Healthcare
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.
Median salary (BLS)
$45,750
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$36k – $61k
Job outlook
+6% (faster than average)
AI exposure
Early-career check: graduates of the matching programs below typically earn $93,000 ten years after starting college — an early-career figure, vs. the all-experience BLS median above. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard.
Plan a path to Pharmacy Technicians
Education
Typical entry: Associate degree
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Pharmacy Technicians
Entry / Junior
$36,020
~2 yrs to advance
Pharmacy Technicians
Established
$45,750
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Pharmacy Technicians
Senior
$53,395
Key skills
A typical 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- •Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Healthcare
Explore all- Johns Hopkins University7% admit · $93,000 grad pay
- Harvard University4% admit · $119,000 grad pay
- University of Michigan18% admit · $87,000 grad pay
- Duke University6% admit · $105,000 grad pay
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill19% admit · $73,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.