Best programs to become a pharmacy technician
You do not need a college degree to become a pharmacy technician. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Pharmacy Technician/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 353 schools trains pharmacy technicians, graduating 8,060 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $45,750 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
A pharmacy technician (PhT) performs pharmacy-related functions including but not limited to dispense medications of a prescription. Training, certification, licensing, and actual practice of pharmacy technicians varies not only worldwide but in some countries regionally as well as by employer.
Read more on Wikipedia →Best programs to study to become a pharmacy technician
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 51.0805 | 8,060 | 100.0% | 353 | $29,507 | $11,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NUC University Bayamon, PR Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 230 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 54% | $9,377 | — |
| 2 | Martinsburg College Cheyenne, WY Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 215 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 60% | $12,163 | 100% |
| 3 | Ross College - Sylvania Sylvania, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 212 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 53% | $28,241 | — |
| 4 | FVI School of Nursing and Technology Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 201 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 89% | $27,818 | 74% |
| 5 | Bryan University Tempe, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 157 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 41% | $22,877 | — |
| 6 | Miller - Motte College - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 157 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 60% | $26,425 | — |
| 7 | Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 152 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 53% | $19,944 | — |
| 8 | Mountainland Technical College Lehi, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 140 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 84% | — | — |
| 9 | Concorde Career College - Memphis Memphis, TN Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 139 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 55% | $23,740 | 95% |
| 10 | Global Medical & Technical Training Institute Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 139 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 87% | $35,668 | — |
| 11 | American Career College - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 129 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 75% | $28,906 | — |
| 12 | Northwest Career College Las Vegas, NV Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 124 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 68% | $15,787 | — |
| 13 | Florida Education Institute Miami, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 81 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 74% | $36,343 | — |
| 14 | Pima Medical Institute - El Paso El Paso, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 80 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 57% | $23,813 | — |
| 15 | American Career College - Ontario Ontario, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 77 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 66% | $31,076 | — |
| 16 | UEI College - Fresno Fresno, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 73 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 61% | $30,005 | — |
| 17 | CCI Training Center - Arlington Arlington, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 72 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 74% | $14,207 | — |
| 18 | Tulsa Technology Center Tulsa, OK Public · 1 feeder program | 69 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 81% | — | — |
| 19 | Wichita Technical Institute Wichita, KS Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 66 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 55% | $20,276 | — |
| 20 | High Desert Medical College Lancaster, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 60 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 68% | $28,838 | — |
| 21 | The College of Health Care Professions - McAllen Campus McAllen, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 60 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 77% | $26,617 | — |
| 22 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 58 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 30% | — | — |
| 23 | San Joaquin Valley College - Visalia Visalia, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 58 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 36% | $30,518 | — |
| 24 | American Career College - Anaheim Anaheim, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 57 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 70% | $28,590 | — |
| 25 | City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder program | 56 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 18% | — | — |
| 26 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder program | 54 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 17% | — | — |
| 27 | San Joaquin Valley College - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 54 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 58% | $24,205 | — |
| 28 | Davis Technical College Kaysville, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 52 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 57% | — | — |
| 29 | The College of Health Care Professions - South San Antonio San Antonio, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 52 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 73% | $29,205 | — |
| 30 | UEI College - Gardena Gardena, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 52 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 60% | $28,919 | — |
| 31 | Carrington College - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 51 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 51% | $38,203 | — |
| 32 | Concorde Career Institute - Miramar Miramar, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 51 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 67% | $27,271 | 100% |
| 33 | Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR Public · 1 feeder program | 50 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 49% | — | 96% |
| 34 | Asher College Sacramento, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 50 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 56% | $16,924 | — |
| 35 | Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 50 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 77% | — | 100% |
| 36 | San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 50 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 28% | — | — |
| 37 | Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 49 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 31% | — | — |
| 38 | Dixie Technical College Saint George, UT Public · 1 feeder program | 46 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 77% | — | — |
| 39 | UEI College - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 45 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 68% | $29,687 | — |
| 40 | San Joaquin Valley College - Modesto Salida, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 43 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 77% | $25,571 | — |
| 41 | Aguilas International Technical Institute Tampa, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 42 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | — | — | — |
| 42 | Ayers Career College Shreveport, LA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 42 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 68% | $17,824 | — |
| 43 | Southern Careers Institute - Brownsville Brownsville, TX Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 42 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 68% | $17,794 | — |
| 44 | UEI College - Riverside Riverside, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 41 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 71% | $27,181 | — |
| 45 | Arizona College - Glendale Glendale, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 40 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 85% | $28,686 | — |
| 46 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN Public · 1 feeder program | 40 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 40% | — | — |
| 47 | Riverside County Office of Education - School of Career Education Riverside, CA Public · 1 feeder program | 40 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 82% | — | — |
| 48 | Concorde Career Institute - Orlando Orlando, FL Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 39 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 69% | $34,100 | 90% |
| 49 | Pima Medical Institute - Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA Private for-profit · 1 feeder program | 39 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 62% | $22,240 | — |
| 50 | Universidad Ana G. Mendez - Gurabo Campus Gurabo, PR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder program | 39 | Pharmacy Technician/Assistant | 31% | $9,370 | — |
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What pharmacy technicians earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $55,110 | 39,860 | 0.72× | 61 | 1,833 |
| Texas | $45,900 | 41,740 | 0.98× | 38 | 939 |
| Florida | $43,590 | 38,460 | 1.28× | 33 | 864 |
| Arizona | $47,640 | 12,970 | 1.32× | 13 | 423 |
| Tennessee | $41,920 | 11,870 | 1.19× | 13 | 404 |
| Utah | $48,140 | 5,030 | 0.96× | 10 | 393 |
| Louisiana | $44,410 | 6,700 | 1.14× | 16 | 320 |
| Ohio | $40,650 | 17,820 | 1.06× | 6 | 243 |
| Wyominglimited | $48,260 | 600 | 0.71× | 2 | 217 |
| Minnesota | $48,300 | 7,340 | 0.82× | 7 | 197 |
| Nevadamoderate | $47,980 | 4,070 | 0.87× | 3 | 171 |
| Washington | $58,900 | 8,150 | 0.76× | 11 | 147 |
| Georgia | $41,910 | 14,680 | 0.99× | 10 | 137 |
| North Carolina | $44,530 | 17,260 | 1.15× | 9 | 123 |
| Illinois | $46,650 | 21,340 | 1.15× | 8 | 118 |
| Oklahomamoderate | $40,500 | 5,500 | 1.06× | 3 | 95 |
| Colorado | $49,970 | 6,010 | 0.69× | 9 | 90 |
| Kansas | $43,310 | 4,270 | 0.98× | 5 | 80 |
| New Mexicomoderate | $46,630 | 2,550 | 0.96× | 4 | 78 |
| Alabama | $39,030 | 8,510 | 1.33× | 5 | 75 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $38,680 | 4,560 | 1.15× | 4 | 75 |
| Indianalimited | $44,560 | 10,790 | 1.11× | 2 | 75 |
| South Carolina | $42,120 | 8,070 | 1.15× | 5 | 51 |
| Michigan | $44,340 | 14,240 | 1.07× | 8 | 41 |
| Alaskalimited | $52,640 | 800 | 0.81× | 2 | 37 |
| Kentucky | $39,200 | 8,870 | 1.46× | 5 | 35 |
| Nebraskalimited | $46,610 | 2,660 | 0.85× | 2 | 30 |
| Oregon | $54,900 | 4,320 | 0.72× | 5 | 28 |
| Marylandmoderate | $45,120 | 7,990 | 0.95× | 4 | 21 |
| West Virginialimited | $38,210 | 3,560 | 1.67× | 2 | 20 |
| Idaholimited | $46,420 | 2,950 | 1.13× | 2 | 19 |
| New Yorklimited | $43,930 | 24,400 | 0.83× | 1 | 19 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $45,970 | 9,540 | 1.07× | 2 | 19 |
| New Jerseylimited | $39,610 | 14,020 | 1.08× | 1 | 18 |
| Iowamoderate | $44,860 | 4,630 | 0.98× | 3 | 14 |
| Vermontlimited | $47,940 | 760 | 0.83× | 1 | 11 |
| Montanalimited | $49,400 | 1,340 | 0.86× | 1 | 9 |
| Missourilimited | $40,100 | 12,610 | 1.42× | 2 | 8 |
| Virginialimited | $44,610 | 10,720 | 0.86× | 1 | 8 |
| Mississippilimited | $39,040 | 4,040 | 1.14× | 1 | 7 |
| Connecticutlimited | $47,050 | 5,200 | 1.01× | 1 | 6 |
| North Dakotalimited | $47,560 | 890 | 0.68× | 1 | 6 |
| Hawaiilimited | $46,760 | 1,540 | 0.81× | 1 | 4 |
| Massachusettslimited | $46,470 | 10,150 | 0.92× | 1 | 4 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $47,360 | 1,970 | 0.95× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Enter prescription information into computer databases.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
- Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.
- Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers.
Skills
- Active Listening4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.3
- Active Learning3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Mathematics3.0
- Writing3.0
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.6
- Medicine and Dentistry3.9
- Mathematics3.8
- English Language3.8
- Computers and Electronics3.7
- Law and Government3.5
Abilities
- Near Vision4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Speech Recognition3.9
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
Core activities
- Getting Information4.3
- Working with Computers4.2
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.1
- Processing Information4.1
- Documenting/Recording Information4.0
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.0
How to get in
How to become a pharmacy technician
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Pharmacy Technicians1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.0805Pharmacy Technician/Assistant
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a pharmacy technician?+
You do not need a college degree to become a pharmacy technician. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Pharmacy Technician/Assistant (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a pharmacy technician?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Pharmacy Technician/Assistant (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 8,060 people a year.
How much do pharmacy technicians earn?+
The median is $45,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $36,020 at the 10th percentile to $61,040 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for pharmacy technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +6.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 49,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
353 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do pharmacy technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician), OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech), Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-2052.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card