Pharmaceutical Assistants

Median Salary: $20,800

Many pharmaceutical assistants across the U.S. share a handful of important professional characteristics. For example, self control, concern for others, and attention to detail can be critical for success in the industry, especially when blended with career training. Around 52,230 folks were working as pharmaceutical assistants nationwide in 2009. With that much workplace competition, it's crucial to build on these attributes and receive excellent training, particularly if you're ready to advance in the field.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual income for pharmaceutical assistants in the U.S. was $20,800 in 2009, which works out to a median hourly wage of $10.00. Of course, income can vary with training and by location. Below, you'll find more data about pharmaceutical assistants, including wages and job density for areas all over the U.S..

Pharmaceutical assistants should be skilled in:

Oral Comprehension
Speech Recognition
Near Vision
Mathematical Reasoning
Written Expression

Different folks go into different careers; pharmaceutical assistants are typically:

Conventional
Social
Enterprising

Working as a pharmaceutical assistant requires knowledge in subjects like:

Customer and Personal Service
Mathematics
English Language
Medicine and Dentistry
Computers and Electronics

Related Occupations

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Below, you'll see links to more information on the top cities for this occupation (based on the number of folks working as pharmaceutical assistants). Note: "Job density" refers to the proportion of pharmaceutical assistants in each city as compared to the national average.

Alabama
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Anniston	50	$16,200	$7.80	$18,800	$9.00	165%
Birmingham	250	$19,800	$9.50	$22,200	$10.70	28%
Decatur	NA	$16,400	$7.90	$18,100	$8.70	NA
Huntsville	NA	$15,600	$7.50	$16,500	$7.90	NA
Mobile	40	$20,200	$9.70	$23,400	$11.30	-44%
Montgomery	40	$16,800	$8.10	$22,600	$10.90	-36%
Tuscaloosa	NA	$15,700	$7.60	$16,700	$8.00	NA

Arizona
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Phoenix	120	$20,300	$9.80	$23,600	$11.40	-82.5%
Tucson	NA	$20,300	$9.80	$22,200	$10.70	NA

Arkansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fayetteville	NA	$21,500	$10.30	$22,900	$11.00	NA
Fort Smith	40	$18,200	$8.80	$19,800	$9.50	-11.3%
Little Rock	170	$18,400	$8.90	$21,700	$10.40	31%

California
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bakersfield	340	$21,400	$10.30	$23,600	$11.30	219.5%
Chico	50	$19,400	$9.30	$27,800	$13.40	93.8%
Fresno	120	$19,700	$9.50	$21,100	$10.20	-6.8%
Los Angeles (Area)	3,670	$20,600	$9.90	$25,500	$12.30	56.3%
Madera	90	$20,000	$9.60	$23,400	$11.20	514.8%
Merced	NA	$25,900	$12.50	$28,300	$13.60	NA
Modesto	NA	$26,500	$12.70	$30,100	$14.50	NA
Napa	50	$18,500	$8.90	$19,300	$9.30	89.2%
Oakland	320	$23,900	$11.50	$27,900	$13.40	-18.8%
Oxnard	150	$23,000	$11.10	$27,300	$13.10	26%
Redding	60	$22,500	$10.80	$25,400	$12.20	147.8%
Riverside	740	$21,000	$10.10	$25,500	$12.30	54.7%
Sacramento	440	$22,400	$10.80	$35,100	$16.90	27.7%
Salinas	90	$27,200	$13.10	$35,600	$17.10	38.5%
San Diego	700	$23,100	$11.10	$27,700	$13.30	37.3%
San Francisco (Area)	790	$23,500	$11.30	$27,600	$13.30	0.8%
San Francisco (City)	470	$23,100	$11.10	$27,300	$13.10	20.5%
San Jose	570	$30,800	$14.80	$35,800	$17.20	60%
San Luis Obispo	NA	$23,100	$11.10	$34,000	$16.30	NA
Santa Barbara	180	$21,800	$10.50	$24,800	$11.90	160.2%
Santa Cruz	110	$23,500	$11.30	$26,000	$12.50	225%
Santa Rosa	30	$26,700	$12.90	$29,300	$14.10	-55.3%
Stockton	200	$22,900	$11.00	$26,600	$12.80	139.2%
Vallejo	NA	$20,200	$9.70	$36,200	$17.40	NA
Visalia	NA	$19,400	$9.30	$21,500	$10.30	NA
Yuba City	70	$22,800	$11.00	$25,200	$12.10	358.2%

Colorado
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Denver	180	$34,000	$16.40	$37,800	$18.20	-63%

