Pharmacy Technician Schools

As advances in pharmaceutical technology lead us towards more and more magic pills that can treat and cure myriad diseases and ailments, we will need more people who can understand the intricacies of the drugs we take and help dispense them safely and effectively. These people will be pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who work alongside them.

Between 2021 and 2031, the U.S. alone is expected to add 22,400 pharmacy technician jobs—a 5 percent increase nationally—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2022). As pharmacists are called away from the pill-sorting machines to interact directly with patients, administer flu shots and vaccinations, and counsel on drug interactions, pharmacy technicians step in to take on much of the day-to-day pharmacy operations.

And pharmacy organizations are not blind to this increased need. National pharmacy education organizations have begun to work together to ensure that pharmacy technician students receive the quality of education they need to be valuable members of their teams once they gain employment. This includes the creation of the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), which will “work collaboratively to develop an accreditation system for pharmacy technician education and training programs that reflects all pharmacy practice settings and, if feasible, to consolidate the activities into one accrediting body” (ASHP).

 

Pharmacy Technician fast facts
Projected Jobs Created22,400
Projected Job Growth5%
Average Salary$37,970
Low Salary$28,740
High Salary$47,580
Entry-Level EDU HS Diploma
Sourced from BLS 2022

Pharmacy Technician Degree & Certification Programs

As is the case with so many healthcare careers, degree requirements for pharmacy technicians vary from state to state. In some states, entry-level technicians may begin trainee programs with a high school diploma. No experience is required.

However, in other states, students must complete a fully accredited pharmacy technician training program and/or obtain an associate of science (AS) degree in pharmacy technology from a pharmacy tech school before they can begin work. Before enrolling in any program, students should be sure to familiarize themselves with the requirements in their state. The following is just a sampling of the types of pharmacy technician programs available around the country:

Clover Park Technical College

At Clover Park Technical College, pharmacy technician students will work towards an associate of applied technology (AAT) degree in five quarters, with courses starting every spring and fall quarter. The program combines classroom, laboratory, and clinical experience for a well-rounded pharmacy technician background. The program offers hands-on classroom and laboratory training and three months of on-the-job training.

Classes take place at either the Lakewood or Puyallup, Washington campus. Students can alternatively pursue a certificate, which takes three to four quarters to complete. Both pharmacy technician programs at CPTC are ASHP/ACPE accredited.

The AAT degree comprises 92 credits, while the certificate comprises 44 credits. The curriculum includes courses such as pharmaceutical calculations; pharmacology; generic drug names; medication research; introduction to pharmacy & pharmacy law; and hospital practice.

  • Location: Lakewood, WA; Puyallup, WA
  • Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU); ASHP/ACPE
  • Expected Time to Completion: AAT (five quarters); certificate (three quarters)
  • Estimated Tuition: Resident ($119.13 per credit); non-resident ($306.92 per credit)

Cleveland Clinic

The pharmacy technician program at Cleveland Clinic is unique in that students begin with hands-on experience from day one. Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic program is one of the few hospital-based pharmacy technician programs in the US, making the learning environment quite unique. Applicants to the program must have a high school diploma or GED and pass math and reading evaluations (or show a minimum GPA from college courses in those subjects).

Due to the high demand for this program, students must also have at least two semesters of college-level coursework, five years of professional work experience, or ACT or SAT scores. The program consists of 20 weeks of didactic instruction, which students can complete online, simultaneous hands-on observation and training, and a 200-hour externship.

  • Location: Cleveland, OH
  • Accreditation: ASHP/ACPE
  • Expected Time to Completion: 12 months
  • Estimated Tuition: $2,500

Cerritos College

For Southern California residents, the pharmacy technician program at Cerritos College is convenient. The program offers both a certificate and associate’s degree track for incoming students. The Cerritos College program has been accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) since 1999.

Successful completion of either program qualifies students to register with the California State Board of Pharmacy, a prerequisite for obtaining employment as a pharmacy technician in California. The certificate requires students to complete 31 units, while the associate’s degree comprises 60 semester-units.

The curriculum includes courses such as medication calculations; pharmaceutical calculations; pharmacy operations; over-the-counter products; pharmacy technician pharmacology; medical terminology; and an introduction to anatomy and physiology.

  • Location: Norwalk, CA
  • Accreditation: Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC); ASHP/ACPE
  • Expected Time to Completion: Less than 12 months
  • Estimated Tuition: $23,677 total

Pima Medical Institute

With accredited locations across the western portion of the US, PMI offers a comprehensive pharmacy technician program to students in Arizona, California, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. In 840 clock-hours, plus a clinical externship, students will be prepared to take the National Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (CPhT) from the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).

Consisting of 35.5 credits, this hybrid program includes courses such as pharmacy law and ethics; pharmacy math; inventory maintenance; pharmacology; principles of customer service; pharmacy computer applications; and chemistry fundamentals. All courses within this program are acceptable for credit toward Pima Medical Institute’s health care administration associate of applied science degree program.

