Pharmacy Technician

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Work Tasks

• Help pharmacists prepare and give out medicines
• Mix drug compounds, count out pills, and type labels for bottles
• Take inventory and reorder stock when it is low; put new stock on shelves
• Clean and sterilize equipment
• Work for hospital pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and consulting firms
• Work with medicines, supplies, bottles, vials, containers, labels, intravenous (IV) packs, patient records, inventory records, and computers

Salary, Size & Growth

• $32,000 average per year ($15.50 per hour)
• A large occupation (383,100 workers in 2010)
• Expected to grow rapidly (2.5% per year)

Education/Training

• Minimum for Entry: On-the-job training or a certificate
• Employers Prefer: A 2-year degree from a formal, accredited training program in pharmacy technology
• Certification/Licensing: Some states require a license or registration.