Pharmacy Technicians pay in California
$58,330avg. a year
$28.04 an hour · 39,860 employed
Pharmacy Technicians in California earn an average of $58,330 a year. That is $11,710 (25%) more than the U.S. average of $46,620. The best-paying metro area is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA at $76,740.
$55,110Median pay
$28.04Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
#2Of 50 states + D.C.
Top-paying California metro areas
Average pay for pharmacy technicians by metro area. Swipe to see all 25.
11,780 jobs
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
$76,740
$36.89 an hour
2200 jobs
Napa, CA
$71,040
$34.15 an hour
34,040 jobs
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$67,690
$32.54 an hour
4370 jobs
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
$63,760
$30.66 an hour
5440 jobs
Vallejo, CA
$62,920
$30.25 an hour
62,820 jobs
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA
$61,150
$29.40 an hour
7320 jobs
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA
$59,050
$28.39 an hour
83,600 jobs
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$58,640
$28.19 an hour
9260 jobs
Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
$57,870
$27.82 an hour
10420 jobs
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
$56,780
$27.30 an hour
11680 jobs
Stockton-Lodi, CA
$56,410
$27.12 an hour
12360 jobs
Salinas, CA
$56,360
$27.09 an hour
1313,130 jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$55,600
$26.73 an hour
14720 jobs
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA
$55,530
$26.70 an hour
15220 jobs
Redding, CA
$55,500
$26.68 an hour
16220 jobs
Chico, CA
$55,470
$26.67 an hour
17190 jobs
Yuba City, CA
$55,440
$26.66 an hour
184,630 jobs
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
$54,440
$26.17 an hour
191,320 jobs
Fresno, CA
$54,110
$26.02 an hour
20480 jobs
Modesto, CA
$54,010
$25.97 an hour
21200 jobs
Hanford-Corcoran, CA
$52,990
$25.48 an hour
22420 jobs
Visalia, CA
$52,710
$25.34 an hour
23870 jobs
Bakersfield-Delano, CA
$52,450
$25.21 an hour
24160 jobs
El Centro, CA
$51,730
$24.87 an hour
25170 jobs
Merced, CA
$51,600
$24.81 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Pharmacy Technicians pay in California, charted
Pay over time
California, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where California pharmacy technicians work
Employment by metro area, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · California highlighted · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $44k$44k–$46k$46k–$49k$49k+California
California vs. neighbors
Average pay, May 2025
| Area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $46,620 | $22.41 |
| California | $58,330 | $28.04 |
| Oregon | $55,180 | $26.53 |
| Arizona | $49,760 | $23.92 |
| Nevada | $48,900 | $23.51 |
Related jobs in California
Average pay, California, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Questions and answers
How much do pharmacy technicians make in California?
The average is $58,330 a year, and the median is $55,110. That is $11,710 (25%) more than the U.S. average of $46,620.
What is the hourly wage in California?
$28.04 an hour on average; the median is $26.50.
Where in California do they earn the most?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($76,740), followed by Napa, CA ($71,040). The lowest average among 25 metro areas with data is Merced, CA ($51,600).
How does California rank?
California ranks #2 of 51 states (including D.C.) with published data for this job, by average pay.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 29-2052. State rank compares average pay across states with published data. Metro figures cover metropolitan statistical areas; a metro area can cross state lines. See also the national pharmacy technicians page. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.