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The national median salary for Pharmacy Technicians is $43,472 per year ($20.90/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024. The middle 50% of earners make between $36,920 and $48,589 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $59,446 per year. There are approximately 487,920 pharmacy technicians employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings
49K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
490K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
6% from new growth94% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Health and Personal Care Retailers
NAICS 456100
257K
$37,900
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals
NAICS 622100
78K
$49,240
General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455000
45K
$46,180
Food and Beverage Retailers (4451 and 4452 only)
NAICS 4450A1
43K
$38,810
Offices of Physicians
NAICS 621100
9K
$48,130
Wage range across top 5 industries: $37,900 to $49,240 (30% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.88
$35,110
P25
$17.75
$36,920
P50MEDIAN
$20.90
$43,472
P75
$23.36
$48,589
P90
$28.58
$59,446
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · health sector
Hot
Openings Rate
5.4%
Quits Rate
1.9%
Health Care & Social Assistance openings rebounded to 1.36M (+87K) in March with rate at 5.4%. Hires rose to 700K (+75K). The sector remains structurally tight; compensation pressure persists for clinical roles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average pharmacy technicians salary?
The national median salary for Pharmacy Technicians is $43,472 per year ($20.90/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2024 data. The middle 50% earn between $36,920 and $48,589 annually.
How much do top-earning pharmacy technicians make?
The 90th percentile salary for Pharmacy Technicians is $59,446 per year ($28.58/hr). The 75th percentile is $48,589 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for pharmacy technicians?
Entry-level Pharmacy Technicians (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,110 per year ($16.88/hr). The 25th percentile is $36,920 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2024 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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