Typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
Pharmacy technician
Pharmacy technicians fill prescriptions, manage inventory, process insurance claims, and serve customers under a pharmacist's supervision in retail, hospital, and mail-order pharmacies.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a pharmacy technician makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$45,750
$22.00 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $37,850
- 75th percentile
- $49,990
- 90th percentile
- $61,040
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- 96%
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +6.4%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 44,700
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical entry education. Most states register or license technicians, and many require the PTCB or NHA exam within a set period; large retail chains train new technicians on the job while they prepare for it. Hospital pharmacies pay more and usually want certification first.
The work, as O*NET defines it: 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.
The next step
PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician exam (state registration where required)
- Typical cost
- PTCB exam $129 plus study materials; short training programs $500 to $3,000
- Time to complete
- 2 to 6 months of study, or on-the-job training
Where to start PTCB exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for pharmacy technicians by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $28.32 | $58,900 | $50,400 to $67,630 | 8,150 |
| California | $26.50 | $55,110 | $46,430 to $65,590 | 39,860 |
| Oregon | $26.39 | $54,900 | $48,190 to $62,560 | 4,320 |
| Alaska | $25.31 | $52,640 | $47,140 to $59,350 | 800 |
| Colorado | $24.02 | $49,970 | $46,300 to $58,300 | 6,010 |
| Montana | $23.75 | $49,400 | $45,920 to $55,690 | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $23.22 | $48,300 | $43,490 to $54,440 | 7,340 |
| Wyoming | $23.20 | $48,260 | $42,890 to $53,540 | 600 |
| Utah | $23.14 | $48,140 | $41,750 to $52,570 | 5,030 |
| Nevada | $23.07 | $47,980 | $39,600 to $52,090 | 4,070 |
| Vermont | $23.05 | $47,940 | $38,890 to $53,040 | 760 |
| Arizona | $22.90 | $47,640 | $45,890 to $54,060 | 12,970 |
| North Dakota | $22.86 | $47,560 | $41,380 to $54,250 | 890 |
| District of Columbia | $22.79 | $47,410 | $46,270 to $59,470 | 1,130 |
| New Hampshire | $22.77 | $47,360 | $38,650 to $52,610 | 1,970 |
| Connecticut | $22.62 | $47,050 | $38,760 to $54,270 | 5,200 |
| Hawaii | $22.48 | $46,760 | $38,520 to $59,010 | 1,540 |
| Illinois | $22.43 | $46,650 | $38,190 to $49,150 | 21,340 |
| New Mexico | $22.42 | $46,630 | $40,560 to $50,250 | 2,550 |
| Nebraska | $22.41 | $46,610 | $38,860 to $49,270 | 2,660 |
| Massachusetts | $22.34 | $46,470 | $39,050 to $59,580 | 10,150 |
| Delaware | $22.32 | $46,430 | $38,090 to $48,040 | 1,480 |
| Idaho | $22.32 | $46,420 | $39,670 to $50,460 | 2,950 |
| South Dakota | $22.20 | $46,170 | $39,050 to $48,870 | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $22.10 | $45,970 | $37,960 to $50,070 | 9,540 |
| Texas | $22.07 | $45,900 | $37,730 to $48,960 | 41,740 |
| Maine | $21.83 | $45,400 | $38,620 to $48,870 | 2,070 |
| Maryland | $21.69 | $45,120 | $37,400 to $50,120 | 7,990 |
| Iowa | $21.57 | $44,860 | $37,790 to $48,670 | 4,630 |
| Virginia | $21.45 | $44,610 | $37,960 to $49,150 | 10,720 |
| Indiana | $21.42 | $44,560 | $37,700 to $47,850 | 10,790 |
| North Carolina | $21.41 | $44,530 | $37,480 to $48,480 | 17,260 |
| Louisiana | $21.35 | $44,410 | $37,740 to $47,970 | 6,700 |
| Rhode Island | $21.34 | $44,380 | $38,590 to $50,940 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $21.32 | $44,340 | $37,520 to $48,730 | 14,240 |
| New York | $21.12 | $43,930 | $37,740 to $49,980 | 24,400 |
| Florida | $20.96 | $43,590 | $37,040 to $47,570 | 38,460 |
| Kansas | $20.82 | $43,310 | $37,510 to $47,140 | 4,270 |
| South Carolina | $20.25 | $42,120 | $36,990 to $47,810 | 8,070 |
| Tennessee | $20.15 | $41,920 | $37,060 to $48,270 | 11,870 |
| Georgia | $20.15 | $41,910 | $37,130 to $48,490 | 14,680 |
| Ohio | $19.55 | $40,650 | $36,650 to $48,200 | 17,820 |
| Oklahoma | $19.47 | $40,500 | $37,010 to $46,750 | 5,500 |
| Missouri | $19.28 | $40,100 | $36,270 to $47,100 | 12,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $19.25 | $40,040 | $36,160 to $46,870 | 18,880 |
| New Jersey | $19.04 | $39,610 | $36,710 to $49,600 | 14,020 |
| Kentucky | $18.84 | $39,200 | $36,330 to $46,470 | 8,870 |
| Mississippi | $18.77 | $39,040 | $36,840 to $46,060 | 4,040 |
| Alabama | $18.77 | $39,030 | $36,730 to $46,260 | 8,510 |
| Arkansas | $18.60 | $38,680 | $36,600 to $45,470 | 4,560 |
| West Virginia | $18.37 | $38,210 | $35,750 to $45,070 | 3,560 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a pharmacy technician?
No. BLS lists "high school diploma or equivalent" as the typical education for entry, and 96% of workers in the occupation report less than a bachelor's degree (O*NET). The usual credential is PTCB Certified Pharmacy Technician exam (state registration where required).
How much does a pharmacy technician make?
The median pay was $45,750 a year ($22.00 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $37,850 and $49,990, and the top 10 percent earned more than $61,040.
How long does it take to become a pharmacy technician?
2 to 6 months of study, or on-the-job training. The typical cost is pTCB exam $129 plus study materials; short training programs $500 to $3,000.
Is pharmacy technician work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035 with about 44,700 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 29-2052.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile