Pharmacy Technician Salary Information

Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists by counting and bottling prescription drugs in both retail and institutional pharmacies. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the demand for pharmacy technicians will increase by 32 percent through 2016, resulting in the creation of 91,000 jobs.

Average Salaries

In May 2008, the average annual for salary technicians was $28,500, according to the BLS. The range of salaries was between $19,270 and $39,480.

Largest Employers

The largest employers for pharmacy technicians as of 2008 were hospitals, grocery stores, retail stores and department stores, where technicians earned $32,180, $28,490, $26,660 and $25,980, respectively.

Highest-Paying Employers

The highest-paying employers of pharmacy technicians were dentist offices, scientific research companies, the federal government and medical laboratories in 2008, according to the BLS. Technicians in these fields earned an average of $43,930, $37,850, $37,490 and $36,920, respectively.

Highest-Concentrated Areas

Missouri, West Virginia, Kentucky, Delaware and Alabama featured the highest concentration of pharmacy technicians, where workers earned an average of $24,560, $23,620, $24,370, $27,350 and $24,190, respectively.

Highest-Paid Areas

In 2008, the states that were home to the highest-paid pharmacy technicians were Alaska at $36,240, California at $36,100, Washington at $35,960 and Hawaii at $35,370.

References

• US Bureau of Labor Statistics Industry Overview
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics Compensation Information