  • Location: Mesa and Tucson, AZ; Chula Vista and San Marcos, CA; Colorado Springs and Denver, CO; Las Vegas, NV; Albuquerque, NM; El Paso, Houston, and, San Antonio, TX; Renton, WA
  • Accreditation: Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Nine months
  • Estimated Tuition: Albuquerque (on-ground: $18,219, hybrid: $18,732); Chula Vista (on-ground: $17,664, hybrid: $18,140); Colorado Springs ($16,909); Denver (on-ground: $16,909, hybrid: $17,385); El Paso (on-ground: $16,909, hybrid: $17,385); Houston ($16,909); Las Vegas ($16,909); Mesa (on-ground: $16,909, hybrid: $17,385); Renton ($17,911); San Antonio (on-ground: $16,909, hybrid: $17,385); San Marcos ($17,664); Tucson (on-ground: $16,909, hybrid: $17,385)

SELECT * FROM `mts_online_offline_data` WHERE `page_url` = '/pharmacy-technician' AND ( `table_type` = 'Offline' OR `table_type` = 'BOTH (Online + Offline)' ) ORDER BY `grads` DESC

List of Pharmacy Technician Schools

Filter by state :
School City State Website grads
NUC University Bayamon Puerto Rico https://university.nuc.edu 172
FVI School of Nursing and Technology Miami Florida https://fvi.edu 116
Mountainland Technical College Lehi Utah https://mtec.edu 105
Tulsa Technology Center Tulsa Oklahoma https://tulsatech.edu 92
Northwest Career College Las Vegas Nevada https://www.northwestcareercollege.edu 84
Concorde Career College-Memphis Memphis Tennessee https://www.concorde.edu/campus/memphis-tennessee 74
Arkansas Tech University Russellville Arkansas https://www.atu.edu 71
Downey Adult School Downey California https://www.das.edu 71
San Jacinto Community College Pasadena Texas https://www.sanjac.edu 67
Lone Star College System The Woodlands Texas https://www.lonestar.edu 65
American Career College-Los Angeles Los Angeles California https://americancareercollege.edu 62
Unitech Training Academy-Lafayette Lafayette Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 59
Southern Careers Institute-Brownsville Brownsville Texas https://scitexas.edu 57
Concorde Career Institute-Orlando Orlando Florida https://www.concorde.edu/campus/orlando-florida 55
Brookline College-Phoenix Phoenix Arizona https://www.brooklinecollege.edu 52
Austin Community College District Austin Texas https://www.austincc.edu 51
Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis Indiana https://www.ivytech.edu 51
Houston Community College Houston Texas https://www.hccs.edu 50
Access Careers Hempstead New York https://accesscareers.net 49
High Desert Medical College Lancaster California https://hdmc.edu 49
Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education Riverside California https://riversidesce.org 48
UEI College-Fresno Fresno California https://www.uei.edu 48
North-West College-Riverside Riverside California https://www.north-westcollege.edu 45
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Carolina Puerto Rico https://uagm.edu/es 45
American Career College-Ontario Ontario California https://americancareercollege.edu 44
Pima Medical Institute-Chula Vista Chula Vista California https://pmi.edu 44
UEI College-Gardena Gardena California https://www.uei.edu 43
Unitech Training Academy-West Monroe West Monroe Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 43
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus San Juan Puerto Rico https://uagm.edu/es 43
San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia Visalia California https://www.sjvc.edu 41
North-West College-Long Beach Long Beach California https://www.nw.edu 40
Concorde Career Institute-Tampa Tampa Florida https://www.concorde.edu/campus/tampa-florida 39
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Aguadilla Puerto Rico https://aguadilla.inter.edu 39
UEI College-Riverside Riverside California https://www.uei.edu 39
Concorde Career Institute-Miramar Miramar Florida https://www.concorde.edu/campus/miramar-florida 38
Oakton Community College Des Plaines Illinois https://www.oakton.edu 38
Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Gurabo Puerto Rico https://uagm.edu/es 37
The College of Health Care Professions-South San Antonio San Antonio Texas https://www.chcp.edu 36
American Career College-Anaheim Anaheim California https://americancareercollege.edu 35
Dixie Technical College Saint George Utah https://dixietech.edu 35
Pima Medical Institute-El Paso El Paso Texas https://pmi.edu 35
Pima Medical Institute-Tucson Tucson Arizona https://pmi.edu 35
Southern Careers Institute-Pharr Pharr Texas https://scitexas.edu 35
Clover Park Technical College Lakewood Washington https://www.cptc.edu 34
Columbia Central University-Caguas Caguas Puerto Rico https://columbiacentral.edu 34
Davis Technical College Kaysville Utah https://www.davistech.edu 34
Pima Medical Institute-Albuquerque Albuquerque New Mexico https://pmi.edu 34
Wichita Technical Institute Wichita Kansas https://www.wti.edu 34
Pima Medical Institute-Houston Houston Texas https://pmi.edu 33
UEI College-Bakersfield Bakersfield California https://www.uei.edu 33
West Georgia Technical College Waco Georgia https://www.westgatech.edu 33
Asher College Sacramento California https://asher.edu 32
Pima Medical Institute-Mesa Mesa Arizona https://pmi.edu 32
Charter College Vancouver Washington https://www.chartercollege.edu 31
Delgado Community College New Orleans Louisiana https://www.dcc.edu 31
Front Range Community College Westminster Colorado https://www.frontrange.edu 31
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science Rochester Minnesota https://college.mayo.edu 31
City College of San Francisco San Francisco California https://www.ccsf.edu 30
Midlands Technical College West Columbia South Carolina https://www.midlandstech.edu 30
Bluegrass Community and Technical College Lexington Kentucky https://bluegrass.kctcs.edu 29
Contra Costa Medical Career College Antioch California https://www.ccmcc.edu 29
Hacienda La Puente Adult Education La Puente California https://www.hlpae.com 29
Atlanta Technical College Atlanta Georgia https://atlantatech.edu 28
CCI Training Center-Arlington Arlington Texas https://ccitraining.edu 28
Fortis College Mobile Alabama https://www.fortis.edu 28
North-West College-West Covina West Covina California https://www.north-westcollege.edu 28
Seminole State College of Florida Sanford Florida https://www.seminolestate.edu 28
Southern Careers Institute-San Antonio San Antonio Texas https://scitexas.edu 28
United Education Institute-West Covina West Covina California https://www.uei.edu 28
