How Much Does a Pharmacy Technician Make Annually?

Pharmacy technicians are paid to do a variety of tasks in retail or facility pharmacies.

A pharmacy technician is paid to assist a pharmacist by taking prescription requests, measuring medications and preparing prescription bottles. Most pharmacist technicians work in retail settings and are paid hourly. Others work in hospitals settings. Pharmacy technicians made between $19,106 to $28,470 annually, according to PayScale in October 2010.

Retail Salary

About 75 percent of pharmacy technician jobs are in retail settings. As of May 2009, annual salaries varied slightly with grocery store pharmacies paying $28,610 on average and drug stores paying $27.590 on average, states the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hospital Salary

Jobs in hospitals for pharmacy technicians averaged salaries of $32,710, which is slightly higher than retail jobs. Benefits including insurance and tuition assistance are offered more often by health care companies than by retail companies.

Considerations

About 45 percent of those employed as pharmacy technicians do not receive insurance benefits, a result of many being employed part time in retail jobs. This job field is predicted to grow by 31 percent through 2018. Formal training, continued education, and experience increase chances for the best job openings.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook
• PayScale: Hourly Rate Snapshot for Pharmacy Technician Jobs
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics