The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says the median pharmacy technician salary for 2012 was $29,320 per year. Median pay is the amount at which half of pharmacy technicians earned more than that amount and half earned less. The top 10 percent of pharmacy technicians earned more than $42,400 yearly.

Pharmacy technician pay is highest in ambulatory health care service settings, according to BLS, at $35,470. Hospitals, grocery stores, pharmacy and drug stores, and general merchandise stores filled out the top paying pharmacy technician jobs.

The number of pharmacy technician jobs and pharmacist salary ranges will probably rise within the next decade. Employment of these professionals will grow by 20 percent between 2012 and 2020, according to BLS predictions, which is faster than average for other jobs. Several factors lead to this growth, including an aging population who typically use more medications, high rates of diabetes and other chronic diseases requiring medication, and advances in pharmaceutical research that results in a greater variety of therapeutic drugs. Furthermore, the Affordable Care Act increases the number of Americans with access to health insurance and prescription drugs.

Pharmacy technicians will also play a greater role in the everyday operation of the pharmacy as pharmacists take on more patient care duties, including the administration of flu shots and more. Pharmacy technicians should expect to perform more duties once done by pharmacists, such as preparing prescription medications, collecting pertinent patient information, and overseeing and verifying the work of other technicians.

Job prospects will be good for pharmacy technicians, especially those with certification, training and experience in retail settings. Pharmacy technician certifications ensure that technicians have the training and expertise to work effectively with pharmacists to provide better patient care and service.

There are two parts to being a certified pharmacy technician, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. The technician must first pass the national Pharmacy Technician Certification Examination (PTCE), which entitles the worker to use the designation of CPhT. To hold the pharmacy technician certifications, the tech much obtain 20 hours of continuing education specific to the role of pharmacy technician plus one hour of medication safety training within two years of certification or recertification.