Altierus Career College-Bissonnet Houston Texas https://www.altierus.edu/campus/norcross 27
Florida Career College-Orlando Orlando Florida https://www.floridacareercollege.edu 27
Southern Careers Institute-Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Texas https://scitexas.edu 27
Unitech Training Academy-New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 27
ABC Adult School Cerritos California https://www.abcadultschool.edu 26
Altierus Career College-Norcross Norcross Georgia https://www.altierus.edu/campus/norcross 26
Hawaii Medical College Honolulu Hawaii https://www.hmi.edu 26
Southern Careers Institute-Austin Austin Texas https://scitexas.edu 26
United Education Institute-Encino Encino California https://www.uei.edu 26
El Paso Community College El Paso Texas https://www.epcc.edu 25
Fortis College-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Louisiana https://www.fortis.edu 25
Northshore Technical Community College Lacombe Louisiana https://www.northshorecollege.edu 25
San Joaquin Valley College-Modesto Salida California https://www.sjvc.edu 25
San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula Temecula California https://www.sjvc.edu 25
Ayers Career College Shreveport Louisiana https://ayers.edu 24
Medical Institute of Palm Beach Greenacres Florida https://medicalinstitutepb.edu 24
Pikes Peak Community College Colorado Springs Colorado https://www.pikespeak.edu 24
San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster Lancaster California https://www.sjvc.edu 24
CTK Healthcare & Career Institute Irving Texas https://www.ctkhealthcare.edu 23
Meridian Technology Center Stillwater Oklahoma https://www.meridiantech.edu 23
Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee Wisconsin https://www.matc.edu 23
Ogden-Weber Technical College Ogden Utah https://www.otech.edu 23
Pima Medical Institute-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs Colorado https://pmi.edu 23
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Tennessee https://tcatmurfreesboro.edu 23
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago Illinois https://www.ccc.edu/colleges/malcolm-x 22
San Juan College Farmington New Mexico https://www.sanjuancollege.edu 22
Santa Ana College Santa Ana California https://www.sac.edu 22
Unitech Training Academy-Houma Houma Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 22
Wake Technical Community College Raleigh North Carolina https://www.waketech.edu 22
Walters State Community College Morristown Tennessee https://www.ws.edu 22
Augusta Technical College Augusta Georgia https://www.augustatech.edu 21
Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento California https://carrington.edu 21
San Joaquin Valley College-Fresno Fresno California https://www.sjvc.edu 21
Altierus Career College-Tampa Tampa Florida https://www.altierus.edu/campus/norcross 20
Concorde Career College-Dallas Dallas Texas https://www.concorde.edu/campus/dallas-texas 20
Los Angeles Mission College Sylmar California https://www.lamission.edu 20
Nevada Career Institute Las Vegas Nevada https://www.nevadacareerinstitute.com 20
Northwest Vista College San Antonio Texas https://www.alamo.edu/nvc 20
William T McFatter Technical College Davie Florida https://www.mcfattertechnicalcollege.edu 20
Clark College Vancouver Washington https://www.clark.edu 19
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo Arecibo Puerto Rico https://www.arecibo.inter.edu 19
Vista Adult School Vista California https://www.vistaadultschool.org 19
Angelina College Lufkin Texas https://www.angelina.edu 18
Carrington College-Stockton Stockton California https://carrington.edu 18
Charles A Jones Career and Education Center Sacramento California https://www.caj.scusd.edu 18
Coyne College Chicago Illinois https://www.coynecollege.edu 18
Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown North Carolina https://www.gtcc.edu 18
Infinity College Lafayette Louisiana https://infinitycollege.edu 18
North Seattle College Seattle Washington https://www.northseattle.edu 18
Pima Medical Institute-Denver Denver Colorado https://pmi.edu 18
Pima Medical Institute-San Marcos San Marcos California https://pmi.edu 18
San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia Hesperia California https://www.sjvc.edu 18
Unitech Training Academy-Alexandria Alexandria Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 18
United Education Institute-UEI College-Oceanside Oceanside California https://www.uei.edu 18
West Kentucky Community and Technical College Paducah Kentucky https://westkentucky.kctcs.edu 18
Arizona College-Glendale Glendale Arizona https://www.arizonacollege.edu 17
Fortis College-Dothan Dothan Alabama https://www.fortiscollege.edu 17
Fortis College-Smyrna Smyrna Georgia https://www.fortis.edu 17
InterCoast Colleges-Fairfield Fairfield California https://intercoast.edu 17
Pima Medical Institute-Renton Renton Washington https://pmi.edu 17
San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield Bakersfield California https://www.sjvc.edu 17
San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario Ontario California https://www.sjvc.edu 17
Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin Georgia https://www.sctech.edu 17
Vincennes University Vincennes Indiana https://www.vinu.edu 17
American Institute of Medical Sciences & Education Piscataway New Jersey https://aimseducation.edu 16
College of the Sequoias Visalia California https://www.cos.edu/en-us 16
Emily Griffith Technical College Denver Colorado https://www.emilygriffith.edu 16
Lamar State College-Orange Orange Texas https://www.lsco.edu 16
North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville Georgia https://northgatech.edu 16
North-West College-Anaheim Anaheim California https://www.nw.edu 16
Pima Medical Institute-Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada https://pmi.edu 16
Ridge Technical College Winter Haven Florida http://www.polkedpathways.com/ridge-technical-college 16
All-State Career-Baltimore Baltimore Maryland https://www.allstatecareer.edu 15
Arizona College-Mesa Mesa Arizona https://www.arizonacollege.edu 15
Central Carolina Technical College Sumter South Carolina https://www.cctech.edu 15
College of the Mainland Texas City Texas https://www.com.edu 15
Escondido Adult School Escondido California https://www.escondidoadultschool.org 15
Fortis Institute-Towson Towson Maryland https://www.fortis.edu 15
Indian River State College Fort Pierce Florida https://irsc.edu 15
