Pharmacy Technicians Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for pharmacy technicianss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
National mean salary $46,620 ≈ $22/hr
National median salary $45,750
Total employment 471,680 nationwide
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Projected growth +6.4%
Faster than average
Annual openings 49,000 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 490,400 → 521,800 (+31,500)
Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$61,140
- California$58,330
- Oregon$55,180
- Alaska$54,230
- District of Columbia$53,700
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$40,250
- Arkansas$41,160
- Mississippi$41,330
- Alabama$41,360
- Kentucky$41,660
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $61,140 | $58,900 | $29 | +31.1% | 8,150 |
| 2 | California | $58,330 | $55,110 | $28 | +25.1% | 39,860 |
| 3 | Oregon | $55,180 | $54,900 | $27 | +18.4% | 4,320 |
| 4 | Alaska | $54,230 | $52,640 | $26 | +16.3% | 800 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $53,700 | $47,410 | $26 | +15.2% | 1,130 |
| 6 | Colorado | $52,210 | $49,970 | $25 | +12% | 6,010 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $50,680 | $46,470 | $24 | +8.7% | 10,150 |
| 8 | Montana | $50,230 | $49,400 | $24 | +7.7% | 1,340 |
| 9 | Arizona | $49,760 | $47,640 | $24 | +6.7% | 12,970 |
| 10 | Vermont | $49,680 | $47,940 | $24 | +6.6% | 760 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $49,520 | $48,260 | $24 | +6.2% | 600 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $49,310 | $47,560 | $24 | +5.8% | 890 |
| 13 | Minnesota | $49,250 | $48,300 | $24 | +5.6% | 7,340 |
| 14 | Hawaii | $48,910 | $46,760 | $24 | +4.9% | 1,540 |
| 15 | Nevada | $48,900 | $47,980 | $24 | +4.9% | 4,070 |
| 16 | Utah | $48,870 | $48,140 | $24 | +4.8% | 5,030 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $48,120 | $47,050 | $23 | +3.2% | 5,200 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $48,020 | $47,360 | $23 | +3% | 1,970 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $47,810 | $46,630 | $23 | +2.6% | 2,550 |
| 20 | Idaho | $47,120 | $46,420 | $23 | +1.1% | 2,950 |
| 21 | New York | $46,800 | $43,930 | $23 | +0.4% | 24,400 |
| 22 | Delaware | $46,280 | $46,430 | $22 | -0.7% | 1,480 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $46,120 | $44,380 | $22 | -1.1% | 1,540 |
| 24 | Illinois | $45,930 | $46,650 | $22 | -1.5% | 21,340 |
| 25 | Maine | $45,850 | $45,400 | $22 | -1.7% | 2,070 |
| 26 | South Dakota | $45,750 | $46,170 | $22 | -1.9% | 1,230 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $45,750 | $45,970 | $22 | -1.9% | 9,540 |
| 28 | Maryland | $45,670 | $45,120 | $22 | -2% | 7,990 |
| 29 | Nebraska | $45,670 | $46,610 | $22 | -2% | 2,660 |
| 30 | Texas | $45,670 | $45,900 | $22 | -2% | 41,740 |
| 31 | Virginia | $45,330 | $44,610 | $22 | -2.8% | 10,720 |
| 32 | New Jersey | $44,690 | $39,610 | $21 | -4.1% | 14,020 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $44,500 | $44,530 | $21 | -4.5% | 17,260 |
| 34 | Iowa | $44,340 | $44,860 | $21 | -4.9% | 4,630 |
| 35 | Michigan | $44,250 | $44,340 | $21 | -5.1% | 14,240 |
| 36 | Florida | $44,120 | $43,590 | $21 | -5.4% | 38,460 |
| 37 | Indiana | $44,020 | $44,560 | $21 | -5.6% | 10,790 |
| 38 | Georgia | $43,960 | $41,910 | $21 | -5.7% | 14,680 |
| 39 | Kansas | $43,850 | $43,310 | $21 | -5.9% | 4,270 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $43,650 | $44,410 | $21 | -6.4% | 6,700 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $43,590 | $41,920 | $21 | -6.5% | 11,870 |
| 42 | Ohio | $43,440 | $40,650 | $21 | -6.8% | 17,820 |
| 43 | South Carolina | $43,120 | $42,120 | $21 | -7.5% | 8,070 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $42,690 | $40,500 | $21 | -8.4% | 5,500 |
| 45 | Missouri | $42,590 | $40,100 | $20 | -8.6% | 12,610 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $42,300 | $40,040 | $20 | -9.3% | 18,880 |
| 47 | Kentucky | $41,660 | $39,200 | $20 | -10.6% | 8,870 |
| 48 | Alabama | $41,360 | $39,030 | $20 | -11.3% | 8,510 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $41,330 | $39,040 | $20 | -11.3% | 4,040 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $41,160 | $38,680 | $20 | -11.7% | 4,560 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $40,250 | $38,210 | $19 | -13.7% | 3,560 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 521 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa, CA | $77,360 | $71,040 | 200 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $75,490 | $76,740 | 1,780 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $61,800 | $63,760 | 370 |
| 4 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $61,320 | $64,360 | 4,630 |
| 5 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $60,550 | $67,690 | 4,040 |
| 6 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $59,380 | $59,680 | 200 |
| 7 | Vallejo, CA | $58,670 | $62,920 | 440 |
| 8 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $58,590 | $57,550 | 2,460 |
| 9 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,470 | $61,150 | 2,820 |
| 10 | Longview-Kelso, WA | $58,250 | $56,360 | 100 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing pharmacy technicianss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Hospitals, State Government Owned | $76,830 | $66,630 | 710 |
| 2 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $66,420 | $67,300 | 7,550 |
| 3 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $66,420 | $67,300 | 7,550 |
| 4 | Educational Services, Local Government Owned | $64,510 | $58,870 | 80 |
| 5 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Local Government Owned | $64,510 | $60,860 | 80 |
| 6 | Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals, State Government Owned | $63,750 | $58,900 | 470 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $63,230 | $64,220 | 9,510 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $63,230 | $64,220 | 9,510 |
| 9 | Educational Services, Privately Owned | $61,760 | $61,160 | 270 |
| 10 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools, Privately Owned | $61,760 | $61,190 | 270 |
| 11 | Educational Services | $60,840 | $60,510 | 1,120 |
| 12 | Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $60,840 | $60,660 | 1,110 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do pharmacy technicians make in the U.S.?
The median pharmacy technicians salary in the United States is $45,750 per year (mean $46,620), and about 80% earn between $36,020 and $61,040.
How much do pharmacy technicians make per hour?
Roughly $22 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $46,620 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays pharmacy technicians the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for pharmacy technicians at $61,140 per year (median $58,900).
What is the job outlook for pharmacy technicians?
Employment is projected to change +6.4% from 2024 to 2034 (Faster than average), with about 49,000 openings per year.