How pay is spread out
The lowest-paid tenth earns under $36,020, and the top tenth over $61,040. The big divide in this job is between retail and hospital work.
Pharmacy technician salary by state
State medians run from $38,210 in West Virginia to $58,900 in Washington. Most states regulate pharmacy technicians in some way, through registration, exams or training rules. Once prices are taken into account, Washington comes out on top at about $55,000.
| Compared with the top state | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58,900 | 8,150 | $55,040 | |
| California | $55,110 | 39,860 | $49,770 | |
| Oregon | $54,900 | 4,320 | $53,110 | |
| Alaska | $52,640 | 800 | $51,430 | |
| Colorado | $49,970 | 6,010 | $48,490 | |
| Montana | $49,400 | 1,340 | $52,200 | |
| Minnesota | $48,300 | 7,340 | $48,980 | |
| Wyoming | $48,260 | 600 | $52,070 | |
| Utah | $48,140 | 5,030 | $48,690 | |
| Nevada | $47,980 | 4,070 | $47,990 | |
| Vermont | $47,940 | 760 | $48,940 | |
| Arizona | $47,640 | 12,970 | $47,320 | |
| North Dakota | $47,560 | 890 | $53,460 | |
| District of Columbia | $47,410 | 1,130 | $43,140 | |
| New Hampshire | $47,360 | 1,970 | $45,470 | |
| Connecticut | $47,050 | 5,200 | $45,410 | |
| Hawaii | $46,760 | 1,540 | $42,530 | |
| Illinois | $46,650 | 21,340 | $46,670 | |
| New Mexico | $46,630 | 2,550 | $50,570 | |
| Nebraska | $46,610 | 2,660 | $51,730 | |
| Massachusetts | $46,470 | 10,150 | $43,940 | |
| Delaware | $46,430 | 1,480 | $46,520 | |
| Idaho | $46,420 | 2,950 | $48,610 | |
| South Dakota | $46,170 | 1,230 | $52,120 | |
| Wisconsin | $45,970 | 9,540 | $48,850 | |
| Texas | $45,900 | 41,740 | $47,290 | |
| Maine | $45,400 | 2,070 | $46,780 | |
| Maryland | $45,120 | 7,990 | $42,990 | |
| Iowa | $44,860 | 4,630 | $51,120 | |
| Virginia | $44,610 | 10,720 | $44,120 | |
| Indiana | $44,560 | 10,790 | $47,750 | |
| North Carolina | $44,530 | 17,260 | $47,210 | |
| Louisiana | $44,410 | 6,700 | $50,350 | |
| Rhode Island | $44,380 | 1,540 | $43,390 | |
| Michigan | $44,340 | 14,240 | $46,080 | |
| New York | $43,930 | 24,400 | $40,710 | |
| Florida | $43,590 | 38,460 | $42,150 | |
| Kansas | $43,310 | 4,270 | $48,090 | |
| South Carolina | $42,120 | 8,070 | $44,930 | |
| Tennessee | $41,920 | 11,870 | $45,630 | |
| Georgia | $41,910 | 14,680 | $43,520 | |
| Ohio | $40,650 | 17,820 | $43,820 | |
| Oklahoma | $40,500 | 5,500 | $46,100 | |
| Missouri | $40,100 | 12,610 | $44,150 | |
| Pennsylvania | $40,040 | 18,880 | $41,040 | |
| New Jersey | $39,610 | 14,020 | $36,400 | |
| Kentucky | $39,200 | 8,870 | $43,480 | |
| Mississippi | $39,040 | 4,040 | $44,900 | |
| Alabama | $39,030 | 8,510 | $43,940 | |
| Arkansas | $38,680 | 4,560 | $44,490 | |
| West Virginia | $38,210 | 3,560 | $42,690 |
Best-paying cities
Napa, CA leads at $77,360, far above the national $45,750.
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $77,360 | 200 | $68,730 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,490 | 1,780 | $68,360 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $61,800 | 370 | $57,340 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,320 | 4,630 | $55,180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,550 | 4,040 | $52,370 |
| Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $59,380 | 200 | $56,230 |
| Vallejo, CA | $58,670 | 440 | $54,080 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $58,590 | 2,460 | $55,580 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,470 | 2,820 | $54,810 |
| Longview-Kelso, WA | $58,250 | 100 | $59,720 |
Where the most jobs are
| Metro area | Median | Employed | Cost-adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $44,640 | 25,420 | $39,660 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $46,820 | 15,830 | $45,200 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $50,760 | 13,130 | $44,700 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,260 | 12,000 | $44,870 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $46,400 | 10,610 | $47,040 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $45,240 | 10,310 | $39,630 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $47,760 | 9,780 | $46,230 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $44,880 | 9,030 | $43,760 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $45,020 | 7,930 | $44,990 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,890 | 7,370 | $43,310 |
Pay by type of employer
Retail pharmacies employ 52% of technicians at a median of $39,240. Hospitals pay noticeably more, at $50,680, for 17% of the jobs.
| Industry | Median | Employed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | $39,240 | 245,060 | 52% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $50,680 | 80,740 | 17% |
| General Merchandise Retailers | $48,150 | 44,530 | 9% |
| Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only) | $41,430 | 37,870 | 8% |
| Offices of Physicians | $47,720 | 10,460 | 2% |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $46,060 | 8,510 | 2% |
What pharmacy technicians do
- 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.
Hourly to annual
Use this to compare an hourly offer with a yearly figure. It assumes 40 hours a week all year, which is more than many retail schedules provide.
How you get there
This is one of the quicker ways into healthcare. Many technicians train on the job after high school, while others complete a certificate program of a year or less.
Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent. Projected job growth, 2025–35: 6.4%, about 44,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections).
Compare with similar jobs
Questions people ask
How much do pharmacy technicians make an hour?
The national median was $22.00 an hour in May 2025.
Do hospital pharmacy techs earn more than retail ones?
On average, yes. The median was $50,680 in hospitals and $39,240 in retail pharmacies and drugstores.
What is the starting pay for a pharmacy tech?
The BLS does not publish starting pay. As a reference for the lower end of the range, the 10th percentile was $36,020, but that group includes more than new hires.
General information, not career or financial advice. Pay depends on hours, location and employer. Confirm licensing rules with your state's board.