Orange Technical College-Westside Campus Winter Garden Florida https://www.orangetechcollege.net/campuses/west_campus 15
Piedmont Technical College Greenwood South Carolina https://www.ptc.edu 15
Pima Medical Institute-San Antonio San Antonio Texas https://pmi.edu 15
Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud Minnesota https://www.rasmussen.edu 15
Rio Grande Valley College Pharr Texas https://www.rgvcollege.edu 15
Uintah Basin Technical College Roosevelt Utah https://ubtech.edu 15
Brookline College-Tempe Tempe Arizona https://www.brooklinecollege.edu 14
Carrington College-Albuquerque Albuquerque New Mexico https://carrington.edu 14
CBD College Los Angeles California https://www.cbd.edu 14
Davidson-Davie Community College Thomasville North Carolina https://www.davidsondavie.edu 14
Florida Education Institute Miami Florida https://fei.edu 14
Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida https://www.fscj.edu 14
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama Guayama Puerto Rico https://www.guayama.inter.edu 14
Yakima Valley College Yakima Washington https://www.yvcc.edu 14
Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education Baldwin Park California https://bpace.bpusd.net 13
Bridgerland Technical College Logan Utah https://btech.edu 13
Central Arizona College Coolidge Arizona https://centralaz.edu 13
Columbus State Community College Columbus Ohio https://www.cscc.edu 13
Columbus Technical College Columbus Georgia https://www.columbustech.edu 13
Dorsey College-Woodhaven Woodhaven Michigan https://www.dorsey.edu 13
Edmonds College Lynnwood Washington https://www.edmonds.edu 13
Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem North Carolina https://www.forsythtech.edu 13
Fortis College-Landover Landover Maryland https://www.fortis.edu 13
Greenville Technical College Greenville South Carolina https://www.gvltec.edu 13
Heartland Community College Normal Illinois https://www.heartland.edu 13
Miami Dade College Miami Florida https://www.mdc.edu 13
Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis Minnesota https://minneapolis.edu 13
Orange Technical College-Winter Park Campus Winter Park Florida https://www.orangetechcollege.net/campuses/east_campus 13
Remington College-Memphis Campus Memphis Tennessee https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/memphis 13
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Jacksboro Jacksboro Tennessee https://tcatjacksboro.edu 13
Brewster Technical College Tampa Florida https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/brewster 12
Carrington College-Phoenix North Phoenix Arizona https://carrington.edu 12
Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins Georgia https://www.centralgatech.edu 12
Dorsey College-Wayne Wayne Michigan https://www.dorsey.edu 12
Durham Technical Community College Durham North Carolina https://www.durhamtech.edu 12
Johnston Community College Smithfield North Carolina https://www.johnstoncc.edu 12
Lake Technical College Eustis Florida https://www.laketech.org 12
North-West College-Glendale Glendale California https://www.nw.edu 12
Osceola Technical College Kissimmee Florida https://www.osceolaschools.net/otech 12
Pioneer Technology Center Ponca City Oklahoma https://pioneertech.edu 12
Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford Illinois https://www.rasmussen.edu 12
Remington College-Lafayette Campus Lafayette Louisiana https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/lafayette 12
Renton Technical College Renton Washington https://www.rtc.edu 12
Saint Paul College Saint Paul Minnesota https://www.saintpaul.edu 12
Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg South Carolina https://www.sccsc.edu 12
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Memphis Memphis Tennessee https://tcatmemphis.edu 12
Unitech Training Academy-Lake Charles Lake Charles Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 12
Arkansas State University-Beebe Beebe Arkansas https://www.asub.edu 11
Carrington College-Portland Portland Oregon https://carrington.edu 11
Carrington College-Spokane Spokane Washington https://carrington.edu 11
Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga Tennessee https://www.chattanoogastate.edu 11
Fortis Institute-Cookeville Cookeville Tennessee https://www.fortis.edu 11
GateWay Community College-Central City Phoenix Arizona https://www.gatewaycc.edu/about-gateway/central-city 11
Institute of Technology Clovis California https://www.iot.edu 11
Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville Kentucky https://jefferson.kctcs.edu 11
Michigan Career and Technical Institute Plainwell Michigan https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/mcti 11
Mountwest Community and Technical College Huntington West Virginia https://www.mctc.edu 11
Northwest Educational Center Houston Texas https://nwec.edu 11
Pennco Tech-Blackwood Blackwood New Jersey https://www.penncotech.edu 11
Pickens Technical College Aurora Colorado https://www.pickenstech.org 11
Pima Community College Tucson Arizona https://www.pima.edu 11
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino California https://www.valleycollege.edu 11
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa California https://www.santarosa.edu 11
Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis Tennessee https://www.southwest.tn.edu 11
Turtle Mountain Community College Belcourt North Dakota https://www.tm.edu 11
Wayne County Community College District Detroit Michigan https://www.wcccd.edu 11
American College of Healthcare and Technology Riverside California https://www.ach.edu 10
Carrington College-Citrus Heights Citrus Heights California https://carrington.edu 10
Casper College Casper Wyoming https://www.caspercollege.edu 10
Central Oregon Community College Bend Oregon https://www.cocc.edu 10
Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte North Carolina https://www.cpcc.edu 10
Chemeketa Community College Salem Oregon https://www.chemeketa.edu 10
Delta College Inc Covington Louisiana https://deltacollege.com 10
Huertas College Caguas Puerto Rico https://huertas.edu/hc 10
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German San German Puerto Rico https://www.sg.inter.edu 10
Manatee Technical College Bradenton Florida https://www.manateetech.edu 10
North Central State College Mansfield Ohio https://ncstatecollege.edu 10
North-West College-Pomona Pomona California https://www.north-westcollege.edu 10
Quinsigamond Community College Worcester Massachusetts https://www.qcc.edu 10
