all of the states listed are the highest paying states for pharmacy technicians. Of the seven states listed, Alaska, Washington State, District of Columbia, and Hawaii are on the list of top five highest paying states for pharmacy technicians. Nevertheless, in today’s economy, salary growth is just as significant as having the highest average salary. Salary increases for the states listed are:

Delaware
Salary: $26,700
Increase: 20% ($5,320)

Pennsylvania
Salary: $28,710
Increase: 18.5% ($5,300)

District of Columbia
Salary: $38,200
Increase: 17.7% ($6,780)

Hawaii
Salary: $35,230
Increase: 16.8% ($5,910)

Wyoming
Salary: $33,350
Increase: 16% (5,320)

Alaska
Salary: $39,010
Increase: 13.9% ($5,400)

Washington State
Salary: $38,390
Increase: 13.8% ($5,290)

Salary trends for the remaining states are as follows:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports five top-paying states for pharmacy technicians, 10 top paying metropolitan areas, and five top-paying nonmetropolitan areas for pharmacy technicians. The results are as follows:

Top Five Highest Paying States for Pharmacy Technicians 

Alaska
Average Salary 2006: $33,610
Average Salary Today: $39,010

Washington State
Average Salary 2006: $33,100
Average Salary Today: $38,390

California
Average Salary 2006: $34,420
Average Salary Today: $38,380

District of Columbia, D.C.
Average Salary 2006: $31,420
Average Salary Today: $38,200

Hawaii
Average Salary 2006: $29,320
Average Salary Today: $35,230

Top Ten Highest Paying Metropolitan Areas for Pharmacy Technicians 

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
Average Salary 2006: $40,360
Average Salary Today: $45,760

Madera-Chowchilla
Average Salary 2006: $32,200
Average Salary Today: $43,780

Oakland-Fremont-Hayward
Average Salary 2006: $38,250
Average Salary Today: $42,650

San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City
Average Salary 2006: $39,560
Average Salary Today: $42,150

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
Average Salary 2006: $34,170
Average Salary Today: $41,740

Vallejo-Fairfield
Average Salary 2006: $34,260
Average Salary Today: $41,650

Salinas
Average Salary 2006: $39,120
Average Salary Today: $41,330

Napa
Average Salary 2006: $36,450
Average Salary Today: $41,300

Redding
Average Salary 2006: $33,650
Average Salary Today: $41,040

Santa Rosa
Average Salary 2006: $29,070
Average Salary Today: $40,350

Top Five Highest Paying Nonmetropolitan Areas for Pharmacy Technicians: 

Northern Mountains Region of California
Average Salary 2006: $34,790
Average Salary Today: $41,080

Southeast Alaska
Average Salary 2006: $29,090
Average Salary Today: $38,480

Eastern Washington
Average Salary 2006: $32,240
Average Salary Today: $38,050

North Coast Region of California
Average Salary 2006: $32,530
Average Salary Today: $37,950

Northwestern Washington
Average Salary 2006: $30,660
Average Salary Today: $37,910

Pharmacy Technician Salaries – Best Cities for Top Salaries 

Although California holds the crown for the most top paying cities for pharmacy technicians, a number of other cities offer competitive salaries for technicians. Salary growth isn’t too shabby either. The average salary for just about every city has increased by 10 percent or more between 2006 and today. The following cities are some of the highest paying cities for pharmacy technicians. 

Cities with an Average Salary Over $40,000 

San Jose, CA: $45,760
San Francisco, CA: $42,150
Oakland, CA: $42,650

Cities with an Average Pharmacy Technician Salary of $35,000-$40,000 

Anchorage, AK: $39,920
Seattle, WA: $39,610
Tacoma, WA: $39,610
District of Columbia: $38,200
Los Angeles, CA: $36,500
New Haven, CT: $36,480
Spokane, WA: $36,050
Portland, OR: $35,500
Vancouver, WA: $35,500

