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Pharmacy technician training by state

847 pharmacy technician programs in 48 states, DC and 3 territories, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

Which schools offer WIOA-approved pharmacy technician training?

716 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Pick a state on the map or compare them belowCompare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

What does a pharmacy technician do, and how do you become one?

Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense medications, manage stock and serve customers. Many programs award a certificate after a year or less, most states regulate the work in some way, and some states and employers require certification.1

DC1GU1PR6VI1
Approved programsup to 67 to 1011 to 21more than 21

How much does pharmacy technician training cost?

Most pharmacy technician programs approved for WIOA funding cost $1,750 to $5,250 if you pay yourself. Certificates and short courses mostly cost $1,702 to $4,912 and two-year degrees $7,182 to $11,931. Prices also differ by state: most cost $182 to $2,586 in North Carolina and $14,320 to $24,600 in Puerto Rico.

That is the price of the whole program as the school reports it. If you qualify, WIOA funding can pay part or all of it, depending on local limits (who qualifies). The figures cover only programs approved for WIOA funding; other schools and programs may cost more or less.

Compare pharmacy technician training by state: cost, pay and results

Pharmacy technician training by state
StateProgramsMost costEarned a year, estimatedWorking 6 months laterFinished
Alabama9$1,300 to $1,499about $20,300Left out88%
Alaska1Too few figures to show
Arizona12$3,149 to $14,256about $35,600100%61%
Arkansas10$1,907 to $4,152about $25,60076%73%
California78$1,500 to $4,324about $39,60065%80%
Colorado13$1,595 to $4,199about $27,00046%61%
Connecticut10$1,554 to $1,882about $28,80085%96%
Delaware3Too few figures to show
District of Columbia1Too few figures to show
Florida22$3,336 to $5,778about $27,50077%71%
Georgia21$2,665 to $6,465about $23,40077%48%
Guam1Too few figures to show
Hawaii5$2,265 to $4,000about $34,60063%66%
Idaho4Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Illinois39Left outNot enough dataNot enough dataNot reported
Indiana58$2,571 to $4,912about $23,60071%48%
Iowa10$1,650 to $2,966about $32,10074%53%
Kansas7$2,152 to $5,700Not enough dataNot enough data100%
Kentucky10$1,824 to $8,150Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Louisiana38$3,094 to $15,570about $25,600Left outLeft out
Maine3Too few figures to show
Maryland18$1,750 to $4,000about $23,00072%63%
Massachusetts5$2,050 to $7,715Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Michigan34$2,959 to $6,688Not enough dataNot enough data63%
Minnesota6$3,448 to $8,264about $24,60065%44%
Mississippi13$500 to $2,700Not enough dataNot enough dataLeft out
Missouri27$2,495 to $4,100Not reportedNot reportedNot enough data
Montana4Too few figures to show
Nebraska12$1,949 to $4,000Not enough dataNot enough data67%
Nevada6$1,844 to $2,995Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
New Hampshire10$1,619 to $4,000Not reportedNot reportedNot enough data
New Jersey8$1,200 to $3,135Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
New Mexico10$1,646 to $4,368Not enough data60%Left out
New York10$1,740 to $2,086Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
North Carolina51$182 to $2,586about $25,70071%68%
North Dakota2Too few figures to show
Ohio42$2,750 to $5,680Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Oklahoma8$1,972 to $2,677Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Oregon7$1,695 to $6,678Not reportedNot reportedNot reported
Pennsylvania10$1,561 to $3,300Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data
Puerto Rico6$14,320 to $24,600Not enough dataLeft outLeft out
South Carolina6$1,325 to $3,500Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
South Dakota1Too few figures to show
Tennessee31$1,734 to $5,820about $24,30078%65%
Texas77$2,495 to $9,100about $25,60075%85%
US Virgin Islands1Too few figures to show
Utah11$1,957 to $3,867about $23,700Left out94%
Vermont5Too few figures to show
Virginia34$1,177 to $3,529Not enough dataNot enough dataNot enough data
Washington18$5,316 to $10,598about $33,10078%58%
Wisconsin12$2,646 to $4,691Not enough dataNot enough data44%
Wyoming7$1,900 to $3,680Not enough dataLeft outNot enough data

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer pharmacy technician training too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Pharmacy technician school: what the 847 programs are

By kind, the 847 programs approved for WIOA funding are pharmacy technician (794 programs), pharmacy technician (associate degree, 37 programs), pharmacy technician apprenticeship (12 programs) and exam prep or intro course (4 programs).

Across the US, 198 of the 847 programs take students without a high school diploma, 573 ask for a diploma or equivalent and 76 ask for earlier courses first.

Is there free pharmacy technician training in the US?

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Other training by state

Approved programs per field across every state. Each opens that field's comparison by state.

Where the pharmacy technician program numbers by state come from

Which pharmacy technician programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).6 Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where a figure is missing, the table says why: "Not reported", "Left out" or "Not enough data" (what each means).

Sources for the facts about pharmacy technician training

Show the 6 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Pharmacy Technicians
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List