Remington College-Dallas Campus Garland Texas https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/dallas 10
Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls South Dakota https://www.southeasttech.edu 10
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Livingston Livingston Tennessee https://tcatlivingston.edu 10
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Pulaski Pulaski Tennessee https://tcatpulaski.edu 10
Trident Technical College Charleston South Carolina https://www.tridenttech.edu 10
Tulsa Community College Tulsa Oklahoma https://www.tulsacc.edu 10
Wayne Community College Goldsboro North Carolina https://www.waynecc.edu 10
American College of Healthcare and Technology Huntington Park California https://www.ach.edu 9
Carrington College-San Jose San Jose California https://carrington.edu 9
Humacao Community College Humacao Puerto Rico https://hccpr.edu 9
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon Bayamon Puerto Rico https://bayamon.inter.edu 9
Mid Michigan College Harrison Michigan https://www.midmich.edu 9
Milan Institute-Las Vegas Las Vegas Nevada https://milaninstitute.edu 9
North-West College-Van Nuys Van Nuys California https://www.north-westcollege.edu 9
Pensacola State College Pensacola Florida https://www.pensacolastate.edu 9
Remington College-Shreveport Campus Shreveport Louisiana https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/shreveport 9
South Texas College McAllen Texas https://www.southtexascollege.edu 9
Southeastern College-Charleston North Charleston South Carolina https://www.sec.edu 9
Trinity Valley Community College Athens Texas https://www.tvcc.edu 9
Vernon College Vernon Texas https://www.vernoncollege.edu 9
Allegany College of Maryland Cumberland Maryland https://www.allegany.edu 8
Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids Minnesota https://www.anokaramsey.edu 8
Atlantic Technical College Coconut Creek Florida https://www.atlantictechnicalcollege.edu 8
Brookline College-Tucson Tucson Arizona https://www.brooklinecollege.edu 8
Cape Fear Community College Wilmington North Carolina https://cfcc.edu 8
Carrington College-Boise Boise Idaho https://carrington.edu 8
Galaxy Medical College North Hollywood California https://galaxymedicalcollege.edu 8
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville Alabama https://www.wallacestate.edu 8
Hennepin Technical College Brooklyn Park Minnesota https://hennepintech.edu 8
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo Fajardo Puerto Rico https://www.fajardo.inter.edu 8
Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids Iowa https://www.kirkwood.edu 8
Lanier Technical College Gainesville Georgia https://www.laniertech.edu 8
Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College Miami Lakes Florida https://miamilakes.edu 8
Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro Georgia https://www.ogeecheetech.edu 8
Remington College-Fort Worth Campus Fort Worth Texas https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/fort-worth 8
South Dade Technical College-South Dade Skills Center Campus HOMESTEAD Florida https://www.southdadetech.edu 8
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Covington Covington Tennessee https://www.tcatcovington.edu 8
Texarkana College Texarkana Texas https://www.texarkanacollege.edu 8
West Los Angeles College Culver City California https://www.wlac.edu 8
Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City Iowa https://www.witcc.edu 8
Albany Technical College Albany Georgia https://www.albanytech.edu 7
Alvin Community College Alvin Texas https://www.alvincollege.edu 7
Antilles School of Technical Careers San Juan Puerto Rico https://antillespr.edu 7
Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge Louisiana https://www.mybrcc.edu 7
Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland Ohio https://www.tri-c.edu 7
Del Mar College Corpus Christi Texas https://www.delmar.edu 7
Dorsey College-Roseville Roseville Michigan https://www.dorsey.edu 7
Jones County Junior College Ellisville Mississippi https://www.jcjc.edu 7
North Idaho College Coeur d'Alene Idaho https://www.nic.edu 7
Oconee Fall Line Technical College Sandersville Georgia https://oftc.edu 7
Pueblo Community College Pueblo Colorado https://pueblocc.edu 7
San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage California https://www.sjvc.edu 7
Scioto County Career Technical Center Lucasville Ohio https://www.sciototech.org 7
Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon Washington https://www.skagit.edu 7
Southwest School of Business and Technical Careers-San Antonio San Antonio Texas https://sws.edu 7
Wenatchee Valley College Wenatchee Washington https://www.wvc.edu 7
Aiken Technical College Graniteville South Carolina https://www.atc.edu 6
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College Asheville North Carolina https://abtech.edu 6
Carrington College-San Leandro Campus San Leandro California https://carrington.edu 6
CEM College-Humacao Humacao Puerto Rico https://cemcollege.edu/cem 6
Florida Panhandle Technical College Chipley Florida https://www.fptc.edu 6
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro San Juan Puerto Rico https://metro.inter.edu 6
Lansing Community College Lansing Michigan https://www.lcc.edu 6
Lorenzo Walker Technical College Naples Florida https://www.collierschools.com/lwtc 6
Pima Medical Institute-Seattle Seattle Washington https://pmi.edu 6
Platt College-Anaheim Anaheim California https://plattcollege.edu 6
Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Mayaguez Puerto Rico https://mayaguez.pucpr.edu 6
Ross Medical Education Center-Johnson City Johnson City Tennessee https://rosseducation.edu 6
Ross Medical Education Center-Kentwood Kentwood Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 6
San Joaquin Valley College-Santa Maria Santa Maria California https://www.sjvc.edu 6
Southeast Community College Area Lincoln Nebraska https://www.southeast.edu 6
Southeastern College-West Palm Beach West Palm Beach Florida https://www.sec.edu 6
Stanly Community College Albemarle North Carolina https://www.stanly.edu 6
Sullivan University Louisville Kentucky https://www.sullivan.edu 6
Unitech Training Academy-Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Louisiana https://www.unitechtrainingacademy.com 6
Western Maricopa Education Center Glendale Arizona https://www.west-mec.edu/findyourhappy 6
Carrington College-Pleasant Hill Campus Pleasant Hill California https://carrington.edu 5
