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

Overview

Minnesota is home to more than 7,000 salaried pharmacy technicians. This means, more than 2 percent of the nation’s 334,400 salaried technicians reside in The North Star State State. Aspiring pharmacy technicians choose Minnesota for:

• The opportunity to work at renowned facilities such as Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota Medical Center, and Mercy Hospital (all nationally ranked in multiple specialties)
• Access to more than 70 other outstanding hospitals
• Access to hundreds of nationally ranked health care and pharmacy technician training programs
• Employment: The Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area has the eighth highest employment level for pharmacy technicians (among U.S. metro areas).

Employment and Salary Trends for Minnesota Pharmacy Technicians

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov), Minnesota is home to 7,040 salaried pharmacy technicians, averaging around $32,090 per year. In 2006, they averaged $28,610. This means, salaries have increased by $580 each year between 2006 and today.  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 Minnesota pharmacy technicians can expect a good amount ofemployment growth in the coming years. In 2006, the state was home to 5,460 pharmacy technicians, so the industry here added a promising 1,580 new jobs between 2006 and today. Overall, the pharmacy technician industry will experience a significant amount of employment growth between now and 2020. The industry expects to add 108,300 new jobs, so employment is expected to grow by a dramatic 32 percent.

Pharmacy Technician Career Opportunities in Minnesota

Overall, the top employers for pharmacy technicians are chain pharmacies. However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has several other suggestions for technicians that might be interested in taking another route. Other options include computer systems design firms, scientific and technical consulting services, government departments, hospitals and outpatient care centers, clinics, independent pharmacies, grocery stores, department stores, electronic shopping and mail-order houses, and academic institutions.

The state of Minnesota is home to many organizations, companies, and other businesses in these areas, but pharmacies still dominate the scene here. Some of the most recognized pharmacies in Minnesota include:

• Cub Foods Pharmacy
• CVS Pharmacy
• Fairview Pharmacy
• Kmart Pharmacy
• Snyder’s Drug Store
• Target
• Walgreens
• Walmart

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

• Mayo Clinic
• Mayo Eugenito Litta Children’s Hospital
• University of Minnesota Medical Center
• Mercy Hospital
• Hennepin County Medical Center
• St. Cloud Hospital
• Unity Hospital
• Fairview Southdale Hospital
• United Hospital of St. Paul
• St. John’s Hospital
• Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota

Schools Offering Pharmacy Technician Training Programs Include: