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Pharmacy Technicians: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 29-2052.00 · Pharmacy Tech Programs
Approved apprenticeship titles
One apprenticeship title on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Pharmacy Technicians, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for PHARMACIST ASSISTANT (Alternate Title: Pharmacy Technician) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| PHARMACIST ASSISTANT (Alternate Title: Pharmacy Technician) | 0844 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Competency-Based (V2): 2,000 hours Competency-Based (V2): 2,000 hours Competency-Based (V3): 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What pharmacy technicians earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for pharmacy technicians ($58,900) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($29,520), across the 54 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $58,900 | $28.32 | 8,150 |
| California | $55,110 | $26.50 | 39,860 |
| Oregon | $54,900 | $26.39 | 4,320 |
| Alaska | $52,640 | $25.31 | 800 |
| Colorado | $49,970 | $24.02 | 6,010 |
| Montana | $49,400 | $23.75 | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $48,300 | $23.22 | 7,340 |
| Wyoming | $48,260 | $23.20 | 600 |
| Utah | $48,140 | $23.14 | 5,030 |
| Nevada | $47,980 | $23.07 | 4,070 |
| Vermont | $47,940 | $23.05 | 760 |
| Arizona | $47,640 | $22.90 | 12,970 |
| North Dakota | $47,560 | $22.86 | 890 |
| District of Columbia | $47,410 | $22.79 | 1,130 |
| New Hampshire | $47,360 | $22.77 | 1,970 |
| Connecticut | $47,050 | $22.62 | 5,200 |
| Hawaii | $46,760 | $22.48 | 1,540 |
| Illinois | $46,650 | $22.43 | 21,340 |
| New Mexico | $46,630 | $22.42 | 2,550 |
| Nebraska | $46,610 | $22.41 | 2,660 |
| Massachusetts | $46,470 | $22.34 | 10,150 |
| Delaware | $46,430 | $22.32 | 1,480 |
| Idaho | $46,420 | $22.32 | 2,950 |
| South Dakota | $46,170 | $22.20 | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $45,970 | $22.10 | 9,540 |
| Texas | $45,900 | $22.07 | 41,740 |
| Maine | $45,400 | $21.83 | 2,070 |
| Maryland | $45,120 | $21.69 | 7,990 |
| Iowa | $44,860 | $21.57 | 4,630 |
| Virginia | $44,610 | $21.45 | 10,720 |
| Indiana | $44,560 | $21.42 | 10,790 |
| North Carolina | $44,530 | $21.41 | 17,260 |
| Louisiana | $44,410 | $21.35 | 6,700 |
| Rhode Island | $44,380 | $21.34 | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $44,340 | $21.32 | 14,240 |
| New York | $43,930 | $21.12 | 24,400 |
| Florida | $43,590 | $20.96 | 38,460 |
| Kansas | $43,310 | $20.82 | 4,270 |
| South Carolina | $42,120 | $20.25 | 8,070 |
| Tennessee | $41,920 | $20.15 | 11,870 |
| Georgia | $41,910 | $20.15 | 14,680 |
| Ohio | $40,650 | $19.55 | 17,820 |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | $40,620 | $19.53 | 40 |
| Oklahoma | $40,500 | $19.47 | 5,500 |
| Missouri | $40,100 | $19.28 | 12,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,040 | $19.25 | 18,880 |
| New Jersey | $39,610 | $19.04 | 14,020 |
| Kentucky | $39,200 | $18.84 | 8,870 |
| Mississippi | $39,040 | $18.77 | 4,040 |
| Alabama | $39,030 | $18.77 | 8,510 |
| Arkansas | $38,680 | $18.60 | 4,560 |
| West Virginia | $38,210 | $18.37 | 3,560 |
| Guam | $36,010 | $17.31 | 140 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,520 | $14.19 | 5,820 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations · Pharmacy Tech Programs at schools and training centers
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).