Connecticut
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bridgeport	130	$24,300	$11.70	$30,900	$14.80	-5.2%
Hartford	NA	$25,100	$12.10	$29,000	$13.90	NA
New Haven	NA	$21,100	$10.10	$24,200	$11.60	NA
Norwich	50	$26,000	$12.50	$31,400	$15.10	-0.2%

District of Columbia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Washington (Area)	740	$22,500	$10.80	$25,000	$12.00	-36.3%

Florida
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bradenton	270	$17,600	$8.50	$18,800	$9.00	177.8%
Cape Coral	NA	$22,400	$10.80	$27,200	$13.10	NA
Deltona	230	$17,400	$8.40	$20,400	$9.80	267.5%
Fort Walton Beach	NA	$17,400	$8.40	$19,800	$9.50	NA
Gainesville	100	$19,800	$9.50	$22,200	$10.70	114%
Jacksonville	250	$19,300	$9.30	$21,800	$10.50	7.3%
Lakeland	180	$18,800	$9.10	$20,900	$10.00	135.5%
Miami (Area)	2,310	$19,600	$9.40	$22,700	$10.90	162%
Naples	100	$23,600	$11.30	$25,200	$12.10	114.8%
Ocala	NA	$22,100	$10.60	$23,500	$11.30	NA
Orlando	520	$24,200	$11.60	$27,200	$13.10	30.3%
Palm Bay	NA	$21,700	$10.40	$24,000	$11.50	NA
Palm Coast	NA	$15,800	$7.60	$16,200	$7.80	NA
Panama City	NA	$18,800	$9.00	$21,700	$10.40	NA
Pensacola	110	$20,300	$9.70	$22,800	$11.00	76%
Port St. Lucie	220	$18,800	$9.00	$20,600	$9.90	356.8%
Sebastian	NA	$20,000	$9.60	$23,200	$11.20	NA
Tallahassee	NA	$19,300	$9.30	$21,200	$10.20	NA
Tampa	1,080	$20,100	$9.70	$22,200	$10.70	138.2%

Georgia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	NA	$16,200	$7.80	$19,000	$9.10	NA
Athens	NA	$18,400	$8.80	$19,500	$9.40	NA
Atlanta	830	$19,100	$9.20	$21,800	$10.50	-9.5%
Augusta	NA	$20,000	$9.60	$23,300	$11.20	NA
Dalton	NA	$19,800	$9.50	$23,000	$11.10	NA
Gainesville	NA	$18,200	$8.70	$19,500	$9.40	NA
Macon	60	$17,300	$8.30	$19,100	$9.20	48.5%
Warner Robins	90	$18,100	$8.70	$20,400	$9.80	284.7%

Hawaii
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Honolulu	NA	$21,300	$10.30	$24,200	$11.70	NA

Idaho
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Boise City	NA	$16,900	$8.10	$19,300	$9.30	NA

Illinois
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Chicago (Area)	1,700	$27,400	$13.20	$34,100	$16.40	15.5%
Kankakee	NA	$23,900	$11.50	$28,200	$13.60	NA
Rockford	NA	$23,500	$11.30	$29,300	$14.10	NA
Springfield	NA	$18,400	$8.80	$19,400	$9.30	NA

Indiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bloomington	50	$19,200	$9.20	$23,100	$11.10	57%
Elkhart	70	$18,500	$8.90	$20,500	$9.80	63.5%
Evansville	40	$19,600	$9.40	$22,500	$10.80	-46.3%
Indianapolis	520	$20,100	$9.70	$23,400	$11.30	50.2%
South Bend	50	$18,900	$9.10	$20,600	$9.90	-10%
Terre Haute	30	$18,900	$9.10	$20,700	$9.90	20%

Iowa
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Des Moines	NA	$21,600	$10.40	$23,000	$11.00	NA

Kansas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Topeka	NA	$20,400	$9.80	$22,500	$10.80	NA
Wichita	90	$19,500	$9.40	$23,700	$11.40	-28.3%

Kentucky
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lexington	NA	$24,400	$11.70	$36,300	$17.50	NA
Louisville	50	$21,600	$10.40	$24,600	$11.80	-80%

Louisiana
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baton Rouge	80	$19,000	$9.10	$23,200	$11.10	-42.8%
Lake Charles	50	$18,400	$8.90	$21,000	$10.10	41.7%
New Orleans	300	$21,500	$10.40	$23,600	$11.40	48%
Shreveport	200	$22,900	$11.00	$25,400	$12.20	185%

