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 Tasks Do Pharmacy Technicians Do?
The core tasks performed by pharmacy technicians include:
- 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- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.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
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Pharmacy Technicians Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- 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)
How Many Pharmacy Technicians Are There?
The U.S. employs around 2,505,396 pharmacy technicians working in the United States today. This occupation is expected 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 |
Compensation varies 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for pharmacy technicians vary by region. The following regions pay the most:
| 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 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
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 |
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)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for pharmacy technicians is shaped by 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), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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 typically earn programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
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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