CEM College-Bayamon Bayamón Puerto Rico https://cemcollege.edu/cem 5
Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque New Mexico https://www.cnm.edu 5
Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh Pennsylvania https://www.ccac.edu 5
Dewey University-Hato Rey Hato Rey Puerto Rico https://dewey.edu 5
Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville North Carolina https://www.faytechcc.edu 5
Hussian College-Daymar College Bowling Green Bowling Green Kentucky https://www.hussiancollege.edu 5
ICPR Junior College Manati Puerto Rico https://www.icprjc.edu 5
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Barranquitas Barranquitas Puerto Rico https://www.br.inter.edu 5
Northland Community and Technical College Thief River Falls Minnesota https://www.northlandcollege.edu 5
Nova College de Puerto Rico Bayamon Puerto Rico https://www.novacollegepr.com 5
Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg Florida https://www.pcsb.org/myptc 5
Radford M Locklin Technical College Milton Florida https://locklintech.com 5
Ross Medical Education Center-Charleston Charleston West Virginia https://rosseducation.edu 5
Sheridan Technical College Hollywood Florida https://www.sheridantechnicalcollege.edu 5
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Dickson Dickson Tennessee https://tcatdickson.edu 5
University of Antelope Valley Lancaster California https://www.uav.edu 5
Vance-Granville Community College Henderson North Carolina https://www.vgcc.edu 5
Bay Area Medical Academy San Francisco California https://bamasf.edu 4
Central Louisiana Technical Community College Alexandria Louisiana https://www.cltcc.edu 4
Chester Career College CHESTER Virginia https://www.chestercareercollege.edu 4
D A Dorsey Technical College Miami Florida https://www.dadorseytech.edu 4
Dewey University-Manati Manati Puerto Rico https://dewey.edu 4
Emerald Coast Technical College DeFuniak Springs Florida https://www.ectc.edu 4
Idaho State University Pocatello Idaho https://www.isu.edu 4
Imperial Valley College Imperial California https://www.imperial.edu 4
Lively Technical College Tallahassee Florida https://www.livelytech.com 4
Louisiana State University-Alexandria Alexandria Louisiana https://www.lsua.edu 4
Pennco Tech-Bristol Bristol Pennsylvania https://www.penncotech.edu 4
Pickaway Ross Joint Vocational School District Chillicothe Ohio https://www.pickawayross.com 4
Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay Wisconsin https://www.rasmussen.edu 4
Ross Medical Education Center-Brighton Brighton Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 4
Ross Medical Education Center-Davison Davison Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 4
Sinclair Community College Dayton Ohio https://www.sinclair.edu 4
Somerset Community College Somerset Kentucky https://somerset.kctcs.edu/about 4
St Louis College of Health Careers-St Louis Saint Louis Missouri https://slchc.edu 4
Tennessee College of Applied Technology-Oneida-Huntsville Huntsville Tennessee https://tcatoneida.edu 4
Valley College of Medical Careers West Hills California https://www.vcmc.edu 4
Western Dakota Technical College Rapid City South Dakota https://www.wdt.edu 4
American Educational College Bayamon Puerto Rico https://www.amedcopr.com 3
Carrington College-Mesa Mesa Arizona https://carrington.edu 3
Cosumnes River College Sacramento California https://crc.losrios.edu 3
Crowder College Neosho Missouri https://www.crowder.edu 3
Dewey University-Juana Díaz Juana Diaz Puerto Rico https://dewey.edu 3
North Central Kansas Technical College Beloit Kansas https://ncktc.edu 3
Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon Iowa https://nwicc.edu 3
Ross Medical Education Center-Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio https://rosseducation.edu 3
Ross Medical Education Center-Huntsville Huntsville Alabama https://rosseducation.edu 3
Salem Community College Carneys Point New Jersey https://www.salemcc.edu 3
Southeastern Illinois College Harrisburg Illinois https://sic.edu 3
Treasure Coast Technical College Vero Beach Florida https://tctc.indianriverschools.org 3
Warren County Career Center Lebanon Ohio https://www.mywccc.org 3
Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta Georgia https://www.wiregrass.edu 3
Carrington College-Tucson Tucson Arizona https://carrington.edu 2
CEM College-San Juan San Juan Puerto Rico https://cemcollege.edu/cem 2
Community College of Vermont Montpelier Vermont https://ccv.edu 2
Dorsey College-Saginaw Saginaw Michigan https://www.dorsey.edu 2
Eastern Florida State College Cocoa Florida https://www.easternflorida.edu 2
Foothill College Los Altos Hills California https://foothill.edu 2
Global Medical & Technical Training Institute Miami Florida https://gmtti.edu 2
Laurel Technical Institute Hermitage Pennsylvania https://www.laurel.edu 2
Ross Medical Education Center-Fort Wayne Fort Wayne Indiana https://rosseducation.edu 2
Ross Medical Education Center-Saginaw Saginaw Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 2
Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City Utah https://www.slcc.edu 2
Schoolcraft College Livonia Michigan https://www.schoolcraft.edu 2
Ventura Adult and Continuing Education Ventura California http://www.adultedventura.edu 2
California Nurses Educational Institute Palm Springs California https://cnei.edu 1
Cisco College Cisco Texas https://www.cisco.edu 1
College of Southern Maryland La Plata Maryland https://www.csmd.edu 1
Community College of Beaver County Monaca Pennsylvania https://www.ccbc.edu 1
Hussian College-Daymar College Murfreesboro Murfreesboro Tennessee https://www.hussiancollege.edu 1
Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Mercedita Puerto Rico https://www.ponce.inter.edu 1
Laurel Business Institute Uniontown Pennsylvania https://www.laurel.edu 1
Northeast Technology Center Pryor Oklahoma https://www.netech.edu 1
Remington College-Mobile Campus Mobile Alabama https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/mobile 1
Ross Medical Education Center-Granger Granger Indiana https://rosseducation.edu 1
Ross Medical Education Center-Lansing Lansing Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 1
Ross Medical Education Center-Ontario Ontario Ohio https://rosseducation.edu 1
Ross Medical Education Center-Warren Warren Michigan https://rosseducation.edu 1
South Suburban College South Holland Illinois https://www.ssc.edu 1
School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in September, 2023)

