There were about 437,000 pharmacy technicians working in the U.S. as of May 2021 according to data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Pharmacy technicians work in varied settings, including health and personal care stores, hospitals, food and general merchandise stores with pharmacy services, and other businesses involved in the distribution of pharmacy products. Pharmacy technicians typically earn lower salaries and wages than workers in most other healthcare occupations. According to BLS estimates, as of May 2021, the national mean wage for pharmacy technicians was $37,970 per year. Pharmacy technician pay varies considerably from state to state. Per BLS data, as of May 2021 these were the ten best and worst states for pharmacy technician pay:
The Best and Worst States for Pharmacy Technician Pay
| State | # Employed | Annual Mean Wages | Wage Rank* |
| CA | 38,220 | $49,990 | 1st |
| WA | 7,680 | $46,830 | 2nd |
| AK | 650 | $46,160 | 3rd |
| OR | 4,360 | $45,240 | 4th |
| DC | 770 | $45,030 | 5th |
| MN | 7,430 | $42,220 | 6th |
| ND | 790 | $41,760 | 7th |
| HI | 1,470 | $40,710 | 8th |
| CO | 6,130 | $40,550 | 9th |
| MA | 8,880 | $40,390 | 10th |
| U.S. | 436,630 | $37,970 | ------- |
| PA | 21,900 | $34,760 | 42nd |
| OK | 5,280 | $34,750 | 43rd |
| MS | 3,980 | $34,460 | 44th |
| OH | 16,320 | $34,390 | 45th |
| GA | 13,260 | $34,220 | 46th |
| MO | 10,090 | $33,920 | 47th |
| KY | 9,320 | $33,390 | 48th |
| AR | 4,200 | $32,690 | 49th |
| AL | 8,080 | $32,620 | 50th |
| WV | 3,130 | $32,230 | 51st |
(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on August 17, 2022