Best Pharmacy Technician Programs in California – 2023

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How to Become a Pharmacy Tech in California

Thinking of becoming a pharmacy technician (pharmacy tech) in California (CA)? Listed below you will find information on licensing and certification requirements as well as information on the top accredited pharmacy tech schools near you and throughout California for 2023.

There are currently 37,630 persons employed as pharmacy technicians in California, earning an average annual salary of $42,610.

The Bureau for Labor Studies (BLS) anticipates that employment in the sector will grow by 7% between 2018 and 2028 – higher than the average for all other professions.

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Pharmacy Technician Requirements California

To work as a pharmacy tech in California, you must apply to the California Board of Pharmacy for a license.

A high school diploma or equivalent and proof of formal training are prerequisites for licensing in the state. You must either graduate from an approved course or have obtained national certification. Pharmacy technician training provided by a branch of the federal armed services is also accepted.

You must also complete a Self-Query Report from the National Practitioner Databank and include it with your application.  Applications can take 45 to 60 days to be processed and approved and 6 weeks before you receive your hardcopy license.

You can contact the board on the details below:

Phone: 916-574-7900
Website: www.pharmacy.ca.gov

Once you have obtained your license, you must renew it every odd-numbered year.

National Certification

There are two national certifying bodies;

  • The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB/ PTCE): Since the beginning of 2020 the PTCB requires that candidates complete a PTCB-recognized training program.
  • The National Healthcareer Association Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT): The NHA requires you to complete a training program or have 1 year of work experience.

Approved training programs for California for both the PTCB and NHA are listed here.

Pharmacy Technician Schools in California

If you wish to become a certified pharmacy technician, you should complete an approved pharmacy technician training program.

Pharmacy technician programs are accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists/Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ASHP/ACPE) and the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). There are 27 ASHP and/or ABHES-accredited pharmacy tech schools in California.

 

Top 27 Schools for Pharmacy Tech in California

SchoolCityAccreditation
American Career CollegeAnaheimABHES - Diploma
North Orange County Community College DistrictAnaheimASHP
North West CollegeBakersfieldABHES - Diploma
Pima Medical InstituteChula VistaASHP / ABHES
North West CollegeGlendaleASHP
American College of HealthcareHuntington ParkABHES - Diploma
Foothill College Los AltosASHP
American Career CollegeLos AngelesABHES - Diploma
East Los Angeles Occupational CenterLos AngelesASHP
Modesto Junior CollegeModestoASHP
Galaxy Medical CollegeNorth HollywoodABHES - Diploma
American Career CollegeOntarioASHP / ABHES - Diploma
North West CollegePomonaASHP
American College of HealthcareRiversideABHES - Diploma
Glen Oaks CollegeRiversideABHES
Asher College SacramentoASHP
Cosumnes River CollegeSacramentoASHP
Loma Linda UniversitySan BernardinoASHP
Glendale Career CollegeSan DiegoABHES*
North West CollegeSan DiegoABHES - Diploma
San Diego Community Training CenterSan DiegoASHP
City College of San FranciscoSan FranciscoASHP
Pima Medical InstituteSan MarcosABHES
Santa Ana CollegeSanta AnaASHP
North West CollegeVan NuysASHP
College of the SequoiasVisaliaASHP
North West CollegeWest CovinaASHP

Sacramento CA

Pharmacy technicians in Sacramento earn an average salary of $45,660 per year. There are currently over 2,300 people employed as pharmacy techs in the area. Listed below are the top accredited pharmacy technician programs in Sacramento CA:

  • Carrington College
  • Charles A. Jones Career & Education Center (SCUSD)
  • Cosumnes River College

San Bernardino CA

Working as a pharmacy technician in San Bernardino, you will earn an average annual pay of $39,850 per annum. There are approximately 3,750 people employed as pharmacy techs in the area. Listed below are the top accredited pharmacy technician schools in San Bernardino Valley area:

  • San Bernardino Valley College
  • American Career College, Ontario

Pharmacy Technician Salary California

Average Salary California$42,610
Above/Below National Average30.30%
Hourly Wage$20.48
Bottom 10% / Entry Level$27,430
Top 10%$62,140
Number Employed37,630

The average salary for pharmacy technicians in California is $42,610, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2018*.

This equates to an average hourly wage of $20.48, over 30% above the national average salary of $32,700.

*The most recent salary data for 2019/2020 can be found here.

Pharmacy Tech Employment in California

There are currently 37,630 persons employed as pharmacy technicians in the state.

The table below provides a breakdown of salaries and employment of pharmacy techs across the main towns, cities and non-metro areas in California.

Unsurprisingly the highest concentration (over 35%) of pharmacy tech employment in California is in the Los Angeles area.

However, pharmacy techs in the San Francisco area earn the highest average salary at $51,040 – over 22% more than the state average.

Metro AreaAverage Salary# Employed
Bakersfield$38,160900
Chico$44,910250
El Centro$36,760140
Fresno$36,850960
Hanford-Corcoran$40,850160
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim$41,18013,510
Madera$41,210220
Merced$37,150140
Modesto$38,310430
Napa$42,140110
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura$39,900630
Redding$44,230170
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario$39,8503,750
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade$45,6602,340
Salinas$46,340360
San Diego-Carlsbad$39,0503,150
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward$51,0404,400
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara$45,3501,990
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande$42,200280
Santa Cruz-Watsonville$43,770340
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara$47,150440
Santa Rosa$49,880410
Stockton-Lodi$43,250700
Vallejo-Fairfield$47,130390
Visalia-Porterville$38,230450
Yuba City$37,260180