Hybrid & Online Programs for Pharmacy Technicians

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Rasmussen University - Online
University of West Alabama (Campus)
MedCerts
Penn Foster

Completing pharmacy technician courses online is a great way for busy people to further their education without having to travel to campus. Many schools offer a selection of courses online while others offer completely online pharmacy tech programs. It is important to note that clinical experience, while not a requirement for licensing in every state, can be a major factor in finding employment. For this reason, in most cases, it is best to choose an online program that also offers externship placement.

San Francisco State University

As part of its extended learning program, San Francisco State University offers an online pharmacy technician program that students can complete at their own pace.

Upon successfully completing the program, students will earn a professional development certificate and be eligible to take the PTCB certification exam. This program includes an 80-hour externship where students gain hands-on work experience. Tuition is a low $1,399 flat rate for the entire program.

  • Location: San Francisco, CA
  • Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Up to 9 months
  • Estimated Tuition: $1,399

Coastal Carolina Community College

At Coastal Carolina Community College, students can choose from a classroom track, a hybrid program, or an entirely online pharmacy tech course of study. Students who choose to complete their coursework on campus can take daytime and weekend classes for greater flexibility. Although the school does offer job placement assistance, there is no clinical externship component of this particular program, which may make it less attractive to some students.

Students in this 200-hour course are prepared to take national pharmacy technician certification exams and will be trained to work under the supervision of pharmacists in institutional or retail settings. Topics covered include patient safety and quality assurance, federal requirements, medications, regulations and technician duties, order entry processing, the dispensing process, drug and drug products, and math calculations necessary for daily pharmacy operations in various types of pharmacy settings.

  • Location: Jacksonville, NC
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: 200 clock-hours
  • Estimated Tuition: Resident ($81 per credit); non-resident ($273 per credit)

Ashworth College

Ashworth College offers a hybrid program that has both online components and a 160-hour clinical externship placement through a partnership with Walgreens and CVS. This allows students to truly learn at their own pace while also getting the experience that many employers want. Although there is no age requirement for enrolling in the program, students must be at least 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or its equivalent to complete the externship portion.

Graduates of this program are prepared to take either the National Healthcareer Association’s (NHA) ExCPT Pharmacy Technician certification exam or the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board’s (PTCB’s) Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).

As part of the program, students will explore topics such as introduction to pharmacy; drug classification and pharmaceutical calculations; pharmacology; community and hospital pharmacy practice; and laboratory simulation and certification preparation.

  • Location: Norcross, GA
  • Accreditation: Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
  • Expected Time to Completion: Four to 12 months
  • Estimated Tuition: $1,299
School City State Website grads
Ultimate Medical Academy Clearwater Florida https://www.ultimatemedical.edu 253
Martinsburg College Martinsburg West Virginia https://martinsburgcollege.edu 228
Rasmussen University-Florida Ocala Florida https://www.rasmussen.edu 49
Remington College-Knoxville Knoxville Tennessee https://www.remingtoncollege.edu/locations/online 41
Cerritos College Norwalk California https://www.cerritos.edu 27
Ross College-Sylvania Sylvania Ohio https://rosseducation.edu 24
Lakewood University Cleveland Heights Ohio https://lakewood.edu 22
Carrington College-Sacramento Sacramento California https://carrington.edu 21
Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City Louisiana https://www.bpcc.edu 20
Spokane Community College Spokane Washington https://scc.spokane.edu 17
Rasmussen University-Minnesota St. Cloud Minnesota https://www.rasmussen.edu 15
American National University Salem Virginia https://www.an.edu/locations 15
University of Providence Great Falls Montana https://www.uprovidence.edu 14
Amarillo College Amarillo Texas https://www.actx.edu 13
Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland Wisconsin https://gotoltc.edu 13
Central Community College Grand Island Nebraska https://www.cccneb.edu 12
Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford Illinois https://www.rasmussen.edu 12
San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino California https://www.valleycollege.edu 11
Lamar Institute of Technology Beaumont Texas https://www.lit.edu 7
University of Alaska Anchorage Anchorage Alaska https://www.uaa.alaska.edu 6
Allen County Community College Iola Kansas https://www.allencc.edu 6
West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown Morgantown West Virginia https://www.wvjc.edu 6
North Dakota State College of Science Wahpeton North Dakota https://www.ndscs.edu 6
New Professions Technical Institute Miami Florida https://www.npti.edu 6
Barton County Community College Great Bend Kansas https://www.bartonccc.edu 6
Northwood Technical College Shell Lake Wisconsin https://www.northwoodtech.edu 5
Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay Oregon https://www.socc.edu 5
Rasmussen University-Wisconsin Green Bay Wisconsin https://www.rasmussen.edu 4
North Central Missouri College Trenton Missouri https://www.ncmissouri.edu 4
Rasmussen University-Kansas Topeka Kansas https://www.rasmussen.edu 3
Roane State Community College Harriman Tennessee https://www.roanestate.edu 3
Hussian College-Daymar College Clarksville Clarksville Tennessee https://www.hussiancollege.edu 3
Minnesota West Community and Technical College Granite Falls Minnesota https://www.mnwest.edu 1
School Data from IPEDS (Sourced in September, 2023)