Maryland
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Baltimore	NA	$19,200	$9.20	$21,700	$10.50	NA
Hagerstown	NA	$20,200	$9.70	$23,300	$11.20	NA

Massachusetts
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Barnstable Town	60	$23,500	$11.30	$25,900	$12.50	49.5%
Boston (Area)	NA	$23,300	$11.20	$26,800	$12.90	NA
Springfield	90	$19,700	$9.50	$23,300	$11.20	-23.8%
Worcester	NA	$19,200	$9.20	$23,400	$11.30	NA

Michigan
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ann Arbor	NA	$25,000	$12.00	$29,400	$14.10	NA
Bay City	50	$22,300	$10.70	$24,100	$11.60	284.3%
Detroit (Area)	NA	$22,600	$10.90	$24,900	$12.00	NA
Flint	NA	$18,700	$9.00	$19,900	$9.60	NA
Grand Rapids	NA	$18,900	$9.10	$23,100	$11.10	NA
Jackson	NA	$21,300	$10.30	$23,800	$11.40	NA
Muskegon	NA	$19,300	$9.30	$27,000	$13.00	NA
Niles	NA	$23,900	$11.50	$28,900	$13.90	NA

Minnesota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Duluth	NA	$25,800	$12.40	$29,500	$14.20	NA
Minneapolis	430	$19,400	$9.30	$22,700	$10.90	-37.5%
Rochester	50	$24,600	$11.80	$31,800	$15.30	29.3%
St. Cloud	NA	$22,200	$10.70	$24,600	$11.80	NA

Mississippi
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Hattiesburg	40	$16,600	$8.00	$18,900	$9.10	88%
Jackson	40	$21,600	$10.40	$25,200	$12.10	-63.5%

Missouri
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Kansas City	150	$21,900	$10.50	$26,200	$12.60	-62.8%
St. Louis	190	$22,700	$10.90	$28,600	$13.80	-63.8%

Nebraska
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Lincoln	30	$19,700	$9.50	$23,300	$11.20	-49.3%
Omaha	70	$20,500	$9.90	$25,900	$12.50	-60.3%

Nevada
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Las Vegas	120	$22,800	$11.00	$25,000	$12.00	-64.8%

New Jersey
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Atlantic City	NA	$18,300	$8.80	$20,100	$9.70	NA
Trenton	NA	$18,900	$9.10	$20,400	$9.80	NA
Vineland	50	$21,700	$10.40	$25,200	$12.10	128.2%

New Mexico
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albuquerque	190	$24,400	$11.70	$27,800	$13.40	23%
Las Cruces	130	NA	NA	NA	NA	380.5%

New York
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Albany	110	$19,600	$9.40	$24,700	$11.90	-38.8%
Binghamton	40	$18,400	$8.80	$23,400	$11.30	-15.5%
Buffalo	170	$19,800	$9.50	$23,700	$11.40	-22.5%
Elmira	30	$19,600	$9.40	$22,400	$10.80	132%
Glens Falls	NA	$20,400	$9.80	$22,300	$10.70	NA
New York (Area)	NA	$20,700	$10.00	$26,500	$12.70	NA
Poughkeepsie	100	$19,500	$9.40	$24,100	$11.60	2%
Rochester	140	$19,600	$9.40	$24,600	$11.80	-30.5%
Syracuse	210	$21,600	$10.40	$30,100	$14.50	71.8%

North Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charlotte	100	$19,900	$9.60	$23,300	$11.20	-70%
Durham	NA	$27,400	$13.20	$30,300	$14.60	NA
Raleigh	220	$26,200	$12.60	$29,300	$14.10	11.5%
Wilmington	100	$18,500	$8.90	$19,600	$9.40	72.5%

North Dakota
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Fargo	140	$21,300	$10.30	$23,400	$11.20	190.3%

Ohio
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Akron	NA	$19,600	$9.40	$25,300	$12.20	NA
Cincinnati	840	$20,400	$9.80	$24,900	$12.00	110.2%
Cleveland	270	$18,300	$8.80	$22,300	$10.70	-32.8%
Columbus	140	$18,600	$8.90	$26,500	$12.70	-61.8%
Dayton	210	$21,300	$10.30	$25,200	$12.10	43.2%
Toledo	110	$22,900	$11.00	$25,700	$12.40	-5%

Oklahoma
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Oklahoma City	130	$17,300	$8.30	$19,800	$9.50	-42.8%
Tulsa	270	$16,900	$8.10	$18,900	$9.10	61.7%

Oregon
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Portland	60	$26,600	$12.80	$31,400	$15.10	-85.3%

