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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Pharmacy Technicians is licensed or registered in 44 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 10 professional certifications to Pharmacy Technicians. 5 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), Pharmacy Technician Online National Certification (CPhT), Sterile Products (IV) Certification. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 6.4 hours and sit about 0.8 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 30.0 pounds. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (97.9%), have a consistently fast work pace (43.2%), cannot pause their work (71.1%), and are exposed to the outdoors (under 5%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round pharmacy technicians ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $42,600 with a high school diploma or GED, $44,700 with some college or an associate's degree, $45,700 with a bachelor's degree and $48,700 with a master's degree or higher (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of pharmacy technicians work in Retail Trade (72%), Health Care and Social Assistance (23%), Manufacturing (1%) and Public Administration (1%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most pharmacy technicians are Health and Personal Care Retailers (52% of the jobs counted, median pay $39,240), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (17% of the jobs counted, median pay $50,680), General Merchandise Retailers (9% of the jobs counted, median pay $48,150), Food and Beverage Retailers (8% of the jobs counted, median pay $41,430) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in General Medical and Surgical Hospitals ($50,680), General Merchandise Retailers ($48,150), Offices of Physicians ($47,720). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among pharmacy technicians with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration (9%), Biology (7%), Psychology (6%) and Business Management and Administration (5%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For pharmacy technicians, employers reported 42.0 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 7 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Projected supply and demand. HRSA projects the supply of pharmacy technicians at 101% of demand in 2025 and 107% in 2038 (100% means supply matches demand). These are model projections, not forecasts of any one job market (U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration).
Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare practitioners and technical", which includes this career, 12.0% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,605 for union members and $1,521 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to pharmacy technicians.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Professional and related", which includes this career, 86% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 85% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 92% had paid sick leave, 73% paid vacation and 78% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to pharmacy technicians, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $74.42 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Professional and related" in June 2026 ($50.37 in wages and salaries and $24.06 in benefits, 32.3% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for pharmacy technicians are: telephone conversations (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), indoors, environmentally controlled (97%), e-mail (96%), contact with others (94%), dealing with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous people (90%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (39% of 30 respondents) was "none"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (31% of 30 respondents) was "up to and including 1 month"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (45% of 31 respondents) was "anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to pharmacy technicians in the work done and the skills used: Pharmacists, Pharmacy Aides, Medical Assistants, Veterinary Technologists and Technicians, Phlebotomists, Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses, Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians, Nursing Assistants (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what pharmacy technicians earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Pharmacy Technicians salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare pharmacy technicians with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Pharmacy Technician/Assistant
CIP 51.0805