Pharmacy Technician Salary United States Breakdown: Average, Highest-Paying Cities, and Trends

All inforamtion Here About Pharmacy Technician Salary from Salary Slip, also known as assistant pharmacists are medical professionals who assist pharmacists in their day-to-day duties and help patients get the prescribed medication they need. They work directly with patients, providing customer service, processing insurance claims, and even performing simple medical procedures like vaccinations in some states.

Entry to the profession is comparatively easy and simple, and anyone can join the medical field through this job profile. In this article, we will discuss their responsibilities, how to become one, pharmacy technician salary in US, states and cities paying high wages to pharmacy technicians, and more. 

What Does a Pharmacy Technician do?

An assistant pharmacist performs several tasks, such as assisting pharmacists in writing prescriptions, offering customer service, helping with administrative work, maintaining pharmacies, and more. Some pharmacy technicians perform specific duties as well including: 

• Counting and packaging medicines into bottles and boxes
• Taking note of inventory of medications available in the pharmacy
• Developing and applying medication labels  
• Requesting authorization from healthcare providers for prescription refills  
• Operating the cash register and processing customer transactions  
• Addressing customers’ inquiries and concerns  
• Communicating with insurance companies to resolve coverage problems  
• Ensuring the pharmacy is clean, organized, and adequately stocked  
• Managing patients’ prescription records  
• Supporting the pharmacist with additional duties as needed  
• Assisting with basic medical procedures such as vaccine administration, based on state regulations

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How Much Does A Pharmacy Technician Make- Pharmacy Technician Salary In US

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US, the average pharmacy technician salary is $43,330, which makes a pharmacy technician salary in US per month— $3,610.83.

Hence, a pharmacy technician salary in US per hour is $ 20.83. 

According to salary.com, the salary of a certified pharmacy technician in the US ranges from $48,788 to $32,549, but most earn between $36,100 and $44,600. 

However, the salary of a pharmacy technician depends largely on experience. For instance, the entry level pharmacy technician salary in US is $39,101. While the most experienced are earning up to $42,203. Here is the pharmacy technician salary based on experience level.

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Factors Affecting Pharmacy Technician Salary

Apart from experience, certain other factors also impact the salary of a pharmacy technician. These are: 

1. Job Location: The salary highly depends on the work location. Big towns and urban cities would pay more due to a higher standard of living. 
2. Type of Setting: The salary of a physician technician also depends on the type of setting he/she is working. For instance, assistant pharmacists working in hospitals earn more than those working in pharmacies and drug stores.
3. Education and Training: Assistant pharmacists who have completed formal training in courses like pharmacy technician programs can land a job with a higher salary. 
4. Certification: Certifications like the Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) can help in getting a higher salary.
5. Skillsets: Candidates possessing the required skillsets have more chances of getting a job than those who don’t possess them. The higher the chances of skillsets matching with the job profile, the more the salary. 

Highest-Paying States For Pharmacy Technicians

These are the top 5 high-paying states for pharmacy technicians.

Highest-Paying Cities For Pharmacy Technicians

These are the top 5 high-paying cities for pharmacy technicians.

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Types of Pharmacy Technicians

Various types of pharmacy technicians gain specialization in their work with their skillsets, training and education, some of which include: 

1. Hospital-based pharmacy technicians– Hospital-based pharmacy technicians work in hospitals. Their key duties are to deliver medicines to concerned departments, organize medication drawers, and handle chemotherapy medications.
2. Retail pharmacy technicians– They work in retail pharmacies and fill patient prescriptions, handle billing and payments, and organize medications.
3. Mail-order pharmacy technicians– These technicians work from a workstation and they organize and ensure medications are quickly and accurately mailed to patients. 
4. Nursing home and assisted living facility pharmacy technicians– Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists and nurses in facilities by managing patient charts, delivering medications, and preparing medication packets for nurses.
5. Private Pharmacy Technicians– They work in private pharmacy offices. Prepare and fill prescription and compounded medications for organizations like Hospices and prisons.
6. Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technicians– These technicians work in hospitals and chemotherapy infusion clinics. Their responsibilities include mixing, organizing, labeling, and distributing chemotherapy medications. 
7. Compounding Pharmacy Technicians– These pharmacy assistants prepare medications for patient use (usually sterile intravenous medications).

Highest-Paying Pharmacy Technician Specialties

These are some of the highest-paying pharmacy technician specialties: 

Pharmacy Technician Salary Vs Other Similar Jobs- A Comparison

• Pharmacy technician salary: $43,330
• Pharmacist salary: $134,790
• Medical Secretary salary: $45,124
• Dental Hygienist salary: $89,890
• Medical Records Technician salary: $44,324

How to Become a Pharmacy Technician?

To become a pharmacy technician, one doesn’t need a college degree. Just a high school diploma would work. Follow these steps to become a pharmacy technician:

1. Obtaining a high school diploma or GED is compulsory. 
2. Enrol in a pharmacy technician training program. You can choose an online course, technical college, or a degree program to complete your training. The training can last from 4 months to 2 years, depending on the course you choose.
3. Both PTCB and NHA offer certification exams. Although some of the states may not require certifications, getting certified might help you land a better job and higher salary.
4. If your state requires a license to practice, you must obtain it. 
5. Now look for a job and gain experience. 
6. Keep updating yourself with new developments in the field and new certifications and programs, will help in being competitive. 

Job Outlook- Growth of Pharmacy Technicians

According to the US BLS report, the job outlook for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow at 7% between 2023 to 2033. As of 2023, the United States employed 463,900 pharmacy technicians. It is expected that this figure will rise by 33,000 by 2033. Meanwhile, there are expected to be approximately 47,400 job openings for pharmacy technicians annually throughout that decade. The rise in the demand for pharmacy technicians is due to the advancements in healthcare development, awareness of healthcare among people, and aging populations. 

FAQs

1) What is the average Pharmacy technician salary in the US?

 Ans:- The average pharmacy technician salary in the US is $43,330.

2) What is the pharmacist salary in the US?

Ans:- The pharmacist salary in the US is $134,790.

3) What is the pharmacy technician salary in US per month?

Ans:- The pharmacy technician salary in US per month is $3,610.83.

4) What is a Hospital Pharmacy Technician salary?

Ans:- The hospital pharmacy technician salary in the US is $47,840 per year.

5) How to get a pharmacy technician certification?

Ans:- To get a pharmacy technician certification, first enroll in a pharmacy technician program accredited by (PTCB or NHA). It may last from 4 months to 2 years, depending on the course you choose. After completing the program, pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) to become certified.

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