Career
Pharmacy technicians
Help pharmacists prepare and dispense medicine.
$45,750
Median pay
+6.4%
Job growth, 2025–35
44,700
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Active Listening, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Critical Thinking.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $45,750 a year and 44,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Pharmacy Technician/AssistantCIP 51.0805
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Pharmacists$140,910 · +5.2%
- Pharmacy Aides$37,680 · -0.7%
- Medical Assistants$45,690 · +12.9%
- Veterinary Technologists and Technicians$47,380 · +9.4%
- Phlebotomists$45,230 · +6.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.