Los Angeles-Glendale

• In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division, where 6,780 people are employed as pharmacy technicians, the annual average wage for the occupation is $34,670, while the average hourly wage is $16.67. Median wages in the metropolitan division are $16.76 hourly or $34,860 per year. The lowest-paid 10 percent of pharmacy technicians in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale metropolitan division make $11.35 hourly or less, which equates to $23,610 per year. At the other end of the scale, the highest-paid 10 percent of pharmacy technicians in the area make $22.57 per hour or more, which is equivalent to $46,940 or more per year.
  
  

Los Angeles-Santa Ana

• For the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metropolitan area, where there are 9,400 pharmacy technicians, average wages are $16.91 per hour and $35,170 per year. The median figures for the area are $16.99 per hour or $35,330 per year. The lowest 10 percent of wage earners among pharmacy technicians in this metropolitan area make $11.90 or less per hour, or $24,750 or less annually. The highest-paid 10 percent of pharmacy technicians in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana make $22.63 or more per hour, or $47,070 or more per year.
  
  

San Diego

• In the San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos area of southern California, where 2,370 pharmacy technicians work, the average wages are $17.36 hourly or $36,110 per year, while the median figures are $17.08 hourly or $35,530 on an annual basis. The bottom 10 percent of pharmacy technicians earn $12.93 or less per hour, which is $26,880 or less per year. The top 10 percent of earners among pharmacy technicians make $23.16 or more per hour, which works out to $48,180 or more per year.
  
  

Statewide

• In California as a whole, the average wages of the state's 27,470 pharmacy technicians are $17.36 per hour or $36,100 per year. The median amounts are $12.25 hourly and $35,830 on an annual basis. The highest-paid 10 percent of pharmacy technicians make $23.30 per hour or $48,460 per year or more, while the lowest 10 percent makes $12.25 per hour or $25,470 per year.
  
  

State Ranking

• California ranks second among the highest-paying states for pharmacy technicians, behind only Alaska, where the hourly average wage of 570 pharmacy technicians is $17.42, and the average annual income is $36,240. The top three highest-paying metropolitan areas in the country for pharmacy technicians are the San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland areas, while the fifth highest paying is Santa Cruz-Watsonville.
  
  

National

• Throughout the United States, there are 324,110 people employed as pharmacy technicians, and they make an average of $13.70 per hour or $28,500 per year. National median wages are $13.32 per hour and $27,710 annually. The highest-paid 10 percent of pharmacy technicians make $18.98 per hour or $39,480 per year or more, while the lowest-paid 10 percent earn $9.27 per hour or $19,270 per year or less.