Average Pharmacy Technician Salary of $30,000-$35,000 

Cheyenne, WY: $34,410
Honolulu, HI: $34,360
Las Vegas, NV: $34,350
Plano, TX: $33,750
Boston, MA: $33,720
Burlington, VT: $33,380
Dallas, TX: $33,210
Forth Worth, TX: $33,210
Arlington, TX: $33,210
Casper, WY: $32,940
New York, NY: $32,890
Eugene, OR: $32,750
Minneapolis, MN: $32,710
St. Paul, MN: $32,710
Denver, CO: $32,690
Phoenix, AZ: $32,230
Tucson, AZ: $32,070
Bridgeport, CT: $31,930
Rapid City, SD: $31,540
San Antonio, TX: $31,270
Houston, TX: $31,210
Charleston, SC: $30,850
Austin, TX: $30,840
Philadelphia, PA: $30,800
Wilmington, DE: $30,800
Newark, NJ: $30,670
Nashville, TN: $30,570
Boise City, ID: $30,490
Albuquerque, NM: $30,400
Manchester, NH: $30,340
Chicago, IL: $30,300
Salt Lake City, UT: $30,170
Santa Fe, NM: $30,090
Charlotte, NC: $30,070
Baltimore, MD: $30,040
Baton Rouge, LA: $30,020 

Average Pharmacy Technician Salary of $28,401-$30,000 

Colorado Springs, CO: $29,960
Madison, WI: $29,860
Fargo, ND: $29,720
Virginia Beach, VA: $29,690
Norfolk, VA: $29,690
Providence, RI: $29,670
Portland, ME: $29,610
Richmond, VA: $29,410
Milwaukee, WI: $29,330
Kansas City, KA: $29,310
Kansas City, MO: $29,310
Miami, FL: $29,120
Billings, MT: $29,060
Memphis, TN: $28,970
St. Louis, MO: $28,890
Cleveland, OH: $28,880
Greensboro, NC: $28,800
Des Moines, IA: $28,790
Sioux Falls, SD: $28,720
New Orleans, LA: $28,630
Buffalo, NY: $28,620
Corpus Christi, TX: $28,620
Atlanta, GA: $28,610
El Paso, TX: $28,610
Augusta, GA: $28,440

Pharmacy Technician Salaries – “Worst” Cities for Top Salaries

Based on the amount of salary and employment growth across the U.S., its safe to say that most major cities are great places to start a career as a pharmacy technician. Salary growth for pharmacy technicians is a common theme across the U.S., so although average salaries for the cities listed below are lower than the cities listed above, salaries are still on the rise. Further, “lower” salary doesn’t always equate to “low” salary. Some of the average salaries listed below are not much less than the national average of $28,400.

Finally, it is important to note that because the cost of living in smaller cities is typically less than the cost of living in larger cities, so an average “lower” salary can go a long way.

Cities with an Average Pharmacy Technician Salary of $26,000-$28,399

Pittsburgh, PA: $28,320
Rockford, IL: $28,250
Indianapolis, IN: $28,240
Tampa, FL: $28,150
Jacksonville, FL: $27,980
Omaha, NE: $27,860
Cedar Rapids, IA: $27,750
Toledo, OH: $27,360
Louisville, KY: $27,210
Cincinnati, OH: $27,000
Wichita, KS: $26,780
Columbia, SC: $26,670
Raleigh, NC: $26,620
Fort Wayne, IN: $26,520
Oklahoma City, OK: $26,430
Columbus, OH: $26,320
Little Rock, AR: $26,310
Birmingham, AL: $26,290 

Cities with an Average Pharmacy Technician Salary Under $26,000 

Montgomery, AL: $25,990
Jackson, MS: $25,930
Lincoln, NE: $25,540
Lexington, KY: $25,480
Tulsa, OK: $25,380
Charleston, WV: $24,580

The U.S. is made up of 19,540 incorporated places (Census 2010). Around 273 have populations over 100,000. This means, the lists above are by no means complete. You may very well come across (what may be considered) a principal city that has a higher average salary than San Jose, CA., or a lower average salary than Charleston, WV. We just wanted to give you a good idea of how much pharmacy technicians can expect to earn in the most recognized cities, and how much salary growth can be expected from each in the coming years.

Sources
U.S. Department of Commerce, United States Census Bureau, www.census.gov
United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov
City-Data, www.city-data.com