Core & Elective Courses for Pharmacy Techs

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has made it’s Pharmacy Technician and Training Program Model Curriculum available online. The curriculum can be accessed on the ASHP website.

According to this model, pharmacy technician students should spend their educational efforts cultivating interpersonal knowledge and skills and foundational professional knowledge and skills. Some of the career-specific skills of the curriculum include:

  • The process and handling of medications
  • Sterile and nonsterile compounding
  • Procurement billing, reimbursement, and inventory management
  • Patient and medication safety
  • Technology and informatics
  • Regulatory issues
  • Quality assurance

Each course in a typical pharmacy technician curriculum should further at least one of the above goals. Because these programs typically last two years or less, there is little time for elective courses while striving to meet these model curriculum goals. Curricula may be organized to use a combination of didactic, laboratory, and experiential training techniques for each of their courses.

Accreditation of Pharmacy Tech Programs

Institutions of higher learning seek accreditation to guarantee to their incoming students that their education will be held to the high standards of accrediting bodies. Schools usually have institutional accreditation in addition to program-specific accreditations. Institutions may be accredited by regional groups, such as the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCC) or the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). Any individual school's accreditation information should be readily available on its website.

Pharmacy Technician programs are accredited by the Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), which is a collaboration between the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

To become accredited, schools must complete an application, including a professional record and CV for the pharmacy technician training program director, and submit an application fee. Upon receipt of these materials, an onsite accreditation survey will be scheduled to determine the school's eligibility.

Career Outlook

The outlook for pharmacy technician jobs is quite good. Between 2021 and 2031, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to grow 5 percent. Although people of all ages can and do use prescription medications, older adults tend to use more and take medication more often.

Therefore, as the U.S. population ages, there will be a higher demand for prescription medication and, consequently, for those professionals who can assist with dispensing it, such as pharmacy technicians. Higher rates of chronic diseases have also been reported in the U.S., such as diabetes, which requires long-term prescriptions, also fostering demand for pharmacy technicians.

Further, as the Affordable Care Act has found more Americans with health insurance than ever before, those patients may begin to take medications they could not afford. According to the (BLS, pharmacy technicians (50 percent as of 2022) work in pharmacies and drugstores, but a certain percentage also work in hospitals, grocery stores, general merchandise stores, and ambulatory healthcare services. As more pharmacies and pharmaceuticals are necessary, more diverse employers may also start to emerge.

Finally, pharmacists are expected to take on more patient care activities at many pharmacies, including administering flu shots. This means an increased need for pharmacy technicians to sort, dose, and prepare prescriptions.

Career Facts Pharmacy Technician
Related CareersDental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Records, and Health Information Technician
Common Job TitlesAccredited Pharmacy Technician, Billing and Quality Technician, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Compounding Technician, Pharmacy Technician
Technology & EquipmentAutomatic Dose Strip Packaging Machines, Tube Filling and Crimping Machines, Billing and Reimbursement Software, Database Software, Drug Compatibility Software, Inventory Management Software, Label-Making Software, Medical Software
Sourced from BLS May 2022

How Much Do Pharmacy Technicians Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS May 2022)—the latest data available as of November 2022—there were 453,630 pharmacy technicians working in the United States with an average annual salary of $40,260. They earned the following percentiles:

  • 10th percentile: $29,640
  • 25th percentile: $34,590
  • 50th percentile (median): $37,790
  • 75th percentile: $45,710
  • 90th percentile: $50,640

Licensing & Certification for Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacy technicians are licensed on a state-by-state basis so it is critical that anyone pursuing this career become familiar with the licensing requirements in their own state. Prospective applicants should also be advised that state regulations can and do change, so it is wise to seek confirmation on any given state's requirements before enrolling in a pharmacy technician training program. More information on state requirements is available from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP).

Some states either accept or require certification from a nationally recognized body as part of their registration or licensing process. The National Healthcareer Association (NHA) offers the Pharmacy Technician Certification (CPhT), which is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) offers its own Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) certification exam, which includes a criminal background check followed by an exam. Both the PTCB and the NHA require that Certified Pharmacy Technicians maintain their certification with approved continuing education courses throughout the course of their career.

Kimmy Gustafson
Kimmy Gustafson Writer

With her passion for uncovering the latest innovations and trends, Kimmy Gustafson has provided valuable insights and has interviewed experts to provide readers with the latest information in the rapidly evolving field of medical technology since 2019. Kimmy has been a freelance writer for more than a decade, writing hundreds of articles on a wide variety of topics such as startups, nonprofits, healthcare, kiteboarding, the outdoors, and higher education. She is passionate about seeing the world and has traveled to over 27 countries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. When not working she can be found outdoors, parenting, kiteboarding, or cooking.