Pharmacy Technician Employment & Salary Trends, and Career Opportunities in Ohio

Overview

Ohio is home to nearly 15,000 salaried pharmacy technicians. This means, just under 4.5 percent of the nation’s 334,400 salaried technicians live in The Buckeye State. Aspiring pharmacy technicians opt for Ohio for:

• The opportunity to work at renowned facilities such as Cleveland Ohio Clinic, Ohio State University Hospital, and Oklahoma University Medical Center

• Access to 143 other outstanding hospitals and the seventh largest collection of health care facilities in the country

• Access to hundreds of first rate health care and pharmacy technician training programs

• Employment: Ohio is home to the Steubenville-Weirton metropolitan area, which has the nation’s ninth highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for pharmacy technicians (among metro areas). The Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area has the fourth highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for pharmacy technicians (among nonmetro areas).

Employment and Salary Trends for Ohio Pharmacy Technicians

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov), Ohio is home to 14,670 salaried pharmacy technicians. They average $26,770 per year, which is $1,630 shy of the national average for pharmacy technicians. Fortunately, salaries are on the rise. In 2006, the average salary for Ohio pharmacy technicians was $24,560. Across the nation, pharmacy technicians average around $28,400 per year, with the top ten percent averaging $41,880 and the bottom ten percent earning $20,310 per year.

In addition to salary growth, aspiring Ohio pharmacy technicians can expect significant employment growth in the coming years. In 2006, the state was home to 10,830 pharmacy technicians. This means, the industry here added 3,840 new jobs between 2006 and today. Overall, the pharmacy technician industry will experience a significant amount of growth between now and 2020. The Bureau predicts a 32 percent increase in employment growth, meaning, pharmacy technicians can expect 108,300 new jobs between now and 2020.

Pharmacy Technician Career Opportunities in Ohio

When it comes to employment options for pharmacy technicians, the usual suspects are large chain pharmacies and health & personal care stores. But did you know that pharmacy technicians have quite a few options outside the norm? According to the Bureau, pharmacy technicians may also find work at hospitals, outpatient care centers, academic institutions, computer systems design firms, and management, scientific, and technical consulting services. Other options include electronic shopping and mail-order houses, government departments (federal executive branch), independent drug stores, grocery stores, and even department stores.

Check with your career center if you’re interested in working in any of the environments listed. Continue reading to find out which pharmacy chains and hospitals dominate the scene in Ohio. We’ve also included a few “independent” pharmacies that have multiple locations throughout the state.

Some of Ohio’s biggest pharmacy/health & personal care chains are:

• CVS
• Kmart Pharmacy
• Kroger Pharmacy
• Rite Aid
• Target Pharmacy
• Walgreens
• Walmart

Ohio Independent Pharmacies:

• Davies Drugs Pharmacy
• Ritzman Pharmacies
• Schwieterman Pharmacies

Some of Ohio’s largest hospitals/hospital systems include:

• Cleveland Ohio Clinic
• Ohio State University Hospital
• Oklahoma University Medical Center
• University Hospitals Case Medical Center
• Doctor’s Hospital
• Aultman Hospital
• Riverside Methodist Hospital
• Mercy Hospital
• Samaritan Hospital Peoples Hospital
• Lima Memorial Health System

Schools Offering Pharmacy Technician Training Programs Include: