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Here’s How Much Money Pharmacy Technicians Make In Every State

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The career of a pharmacy technician is one that’s pretty important to running a pharmacy smoothly. Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals. Employment numbers have been increasing and, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to increase faster than average, with approximately 31,500 pharmacy technician jobs being added from 2018 to 2028, an increase of 7%.

Using occupational data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we've analyzed and compiled a round-up of the average pharmacy technician salary by state in the U.S. Read on for a full breakdown of where pharmacy technicians make the most money, and where they're making the least.

10 States Where Pharmacy Technicians Earn the Most Money

The national average annual wage of an pharmacy technician is $34,020, according to the BLS, which is over $15,000 less than average annual salary for all occupations, $51,960. The average pharmacy technician salary can vary significantly depending on the state. In the best-paying state for pharmacy technicians, the average salary is about $10,000 more than the national average for all pharmacy technicians.

Below is a list of the top-10 highest-paying states for pharmacy technicians.

  1. Alaska average pharmacy technician salary: $43,150
  2. California average pharmacy technician salary: $42,610
  3. Washington average pharmacy technician salary: $42,470
  4. Oregon average pharmacy technician salary: $40,920
  5. North Dakota average pharmacy technician salary: $39,770
  6. Hawaii average pharmacy technician salary: $38,720
  7. Minnesota average pharmacy technician salary: $37,670
  8. Nevada average pharmacy technician salary: $37,620
  9. Wyoming average pharmacy technician salary: $37,460
  10. Rhode Island average pharmacy technician salary: $37,410

No. 7 Minnesota has seen a dramatic increase in the average salary for pharmacy technicians over the years. From an average salary of $31,830 in 2013, pharmacy technician salaries have increased by over 18%, reaching $37,670 in 2018. No. 4 Oregon has seen healthy growth in wages as well, with pharmacy technician salaries rising by nearly 16% over the last five years.

10 States Where Pharmacy Technicians Earn the Least Money

The bottom-10 states where pharmacy technicians make the least money are mainly a mix of states in the South and Midwest, though Pennsylvania, the fourth-lowest paying state, is in the Northeast. Here’s a look at the 10 worst states for pharmacy technician’s salaries:

  1. West Virginia average pharmacy technician salary: $28,650
  2. Kentucky average pharmacy technician salary: $29,270
  3. Arkansas average pharmacy technician salary: $29,640
  4. Pennsylvania average pharmacy technician salary: $30,000
  5. Alabama average pharmacy technician salary: $30,040
  6. Georgia average pharmacy technician salary: $30,240
  7. Ohio average pharmacy technician salary: $30,500
  8. Oklahoma average pharmacy technician salary: $30,790
  9. North Carolina average pharmacy technician salary: $30,890
  10. Indiana average pharmacy technician salary: $31,160

While pharmacy technician wages have not fallen in these states, their five-year growth has been relatively minimal. For instance, in Pennsylvania, the average pharmacy technician salary has barely budged over the last five years, rising by just 2.3% from 2013 to 2018. Alabama at least bucks this trend, with a 13.4% increase in pharmacy technician salaries since 2013.

How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Make in Each State

Below you’ll find the average annual wage for pharmacy technicians in all 50 states from 2013 to 2018.

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