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Pharmacy Technician

$45,750
median pay per year
$36,020 – $61,040
what most earn (10th–90th percentile)

What the job actually is

Fill prescriptions, measure medications, and manage inventory under a pharmacist's supervision.

Where you work

Retail and hospital pharmacies; standing behind a counter, steady pace.

The hours

Full-time and part-time; evenings and weekends are common.

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$45,750
per year
What most earn
$36,020–$61,040
10th to 90th percentile
Openings a year
~49,000
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+6%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
471,680
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

High school / no degree

Training path: Many chains train and certify on the job.

License or certification

Many states require registration or certification; requirements vary.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Attention to detailMath skillsCustomer serviceOrganization

The honest take

A paid on-ramp into healthcare straight from high school.

Standard Occupational Classification 29-2052. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.