Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| California | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $55,110 | $45,195 | +22% |
| Median hourly wage | $26.50 | $21.73 | +22% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $49,783.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Pharmacy Technician in California is $55,110, or about $26.50 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Pharmacy Technicians is $45,195. California is +22% above the national median.
Entry-level pharmacy technicians in California typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 39,860 pharmacy technician jobs on record and a median salary of $55,110, California offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, pharmacy technicians rank 547 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 31% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric at $400,150, Neurologists at $357,080, Psychiatrists at $353,500 — all figures are median annual wages for California.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, pharmacy technicians rank 547 of the 793 occupations reported in California — higher than 31% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in California | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $400,150 | $820 |
| Neurologists | $357,080 | $1,090 |
| Psychiatrists | $353,500 | $5,420 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $313,890 | $6,370 |
| Obstetricians and Gynecologists | $301,240 | $1,610 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | $292,410 | $2,230 |
California levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 145.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 793 occupations in California.