Average Salary

• In a survey of 331,890 pharmacy technicians working throughout the U.S., the Bureau of Labor Statistics concluded that the average yearly salary for the occupation was $28,940 as of May 2009. The media salary--earned by the middle 50 percent--was reported as $28,070, the average among the top 10 percent of earners was given as $40,160 and the average salary for those in the lowest-earning 10 percent was listed at $19,480.
  
  

Salary by Industry

• Salaries for pharmacy technicians are not uniform across the health care industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, positions within federal agencies offer the most lucrative pay--$39,040 a year. Scientific research and development services and insurance carriers completed the top three best-paying sectors at $38,870 and $37,610, respectively. General medical and surgical hospitals were listed at $32,710 while health and personal care stores offered an average of $27,590. Department stores were among the lowest-payers at just $25,660.
  
  

Salary by State

• The geographical location in which a pharmacy technician pursues his career will also impact significantly the salary level he achieves. Across all industry sectors, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2009 survey listed Alaska as the state with the most lucrative pay rates for the profession--an average of $37,090 a year. California and Washington followed close behind--$36,770 and $36,670, respectively. Kentucky and Alabama offered comparable rates of pay--$24,480 and $24,570, respectively--while West Virginia was listed at just $23,760.
  
  

Salary by City

• A survey carried out by wage comparison website SalaryExpert.com analyzed salaries for pharmacy technicians working across all industry sectors in some of the bigger cities across the U.S. It listed New York as the metro area offering the highest average wages--$40,966. Dallas and Phoenix followed with similar pay rates--$37,930 and $37,559, respectively. Chicago and Atlanta also offered respectable average salaries--$36,827 and $35,155, respectively--while Orlando, Fla., was listed at $32,578.
  
  

Prospects

• With the increasing number of middle-aged and elderly people comprising the American population--age groups that use more prescription drugs than younger people--the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow considerably in the future. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a 25 percent increase in employment opportunities in the decade from 2008 to 2018. As a result, salary levels for the occupation should remain competitive.