Pharmacy Technicians Salary
The median pay for a pharmacy technicians in Columbus, OH is $45,240/year ($21.75/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $62K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.47), that's roughly $47,387 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,430/month, about 46.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $45K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (95.47). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About pharmacy technicians
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What this looks like in Columbus
Pharmacy technicians pay in Columbus tracks closely to the national median, $45K locally vs. $46K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,430/month, which is 45.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 95.47) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pharmacy technicians in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Cleveland | $39K | $42K |
| Cincinnati | $40K | $42K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $45K | $49K |
| Akron | $40K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, OH
Entry-level pharmacy technicians (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $45K. Top earners bring in $62K or more, a $26K spread from bottom to top.
Pharmacy Technicians pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pharmacy Technicians salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $59K | +29% | 8,150 |
| California | $55K | +20% | 39,860 |
| Oregon | $55K | +20% | 4,320 |
| Alaska | $53K | +15% | 800 |
| Colorado | $50K | +9% | 6,010 |
| Montana | $49K | +8% | 1,340 |
| Minnesota | $48K | +6% | 7,340 |
| Wyoming | $48K | +5% | 600 |
| Utah | $48K | +5% | 5,030 |
| Nevada | $48K | +5% | 4,070 |
| Vermont | $48K | +5% | 760 |
| Arizona | $48K | +4% | 12,970 |
| North Dakota | $48K | +4% | 890 |
| District of Columbia | $47K | +4% | 1,130 |
| New Hampshire | $47K | +4% | 1,970 |
| Connecticut | $47K | +3% | 5,200 |
| Hawaii | $47K | +2% | 1,540 |
| Illinois | $47K | +2% | 21,340 |
| New Mexico | $47K | +2% | 2,550 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +2% | 2,660 |
| Massachusetts | $46K | +2% | 10,150 |
| Delaware | $46K | +1% | 1,480 |
| Idaho | $46K | +1% | 2,950 |
| South Dakota | $46K | +1% | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $46K | +0% | 9,540 |
| Texas | $46K | +0% | 41,740 |
| Maine | $45K | -1% | 2,070 |
| Maryland | $45K | -1% | 7,990 |
| Iowa | $45K | -2% | 4,630 |
| Virginia | $45K | -2% | 10,720 |
| Indiana | $45K | -3% | 10,790 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -3% | 17,260 |
| Louisiana | $44K | -3% | 6,700 |
| Rhode Island | $44K | -3% | 1,540 |
| Michigan | $44K | -3% | 14,240 |
| New York | $44K | -4% | 24,400 |
| Florida | $44K | -5% | 38,460 |
| Kansas | $43K | -5% | 4,270 |
| South Carolina | $42K | -8% | 8,070 |
| Tennessee | $42K | -8% | 11,870 |
| Georgia | $42K | -8% | 14,680 |
| Ohio | $41K | -11% | 17,820 |
| Oklahoma | $41K | -11% | 5,500 |
| Missouri | $40K | -12% | 12,610 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -12% | 18,880 |
| New Jersey | $40K | -13% | 14,020 |
| Kentucky | $39K | -14% | 8,870 |
| Mississippi | $39K | -15% | 4,040 |
| Alabama | $39K | -15% | 8,510 |
| Arkansas | $39K | -15% | 4,560 |
| West Virginia | $38K | -16% | 3,560 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track pharmacy technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
Related careers in Healthcare
Frequently asked questions
Can a pharmacy technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $45K, rent takes 45.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,430/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pharmacy technicians in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pharmacy technicians typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,166/month. At HUD’s $1,430/month FMR, rent would take 66% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pharmacy technician a high-paying job in Columbus?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $45K locally vs. $46K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for pharmacy technicians?
Columbus pays $45K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.47), the purchasing-power equivalent is $47K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do pharmacy technicians make in Columbus, OH?
The median is $45,240 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,100, and experienced pharmacy technicians can clear $61,760. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $45K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,154/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,430/month, which eats 45.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a pharmacy technicians salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 95.47 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pharmacy technicians salary is worth about $47,387 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pharmacy technicians get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.