Pharmacy Technician Salary in U.S.

The salary statistics of pharmacy technicians are shown in Table 1. In the next few tables we compare the average salaries of pharmacy technicians within different industry sectors and in the 50 states of the United States. The pharmacy technicians annual salary statistics are from the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].

Table 1. Pharmacy Technician Salary in U.S. (2022 survey)

Percentile BracketAverage Annual Salary
10th Percentile Wage
$29,640
25th Percentile Wage
$34,590
50th Percentile Wage
$37,790
75th Percentile Wage
$45,710
90th Percentile Wage
$50,640

Table 1 shows the average annual salary for pharmacy technicians. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) pharmacy technicians is $50,640. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $37,790. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $29,640. It is noted that in the United States, the annual salary of the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is almost 70% higher than that of the bottom 10 percent.

Median salary trend (2012 to 2022)

The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of pharmacy technicians from 2012 to 2022.

YearMedian SalaryYearly Growth10-Year Growth
2022
$37,790
2.78% 22.41%
2021
$36,740
4.46% -
2020
$35,100
3.28% -
2019
$33,950
3.68% -
2018
$32,700
2.91% -
2017
$31,750
2.61% -
2016
$30,920
1.65% -
2015
$30,410
1.97% -
2014
$29,810
0.54% -
2013
$29,650
1.11% -
2012
$29,320
- -

Table 2. Pharmacy Technician Salary by Industry Sector (2022 survey)

The average salaries of pharmacy technicians in 14 major industry sectors are shown in Table 2. We note that the salaries vary considerably within different industry sectors. The highest paying industry sector for pharmacy technicians occupations is the federal, state, and local government sector with an annual salary $49,480. The lowest paying sector is the retail trade sector (annual salary $36,640).

Industry Sector Median Annual Salary
Federal, State, and Local Government
$49,480
Educational Services
$47,740
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing
$45,910
Health Care and Social Assistance
$45,270
Transportation and Warehousing
$44,060
Manufacturing
$43,930
Finance and Insurance
$43,430
Other Services (except Federal, State, and Local Government)
$43,090
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
$39,920
Management of Companies and Enterprises
$39,680
Information
$39,200
Wholesale Trade
$38,670
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$38,440
Retail Trade
$36,640

Table 3. Median Annual Wage of Pharmacy Technicians by States (2022 survey)

From the above tables we note that not only pharmacy technicians salaries vary considerably based on one's education and experience, and the industry sectors, they also change considerably from state to state. In the following table we compare the median salary of pharmacy technicians in all 50 states of the United States. We note that the median annual salaries range from $23,210 to $48,740. The highest paying state for pharmacy technicians is Washington with a median annual salary of $48,740. The lowest paying state is Puerto Rico with a median annual salary of $23,210. For more salary information of pharmacy technicians profession in a specific state, use the links in the table.

State Name Median Annual Salary
Washington
$48,740
California
$48,050
Alaska
$47,380
Oregon
$45,880
District of Columbia
$45,090
North Dakota
$44,720
Minnesota
$43,980
Colorado
$43,250
Utah
$41,790
Arizona
$41,590
Wyoming
$41,130
Massachusetts
$40,230
Nevada
$39,940
Rhode Island
$39,710
Montana
$39,070
New Mexico
$38,680
Hawaii
$38,620
Illinois
$38,370
Texas
$38,360
Idaho
$38,300
Kansas
$38,020
Maryland
$37,660
New Jersey
$37,590
Delaware
$37,590
Virginia
$37,440
Wisconsin
$37,390
New Hampshire
$37,300
Vermont
$37,200
Indiana
$37,190
Maine
$37,140
Iowa
$37,070
Michigan
$36,940
New York
$36,910
North Carolina
$36,900
Louisiana
$36,820
Florida
$36,810
South Dakota
$36,770
Nebraska
$36,620
Virgin Islands
$36,610
Connecticut
$36,560
Ohio
$36,500
South Carolina
$36,440
Pennsylvania
$36,310
Tennessee
$36,260
Missouri
$36,230
Georgia
$36,050
Mississippi
$35,320
Alabama
$35,310
Kentucky
$35,230
Oklahoma
$35,030
West Virginia
$34,610
Arkansas
$33,830
Guam
$30,050
Puerto Rico
$23,210