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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

29-2052 Pharmacy Technicians

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.

National estimates for Pharmacy Technicians
Industry profile for Pharmacy Technicians
Geographic profile for Pharmacy Technicians

National estimates for Pharmacy Technicians:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Pharmacy Technicians:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3) 		Mean hourly
wage		 Mean annual
wage (2) 		Wage RSE (3)
436,630 0.7 % $ 18.25 $ 37,970 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Pharmacy Technicians:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median) 		75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 13.82 $ 14.17 $ 17.66 $ 22.04 $ 22.88
Annual Wage (2) $ 28,740 $ 29,460 $ 36,740 $ 45,850 $ 47,580

Industry profile for Pharmacy Technicians:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Pharmacy Technicians are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Pharmacy Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Pharmacy Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Health and Personal Care Stores 217,820 21.59 $ 16.94 $ 35,230
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals 67,180 1.20 $ 20.81 $ 43,290
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 41,780 1.41 $ 16.49 $ 34,300
General Merchandise Stores 38,830 1.26 $ 18.90 $ 39,320
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 15,470 3.35 $ 18.73 $ 38,950

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Pharmacy Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Health and Personal Care Stores 217,820 21.59 $ 16.94 $ 35,230
Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses 15,470 3.35 $ 18.73 $ 38,950
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) 10,410 2.77 $ 18.52 $ 38,530
Food and Beverage Stores (4451 and 4452 only) 41,780 1.41 $ 16.49 $ 34,300
General Merchandise Stores 38,830 1.26 $ 18.90 $ 39,320

Top paying industries for Pharmacy Technicians:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Outpatient Care Centers 7,820 0.79 $ 27.45 $ 57,100
Scientific Research and Development Services 140 0.02 $ 23.55 $ 48,980
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 6,740 0.32 $ 23.28 $ 48,420
Software Publishers (8) (8) $ 23.06 $ 47,960
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 1,080 0.02 $ 22.54 $ 46,890

Geographic profile for Pharmacy Technicians:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Pharmacy Technicians are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Pharmacy Technicians, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of pharmacy technicians by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Pharmacy Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 38,220 2.31 0.75 $ 24.04 $ 49,990
Texas 35,290 2.89 0.93 $ 18.43 $ 38,330
Florida 33,730 3.92 1.26 $ 17.33 $ 36,040
Pennsylvania 21,900 3.92 1.27 $ 16.71 $ 34,760
Illinois 21,660 3.85 1.24 $ 17.83 $ 37,090


Map of location quotient of pharmacy technicians by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacy Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kentucky 9,320 5.07 1.64 $ 16.05 $ 33,390
West Virginia 3,130 4.76 1.54 $ 15.49 $ 32,230
Alabama 8,080 4.19 1.35 $ 15.68 $ 32,620
Maine 2,400 4.05 1.31 $ 16.93 $ 35,220
Tennessee 12,080 4.04 1.30 $ 16.76 $ 34,850


Map of annual mean wages of pharmacy technicians by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Pharmacy Technicians:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 38,220 2.31 0.75 $ 24.04 $ 49,990
Washington 7,680 2.40 0.77 $ 22.52 $ 46,830
Alaska 650 2.19 0.71 $ 22.19 $ 46,160
Oregon 4,360 2.39 0.77 $ 21.75 $ 45,240
District of Columbia 770 1.16 0.37 $ 21.65 $ 45,030



Map of employment of pharmacy technicians by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Pharmacy Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 21,060 2.43 0.78 $ 19.22 $ 39,970
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 16,760 3.96 1.28 $ 18.32 $ 38,100
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 13,770 2.41 0.78 $ 23.08 $ 48,010
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 10,480 3.95 1.27 $ 17.80 $ 37,020
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9,930 2.77 0.89 $ 18.69 $ 38,880
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 9,250 3.77 1.22 $ 18.02 $ 37,470
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 8,650 2.99 0.96 $ 19.23 $ 39,990
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 7,600 3.59 1.16 $ 18.92 $ 39,350
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 7,110 2.75 0.89 $ 17.02 $ 35,390
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 6,740 3.74 1.21 $ 17.62 $ 36,650


Map of location quotient of pharmacy technicians by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Pharmacy Technicians:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rochester, MN 770 6.66 2.15 $ 19.98 $ 41,550
Bloomsburg-Berwick, PA 250 6.32 2.04 $ 15.59 $ 32,420
Scranton--Wilkes-Barre--Hazleton, PA 1,500 6.29 2.03 $ 16.40 $ 34,110
Muncie, IN 260 5.89 1.90 $ 16.13 $ 33,560
Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH 210 5.86 1.89 $ 15.07 $ 31,340
Springfield, IL 550 5.68 1.83 $ 16.72 $ 34,770
Iowa City, IA 490 5.64 1.82 $ 18.71 $ 38,910
Beckley, WV 220 5.59 1.80 $ 14.94 $ 31,070
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 280 5.52 1.78 $ 17.08 $ 35,520
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH 680 5.51 1.78 $ 15.90 $ 33,080