What You Can Earn as a PTCB-Certified Technician in 2024

As of April 27, 2019, the average hourly wage for a pharmacy technician in the United States is between $15 and $18.

However, there are multiple factors, like educational background, industry type, employment place, experience, and PTCB certification, that directly affect how much will you make as a pharmacy technician.

As we continue down the path of explaining some of the common variables related to a pharmacy technician’s earnings, the article will also highlight how each state varies when it comes to pharmacy techs’ salary/hourly pay.

Average Salary by State

Only full-time pharmacy technicians earn a valuable sum compared to other healthcare professionals. And working as a part-time pharmacy technician may not be perfect for individuals with little to no experience.

Pharmacy technicians can expect to earn $22,000 as a starting salary but can accelerate the amount by receiving more training at a pharmacy technician school or acquire PTCB certification. That said, pharmacy technicians have a lower starting salary as compared to other industry professions.

Washington and New York

Washington has an average annual salary of $30,590 for a pharmacy technician. The average hourly wage, however, is $14.71. Similarly, the average annual salary of a pharmacy technician in New York is the highest among all states as $33,639, while the average hourly pay is $16.17.

North Carolina

North Carolina has the lowest hourly pay of just $11.66 and the average salary ranges between $22,836 and $24,410 per year.

Full-time pharmacy technicians also enjoy the benefits and allowances that come with the job.

Massachusetts

Pharmacy technicians seeking a career in Massachusetts can expect to earn an average salary of $33,467 per year and an hourly wage of $16.09.

Maryland

And if you reside in Maryland, the average annual salary for a pharmacy tech is $31,590 and you could get $15.19 per hour.

Florida

Meanwhile, a progressive state like Florida has an average hourly pay of just $12.43 per hour and annual salary range from $24,353 to $26,032.

California

The recent surge and demand for pharmacy technicians in California boosted the valued and significance of these professionals in the healthcare industry. Every year, California ranks in the top 5 as the leading hotspot for young and experienced pharmacy technicians.

You could earn an average salary of $30,829 per year and $14.82 an hour.

Louisiana

Despite conservative unionized culture, pharmacy technicians in Louisiana could get an average annual salary of $29,106 as opposed to Oregon’s $29,022 per year. And an hourly pay of $13.99 and $13.95.

Texas

Additionally, Texas ranks significantly low on working conditions and average hourly pay of $13.20. And the average annual salary amounts to $27,464.

Vermont

Senator Bernie Sanders’s home state, Vermont ranks as one of the highest paying destinations for pharmacy technicians in the U.S. The average salary per year goes as high as $30,829 and hourly pay of $14.82.

Alaska

You might have a faux preconceived notion about Alaska but oddly enough, it ranks higher than most of the states you’d expect to pay more. Alaska has an average annual salary of $30,787 for pharmacy techs and you can make $14.80 per hour.

Mississippi

Mississippi offers an average annual salary of $27,202 for pharmacy technicians, which is even lower than Texas. The hourly pay ranges from $12.32 to $13.17.

Wage Gap of Illinois, Missouri, and Michigan with Nebraska

Contrary to Illinois’ $26,879, Missouri’s $26,763, and Michigan’s $28,661 annual salary for pharmacy technicians, Nebraska offers lucrative packages, as high as $31,026.

Nebraska also pays a high hourly wage of $14.2 as compare to Illinois’ $12.88, Missouri’s $12,87, and Michigan’s $12,92.

Expected Benefits

Pharmacy techs could thrive and enjoy all the benefits the field offers as long as they have enough experience in the industry. And once the wisdom and sense of professionalism take root, there’s no stopping how successful a pharmacy technician could get.

An experienced pharmacy technician with 10 to 20 years of knowledge could earn $46,980 annually.

A pharmacy technician with experience of 10 to 20 years could earn $46,980 annually, as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And a pharmacy technician with 5 to 9 years of experience can make around $22,000.

Elements Directly Affecting Your Salary/Hourly Pay

Experience is not the only major factor that affects how much you will earn as a pharmacy technician in any state. Here are some of the reasons that are worth looking at:

Educational Background

Pursuing a career as a pharmacy technician right after high school might not be ideal due to meager wages. Thus, getting a degree from ASHP accredited pharmacy technician program will be more useful in the long run.

Leading employers in the healthcare industries prefer a pharmacy technician with a PTCB certification. Almost all states require you to have PTCB certification to provide services as a pharmacy technician.

Field of Specialization

As a pharmacy technician, you could specialize in Nuclear, Compounding, and Oncology Pharmacy

Type of Employer

Although retail pharmacies provide huge exposure to young pharmacy technicians, the pay is comparatively low to what small pharmacies offer.

Geographical Location

Whether you like it or not, the place of employment matters as it determines your cost and standard of living. How you manage expenditures such as rent, utility bills, and groceries depends on your pay packages in a given state.

The Shift in the Recent Years

More pharmacy technicians leaned towards working in a hospital or outpatient setting in the last decade. Furthermore, retail stores in the Southern states provide great exposure but severely lack in pay packages.

Employee Growth Rate and Opportunities

The fact remains, the employment for pharmacy technicians in the US will continue to grow at the rate of 12% until 2026, which is faster than any average occupation.

Texas is expected to have 3,350 new job opportunities this year while Florida and Texas estimate to create more new job openings than before. However, Nevada ranks highest with 32.13% employment rate, which is expected to streamline by 2024.