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

Overview

Georgia is home to more than 10,000 salaried pharmacy technicians. This means, roughly 3 percent of the nation’s 334,400 salaried technicians live in The Peach State. Aspiring pharmacy technicians choose Georgia for:

• The opportunity to work at renowned facilities such as Emory University Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Piedmont Hospital, and Shepherd Center (all nationally ranked in multiple specialty areas)

• Access to 112 other outstanding hospitals and the tenth largest collection of health care facilities in the U.S.

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

• Employment: The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta metropolitan area has the fifth highest employment level for this occupation (among metro areas)

Employment and Salary Trends for Georgia Pharmacy Technicians

According the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov), Georgia is home to 10,100 salaried pharmacy technicians. They average $27,590 per year. In 2006, Georgia-based pharmacy technicians averaged $26,520. This means salaries here have increased by $200+ each year. 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 Georgia pharmacy technicians can expect a fair amount of employment growth in the coming years. In 2006, the state was home to 8,650 pharmacy technicians. This means, the industry here added 1,450 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 an impressive 32 percent.

Pharmacy Technician Career Opportunities in Georgia

Many aspiring pharmacy technicians start out at large chain pharmacies and health & personal care stores. However, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are not the only places pharmacy technicians may find employment. Opportunities also exist in education, in technology (computer systems design firms), in management and at scientific and technical consulting services. Government departments, hospitals and outpatient care centers, clinics, retirement and rehabilitation facilities, grocery stores, department stores, electronic shopping and mail-order houses, and mom and pop pharmacies are other options.

The state of Georgia is home to a wide variety of companies, stores, and schools that hire pharmacy technicians, but if you’re interested in starting at a large chain pharmacy/health & personal care store or a hospital, some of the largest chains in the state include:

• CVS
• Costco Pharmacy
• Family Pharmacy
• Kmart Pharmacy
• Kroeger Pharmacy
• Publix Pharmacies
• Rite-Aid
• Sams Pharmacy
• Savon
• Sweetbay Supermarket Pharmacy
• Target Pharmacy
• Walgreens
• Walmart
• Winn-Dixie Pharmacies

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

• Emory University Hospital
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
• Piedmont Hospital
• Shepherd Center
• Northeast Georgia Medical Center
• Memorial University Medical Center
• University Hospital (Augusta)
• Hamilton Medical Center
• Houston medical Center
• Kennestone Hospital
• MCG Health
• Medical Center of Central Georgia
• Athens Regional Medical Center
• Floyd Medical Center

Schools Offering Pharmacy Technician Training Programs Include: