In the United States, the average pharmacy technician salary is $30,430 per year. Salaries for pharmacy technicians range from C$25,056 ($18,786 USD) to C$53,469($40,092 USD) per year in Canada, £19,000 ($23,728 USD) and £31,000 ($38,714 USD) in the United Kingdom, and AU$39,171 ($28,607 USD) and AU$60,629 ($44,277 USD) in Australia.
For Switzerland, the pay for technicians and associate professionals, as of 2014, stood at CHF83,088 ($80,943 USD), while health associate professionals made CHF79,968 ($77,904 USD). Pharmacy technicians in Norway earned on average NOK378,000 per year ($43,573 USD).
Pharmacy Technician Salary Influencers
The type of industries in which pharmacy technicians work can affect the earnings of pharmacy technicians. As a general rule, pay increases with work experience in the field. Geography has an influence also. In certain countries, employment laws set minimum salaries and benefit standards for pharmacy technicians.
1. Industry
Employment of pharmacy technicians spans industries such as health care and retail shopping. The country of practice plays a role in whether a pharmacy technician is more likely to land in the private or public sector. For example, the United Kingdom has a national health care system that employs a significant sector of pharmacy technicians.
In the United States, as of 2014, seven out of ten pharmacy technicians worked in pharmacies, drug stores, grocery stores, department stores and other general merchandise stores. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 13 percent were employed by hospitals.
2. Geographical Area
| Pharmacy Technician Salary | US | Canada | UK | Australia | Switzerland | Norway |
| Hourly Wage | $15.23 | C$16.30 | £9.62 | AU$21.344 | CHF38.45 | NOK181.73 |
| Annual Wage | $30,430 | C$33,904 | £20,000 | AU$44,387 | CHF79,968 | NOK378,000 |
Pharmacy Technician Salary in the US
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that pharmacy technicians in the United States earned on average $30,430 as of May 2015. One-fourth of these employees had salaries above $35,810, while those in the top ten percent of earners made above $42,400 annually.
Pharmacy Technician Salary in Canada
In general, pharmacy technicians in Canada earn between C$25,056 and C$53,469 per year. According to PayScale, hospital pharmacy technicians make on average C$26.33 per hour or C$54,766 per year. The range of pharmacy technicians in hospital settings runs from C$36,145 to C$65,115 per year.
Pharmacy Technician Salary in the UK
According to the National Careers Service, salaries for pharmacy technicians in the United Kingdom average between £19,000 and £31,000 per year. Pharmacy technicians in the National Health Service fall within Band 4, which means salaries can typically run between £19,217 and £22,458.
Pharmacy Technician Salary in Australia
PayScale states that Australian pharmacy technicians have salaries between AU$39,171 and AU$60,629 . The average pay is $21.34 per hour, translating to a yearly figure of $44,387.
Pharmacy Technician Salary in Switzerland
The Swiss Federal Statistics Office does not publish salary data for pharmacy technicians or pharmacy assistants. However, according to the Office, in 2014, technicians and associate professionals overall grossed CHF6,924 per month. “Health associate professionals” earned a monthly gross salary of CHF6,664. On an annual basis, these averages amount to CHF83,088 and CHF79,968 respectively.
Pharmacy Technician Salary in Norway
Statistics Norway reports that pharmacy technicians make on average NOK31,500 per month. This translates to NOK378,000 per year.
3. Experience
PayScale reports that pharmacy technicians in the United States without prior experience earn on average $24,000 . Wages rise slowly with experience, reaching $36,000 per year after 20 years of experience. In Canada, salaries for new pharmacy technicians averages C$31,000 per year. With 20 years of experience, pharmacy technicians make C$46,000 per year.
In the United Kingdom, starting pharmacy technicians make between £19,000 and £22,000.For those deemed “Experienced,” pay ranges from £22,000 to £28,000. Salaries for “Highly Experienced” pharmacy technicians go from £28,000 to £31,000.
Working Hours
As a general rule, pharmacy technicians work full-time. Shifts can run at irregular hours and times, including nights and weekends. While local or family-owned pharmacies are open normally in the daytime and on weekdays, chain pharmacies keep longer hours. Grocery and discount retailers often are open 24-hours, seven days per weeks. Some even keep holiday hours.
Work hours can impact pay. Australia’s Fair Work Commission sets minimum pay for pharmacy assistants based upon work hours. For example, depending on level of experience, full and part-time pharmacy assistants have a minimum hourly wage of AU$19.44 to AU$21.46 as a general rule. For those pulling weekday shifts starting between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., the minimum pay is AU$29.16 to AU$32.19 per hour. Sunday pharmacy technicians have a minimum rate of AU$38.88 to AU$42.92 per hour.
Bonuses & Benefit Packages
According to PayScale, bonuses for pharmacy technicians in the United States range from $100.67 to $2,215 . Pharmacy technicians in Canada received bonuses between C$98.63 and C$3,041. In Norway, the bonus for pharmaceutical technicians averaged NOK300 per month or NOK3,600 per year.
For pharmacy technicians in the United States and Canada, benefits are typically determined by the employer. In Australia, Norway, and Switzerland, laws entitled pharmacy technicians to paid annual leave or vacation pay. Swiss employers must afford four weeks off a year for employees. Also, in Switzerland, salaried employees or wage earners participate in a three-pillar retirement system. A mix of employee and employer contributions forms the first two levels, providing up to 60 percent of total salary for retirement. In the third, employer contributions are voluntary.
Under Norwegian law, employees are entitled to occupational pension and insurance. Australia affords pharmacy technicians superannuation benefits, which consist of contributions by employers. Pharmacy technicians in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom can access pension benefits starting at age 55 years.
Job Outlook
With the prevalence of chronic conditions, aging populations, and increased access to prescription coverage, pharmacy technicians and assistants will be in solid demand.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a rise of nine percent, or 34,700 jobs, in employment of pharmacy technicians by 2024. By November 2019, Australia should have between 10,001 and 25,000 job openings for medical technicians, which includes pharmacy technicians.
According to the National Academy of Health and Business, Canada is experiencing a shortage of pharmacy technicians. Ontario, for instance, has only 3,000 registered pharmacy technicians to fill approximately 10,000 positions.
Conclusion
While pay differs by country, pharmacy technicians across the board generally increase their earnings with work experience. The country of practice can significantly influence the retirement and work benefits for pharmacy technicians. In certain countries, paid vacation and leave and employer-funded retirements are entitlements for pharmacy technicians.
The prospects for employment should be strong as medical conditions and an aging population will drive demand for prescriptions and pharmacy technicians to help fill them. In case you want to read more about the pay in this field, also discover the pharmacist salary.