Prevailing Wage for Pharmacy Technicians
Prevailing wage requirements for Pharmacy Technicians are set by the DOL using regional Occupational Employment Statistics surveys. Whether you're filing as a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), an Accredited Pharmacy Technician, or a Compounding Technician, DOL assigns four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts significantly depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level pharmacy technicians with limited experience, typically under two years, performing routine tasks under close pharmacist supervision. Candidates new to the U.S. healthcare system or transitioning from a non-U.S. pharmacy setting commonly file at this level.
Qualified pharmacy technicians with a few years of hands-on dispensing or compounding experience working with moderate supervision. Level 2 is the most common filing level for sponsored pharmacy technician roles, reflecting the practical experience most employers require.
Experienced technicians who handle complex or specialized tasks, such as chemotherapy compounding or operating room pharmacy support, with minimal supervision. Candidates with several years in a specialty pharmacy setting or a lead support function typically qualify here.
Fully competent senior technicians who may train staff, manage workflow, or specialize in high-complexity compounding. Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT) credentials and supervisory responsibilities commonly support a Level 4 filing in hospital or health-system settings.
Prevailing Wage for Pharmacy Technicians by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Pharmacy Technicians and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify your worksite state board certification status
Several states require pharmacy technicians to hold a state registration or the CPhT credential as a condition of employment. An employer filing your LCA at Level 1 when state law mandates certification may understate your qualifying level and the applicable wage floor.
Watch for compounding specialty wage mismatches
Compounding Technician and chemotherapy pharmacy technician roles often involve complexity that maps to Level 3 or Level 4, yet some employers file LCAs at Level 2. If your offer describes sterile or hazardous compounding, compare the offered wage against the higher-level floor before accepting.
Check high-cost California metros against your offer
San Jose, Napa, and San Francisco pharmacy technician prevailing wages are significantly above the national median at every level. If your job offer is in the Bay Area, verify the floor through the OFLC Wage Search before comparing offers, as the gap versus lower-cost metros is substantial.
Use Migrate Mate to find sponsors with pharmacy tech history
Migrate Mate shows which employers have sponsored pharmacy technicians for H-1B or green card visas previously. Filtering by this role helps you prioritize outreach to health systems and pharmacy chains that have already navigated the sponsorship process for this specific occupation.
Jobs for Pharmacy Technicians are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Pharmacy TechniciansPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 29-2052.00 alongside Pharmacy Technicians, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Accredited Pharmacy Technician Prevailing Wage
Accredited Pharmacy Technician Prevailing Wage
Accredited Pharmacy Technician positions fall under SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Prevailing Wage
Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician) Prevailing Wage
Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician) Prevailing Wage
Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Compounding Technician Prevailing Wage
Compounding Technician Prevailing Wage
Compounding Technician positions fall under SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech) Prevailing Wage
OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician) Prevailing Wage
RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician) Prevailing Wage
RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 29-2052.00 (Pharmacy Technicians). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Pharmacy Technicians?
DOL calculates prevailing wages using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. For Pharmacy Technicians (SOC 29-2052), OFLC publishes four wage levels for each geographic area. Employers sponsoring a worker for H-1B, E-3, or PERM must pay at least the level that matches the position's actual duties and the worker's experience.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I identify mine?
Level 1 covers entry-level technicians with limited experience under close supervision. Level 2 represents qualified technicians with moderate independence, and is the most common filing level. Level 3 applies to experienced technicians in specialized settings such as sterile compounding or OR pharmacy. Level 4 covers fully competent senior or lead technicians. Your level is determined by the actual job duties and years of relevant experience, not your job title alone.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same role vary so much by city?
OFLC calculates each area's wage from regional BLS survey data, so local labor market conditions directly drive the floor. An employer must use the prevailing wage for the worksite address listed on the LCA, not a company headquarters. Dense employer markets with large hospital systems, such as the San Jose and San Francisco metros, push survey medians higher, while areas with lower overall wages anchor the floor at lower levels.
What happens if a job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
An employer cannot certify an LCA if the offered wage falls below the applicable prevailing wage. If a certified LCA later shows the worker was paid below the floor, USCIS can deny or revoke the petition and DOL can pursue back-wage liability. For the candidate, an underpaid offer means the sponsoring employer is either filing at the wrong level or asking you to accept terms that cannot lawfully appear in a certified LCA.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for a specific U.S. location?
The OFLC Wage Search lets you look up the four-level wage for SOC 29-2052 in any covered metro area. Enter the occupation code and select the metropolitan statistical area that matches your job's worksite address. For sponsored roles, Migrate Mate lists pharmacy technician positions from employers with verified H-1B or green card sponsorship history, helping you compare posted salaries against the applicable DOL floor for that location.
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