The median Pharmacy Technician salary is $20.50 per hour, or $42,640 per year, based on 28,782 job postings across 106 states. Compare pay by location, employer, shift, and contract type.
$20.50
Median hourly
$42,640
Annual salary
$18-$25
Pay range
106
States tracked
Salary guide
A typical Pharmacy Technician earns $20.50/hr, with most posted roles landing between $19.00 and $22.50/hr.
Recent posted pay is steady, with the last 30 days showing 0% movement versus the prior period.
Location matters: Palo Alto, CALIFORNIA is currently among the highest-paying cities, while North Syracuse, NEW YORK sits near the lower end.
30-day market pulse
Compare the most recent 30 days of job postings against the previous 30 days. Use this as a quick read on whether pay and hiring volume are moving together.
Posted pay
0%
Current median: $20.50/hr
Prior period: $20.50/hr
Job openings
+0.4%
8,294 recent postings
Previous period: 8,259 postings
Daily pay signal
$21.00/hr latest
Year-over-year
Building
We are collecting enough historical Pharmacy Technician postings to show a reliable year-over-year pay comparison.
Pay is holding steady across recent listings at about $20.50/hr.
Pay range
The middle band is usually the most useful offer benchmark. The 10th and 90th percentiles show the broader market floor and ceiling.
Entry / low
$18.00
$37,440/yr
Median
$20.50
$42,640/yr
Top earners
$25.00
$52,000/yr
MARKET TRENDS
Month-over-month median hourly pay and posting volume.
| Month | Median Hourly | Postings |
|---|---|---|
Apr 2026Current | $20.50/hr | 7,862 |
Mar 2026 | $20.50/hr | 8,691 |
Feb 2026 | $20.50/hr | 2,816 |
Jan 2026 | $20.50/hr | 2,320 |
Dec 2025 | $20.50/hr | 5,373 |
Nov 2025 | $20.50/hr | 1,720 |
BY LOCATION
See how pay varies across the country. Ranked by job volume.
419 postings · 25 companies
$20.00
$18-$20
45 postings · 13 companies
$22.00
$19-$26
724 postings · 66 companies
$22.00
$20-$24
146 postings · 16 companies
$19.00
$18-$20
1,854 postings · 265 companies
$23.00
$22-$27
577 postings · 68 companies
$22.00
$21-$25
457 postings · 27 companies
$23.00
$22-$23
144 postings · 13 companies
$20.50
$18-$21
29 postings · 10 companies
$24.00
$24-$25
1,527 postings · 158 companies
$20.00
$18-$21
768 postings · 53 companies
$20.50
$18-$21
140 postings · 13 companies
$23.00
$22-$23
64 postings · 17 companies
$18.50
$19-$20
1,598 postings · 108 companies
$19.50
$19-$22
632 postings · 38 companies
$20.50
$20-$21
193 postings · 18 companies
$19.00
$18-$21
200 postings · 23 companies
$20.00
$18-$21
328 postings · 34 companies
$20.00
$18-$21
305 postings · 22 companies
$19.00
$19-$20
137 postings · 14 companies
$18.50
$18-$21
581 postings · 55 companies
$21.50
$21-$23
1,124 postings · 76 companies
$22.00
$22-$22
690 postings · 59 companies
$20.50
$18-$21
588 postings · 52 companies
$20.50
$19-$23
129 postings · 13 companies
$20.00
$18-$20
392 postings · 36 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
40 postings · 15 companies
$20.50
$19-$23
119 postings · 19 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
174 postings · 29 companies
$20.50
$20-$22
165 postings · 13 companies
$20.50
$19-$22
860 postings · 86 companies
$22.00
$19-$22
122 postings · 14 companies
$19.50
$18-$21
1,621 postings · 162 companies
$22.00
$19-$24
847 postings · 56 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
20 postings · 8 companies
$23.00
$21-$24
700 postings · 71 companies
$20.50
$18-$22
137 postings · 19 companies
$18.00
$18-$20
206 postings · 30 companies
$25.25
$21-$30
905 postings · 70 companies
$20.50
$21-$21
162 postings · 9 companies
$20.50
$20-$23
479 postings · 19 companies
$20.00
$19-$20
29 postings · 10 companies
$20.50
$19-$23
625 postings · 39 companies
$19.00
$18-$20
1,717 postings · 136 companies
$20.50
$19-$21
159 postings · 24 companies
$20.00
$19-$24
59 postings · 11 companies
$20.00
$19-$23
656 postings · 38 companies
$20.00
$19-$21
540 postings · 68 companies
$24.50
$23-$31
163 postings · 13 companies
$20.00
$18-$20
536 postings · 34 companies
$18.50
$19-$22
8 postings · 5 companies
$18.00
$18-$23
BY CITY
See which cities offer the highest and lowest Pharmacy Technician salaries.
Palo Alto
California · 20 postings
$36.00/hr
Seattle
Washington · 68 postings
$36.00/hr
Auburn
Washington · 11 postings
$34.50/hr
Beverly Hills
California · 20 postings
$31.50/hr
Seattle
Wa · 12 postings
$31.25/hr
North Syracuse
New York · 12 postings
$16.50/hr
Bloomington
Illinois · 11 postings
$18.00/hr
Battle Creek
Michigan · 10 postings
$18.00/hr
Appleton
Wisconsin · 12 postings
$18.00/hr
Belleville
Illinois · 11 postings
$18.00/hr
BY EMPLOYER
See which companies pay the most and least for Pharmacy Technician positions.
Seattle Children's
8 postings
$42.00/hr
Sutter Health
64 postings
$39.50/hr
Valley Medical Center
10 postings
$38.50/hr
Providence Swedish
22 postings
$37.00/hr
University Of Washington
15 postings
$36.00/hr
Access Family Pharmacy
8 postings
$15.00/hr
Jewel Osco
135 postings
$15.50/hr
Medicine Stop 1
6 postings
$16.00/hr
Cub Foods
24 postings
$16.50/hr
Kph Healthcare Services
36 postings
$16.50/hr
RELATED POSITIONS
| Job Title | Postings | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Certified Pharmacy Technician | 2,384 | $19.50/hr |
| Certified Senior Pharmacy Technician | 150 | $23.50/hr |
| Compounding Pharmacy Technician I | 85 | $25.00/hr |
| Duane Reade Pharmacy Technician | 76 | $19.50/hr |
| Compounding Pharmacy Technician | 76 | $23.00/hr |
| Certified Pharmacy Technician Ii | 64 | $27.50/hr |
| Clinical Pharmacy Technician I | 59 | $23.00/hr |
| Filling Pharmacy Technician | 46 | $16.50/hr |
| Certified Pharmacy Technician (cpht) | 41 | $19.00/hr |
| Inpatient Pharmacy Technician | 29 | $27.00/hr |
EDUCATION & LICENSING
Pharmacy Technicians assist pharmacists in preparing and dispensing medications, managing inventory, and providing customer service in pharmacy settings.
Minimum: High School Diploma
HS + OJT
High School Diploma + On-the-Job Training
Pharm Tech Certificate
Pharmacy Technician Certificate
AAS-Pharm Tech
Associate Degree in Pharmacy Technology
Requirements vary by state. Most pharmacy techs complete a certificate program, then earn PTCB or ExCPT certification. Hospital and advanced roles often require formal training.
State Registration
RequiredPharmacy Technician Registration/License
BLS
Basic Life Support
Pharmacy Technician Trainee
0-6 months experience
Certified Pharmacy Technician
6 months - 3 years experience
Senior Pharmacy Technician
3-5 years experience
Lead Pharmacy Technician
5-8 years experience
IV Room Technician / Compounding Specialist
3+ years experience
Certifications can significantly increase earning potential
CPhT
+$1-3/hourCertified Pharmacy Technician
ExCPT
+$1-3/hourExam for Certification of Pharmacy Technicians
CSPT
+$2-5/hourCertified Sterile Compounding Pharmacy Technician
CPhT-Adv
+$2-4/hourCertified Pharmacy Technician - Advanced
Job Outlook
Stable Growth (5% (2022-2032))
Pharmacy tech demand remains steady. Hospital positions and compounding roles offer best pay and advancement. Certification significantly improves job prospects and pay.
PAY FACTORS
How shift type, contract length, and employment type impact Pharmacy Technician salaries.
FAQ
The median Pharmacy Technician salary is $20.50 per hour, or $42,640 annually. Pay ranges from $18.00/hr (10th percentile) to $25.00/hr (90th percentile) depending on location, experience, and employer.
Based on 28,782 job postings, the highest paying states for Pharmacy Technicians include Oregon, Washington, District Of Columbia. Pay rates vary based on cost of living, demand, and state regulations.
There are currently 28,782 Pharmacy Technician job postings across 106 states, from 1822 different healthcare employers.
Pharmacy Technician pay varies based on geographic location, years of experience, certifications, shift differentials (nights/weekends), employment type (travel vs. staff), facility type, and specialized skills. Travel contracts typically pay higher hourly rates.
Pharmacy Technician pay is currently stable. Over the past 30 days, median hourly rates remained stable.
Pharmacy Technician pay varies by specialty and setting. Travel positions typically pay $2.00 to $4.50 more per hour than staff positions. Night shifts and weekend differentials also increase earnings.
Pay varies significantly by location. Top paying cities like Palo Alto offer $36.00/hr, while lower cost areas may pay around $16.50/hr. However, rural areas often offer signing bonuses and housing stipends to attract talent.
Entry-level Pharmacy Technicians typically earn around $18.00 to $19.00 per hour ($37,440 to $39,520 annually). With experience, pay increases toward the median of $20.50/hr.
DATA METHOD
Source
Based on 28,782 active postings with listed compensation for Pharmacy Technician. We prioritize postings with explicit hourly or annual pay and exclude rows without usable compensation signals from salary percentiles.
Range
Percentiles show the spread of posted pay, not a guaranteed offer or take-home pay after taxes. State and city views use available market observations and label estimated values when direct samples are limited.
Freshness
Current dataset window: 2025-11-01 to 2026-04-30. Recent trend cards compare the latest posting window with the prior period so short-term pay movement is separated from the full historical median.
EXPLORE MORE
See how your salary compares to 28,782 similar positions. It's free, anonymous, and takes about 2 minutes.