What is the average salary for a pharmacy technician? Every year the Bureau of Labor statistics releases their data on all sorts of occupations. They break down everything from what type of degree you need to what a typical work week looks like, and often times how much said occupation is going to pay you in a year. But what information are they giving you that’s going to help you with your pharmacy technician career?
The average salary for a pharmacy technician is $37,000 per year. This number varies depending on the region of the country and the specific duties that the technician is required to perform.
What is the average salary for a pharmacy technician
Introduction
Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals. Pharmacy technicians work in both retail and hospital pharmacies. Duties of pharmacy technicians vary from one pharmacy to another. There are a variety of tasks that can be completed by pharmacy technician, including measuring, mixing, counting out, labeling and recording information on medications prepared by a pharmacist
A pharmacy technician is a health care provider who performs pharmacy-related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of locations (usually in community, retail, and hospital pharmacies), but can also work for long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, third-party insurance companies, computer software companies, or in government or teaching. Job duties include dispensing prescription drugs and other medical devices to patients and instructing on their use. They may also perform administrative duties in pharmaceutical practice, such as reviewing prescription requests with doctor’s offices and insurance companies to ensure correct medications are provided and payment is received.
- A pharmacy technician is a health care provider who performs pharmacy-related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist. Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of locations (usually in community, retail, and hospital pharmacies), but can also work for long-term care facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers, third-party insurance companies, computer software companies, or in government or teaching. Job duties include dispensing prescription drugs and other medical devices to patients and instructing on their use. They may also perform administrative duties in pharmaceutical practice, such as reviewing prescription requests with doctor’s offices and insurance companies to ensure correct medications are provided and payment is received.*
- “Pharmacy technician” is not an actual professional title that has been legally regulated by any state or national organization (like “registered nurse”). Technicians perform the same tasks as pharmacists with less education; however, those who hold this position often have more education than those who are simply called “technicians”.
Earnings for pharmacy technicians vary among states depending on factors ranging from the cost of living to the demand for technicians in that region. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average annual salary for a pharmacy technician was $30,930 in May 2014. The BLS also estimates that demand for pharmacy technicians will increase by 9 percent between 2014 and 2024.
You might be wondering what kind of money you can make as a pharmacy technician. The good news is that the average annual salary for this position is $30,930, which means that you’ll likely be able to support yourself with your career choice.
For those who are interested in working as a pharmacy technician but aren’t sure where to start their career search, we’ve provided a few tips on how to find the right job and how much you can expect to earn at different positions within this field:
- Consider starting with an associate’s degree program if you want more job security than an entry-level position would provide. Associate’s degree programs usually take two years of study (four semesters) and include general education courses such as biology or chemistry along with classes specific to pharmacy technician training. These programs are offered both online and on campus; however, most do require students to visit campus periodically during their studies.
- Community colleges may offer part-time evening classes where some students work full time during the day while attending school at night or online courses through distance learning programs such as Kaplan University or Ashford University (which also offers online graduate degrees). If possible try getting added skills like CPR certification through another type from organizations like Red Cross volunteers; this will set apart from others applying for these jobs too!
ASEHP staff has developed the following table based on salary data collected from various surveys conducted nationally over many years. Annual salaries are shown as averages at several different levels of experience. ASEHP member institutions often use these figures as guidelines when preparing job offers to new technicians. One survey source provides similar figures in terms of hourly wages as well as salaried earnings; this is also shown below:
The average salary for a pharmacy technician is $30,930. The chart below shows the average salaries for pharmacy technicians at different levels of experience.
The table below provides salary information for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in hospitals in the United States. These salaries are from 2016 data collected from ASEHP member institutions, which represent approximately 300 hospitals nationwide.
Conclusion
While the average salary for a pharmacy technician is $30,930, this number can vary significantly depending on your location and level of experience. To learn more about how much you could earn as a pharmacy technician, visit our Salary Guide for this occupation.