Pennsylvania
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Allentown	150	$22,600	$10.90	$25,300	$12.10	12.5%
Altoona	NA	$25,200	$12.10	$29,400	$14.10	NA
Harrisburg	50	$18,000	$8.60	$20,800	$10.00	-58.3%
Lancaster	NA	$18,400	$8.80	$20,100	$9.70	NA
Philadelphia (Area)	NA	$21,100	$10.10	$24,700	$11.90	NA
Pittsburgh	370	$27,000	$13.00	$33,000	$15.90	-16%
Scranton	90	$20,600	$9.90	$25,100	$12.10	-10.8%
York	NA	$26,700	$12.80	$31,600	$15.20	NA

Rhode Island
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Providence	310	$18,900	$9.10	$21,300	$10.20	44.2%

South Carolina
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	60	$20,000	$9.60	$23,500	$11.30	-48.3%
Columbia	NA	$18,700	$9.00	$21,200	$10.20	NA
Florence	70	$21,100	$10.10	$23,300	$11.20	120%
Greenville	NA	$18,600	$9.00	$24,300	$11.70	NA
Myrtle Beach	NA	$19,300	$9.30	$20,500	$9.90	NA
Spartanburg	60	$20,000	$9.60	$26,800	$12.90	20.7%

Tennessee
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Johnson City	70	$19,600	$9.40	$21,100	$10.10	132%
Kingsport	100	$19,500	$9.40	$22,400	$10.80	113.7%
Knoxville	140	$20,100	$9.70	$23,200	$11.20	11.3%
Memphis	NA	$20,300	$9.80	$25,600	$12.30	NA
Morristown	NA	$17,700	$8.50	$19,300	$9.30	NA
Nashville	NA	$18,600	$8.90	$20,000	$9.60	NA

Texas
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Austin	210	$22,200	$10.70	$25,400	$12.20	-31.3%
Beaumont	30	$18,000	$8.60	$21,300	$10.30	-47.3%
Dallas (Area)	530	$21,000	$10.10	$25,200	$12.10	-59.5%
Houston	520	$22,900	$11.00	$26,000	$12.50	-49%
Killeen	40	$18,800	$9.10	$22,300	$10.70	-16%
Longview	30	$17,500	$8.40	$19,900	$9.50	-11%
Lubbock	60	$21,200	$10.20	$23,600	$11.40	13.5%
McAllen	170	$23,100	$11.10	$25,300	$12.20	95%
San Antonio	350	$23,200	$11.10	$26,600	$12.80	5.2%
Texarkana	30	$24,400	$11.70	$28,900	$13.90	58.7%
Wichita Falls	40	$19,900	$9.60	$23,900	$11.50	66.5%

Utah
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Ogden	NA	$22,100	$10.70	$23,800	$11.40	NA
Provo	40	$20,500	$9.90	$22,700	$10.90	-39.8%
Salt Lake City	100	$19,300	$9.30	$21,900	$10.50	-59.5%

Vermont
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Burlington	70	$19,200	$9.20	$20,500	$9.80	61.7%

Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Blacksburg	60	$19,400	$9.30	$22,900	$11.00	119.2%
Richmond	150	$22,200	$10.70	$26,100	$12.60	-37%
Roanoke	90	$23,100	$11.10	$25,500	$12.30	54%
Virginia Beach	260	$19,100	$9.20	$22,300	$10.70	-13.3%

Washington
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Bellingham	NA	$25,700	$12.30	$33,900	$16.30	NA
Kennewick	NA	$23,200	$11.20	$26,400	$12.70	NA
Mount Vernon	40	$19,400	$9.30	$24,400	$11.70	118.2%
Seattle (Area)	260	$24,800	$11.90	$29,100	$14.00	-64.5%
Spokane	NA	$24,400	$11.70	$29,100	$14.00	NA
Yakima	30	$23,400	$11.20	$27,200	$13.10	6.5%

West Virginia
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Charleston	140	$18,300	$8.80	$22,700	$10.90	134%
Huntington	90	$17,900	$8.60	$22,300	$10.70	96%
Morgantown	40	$19,600	$9.40	$24,000	$11.50	80.2%
Parkersburg	50	$17,900	$8.60	$21,300	$10.30	93.8%
Wheeling	40	$20,700	$10.00	$23,600	$11.30	37.3%

Wisconsin
City/Area	Employees	Median Annual Salary	Median Hourly Wage	Top 25% Annual Salary	Top 25% Hourly Wage	Job Density
Eau Claire	NA	$17,900	$8.60	$20,600	$9.90	NA
Fond du Lac	40	$20,100	$9.60	$25,500	$12.30	116%
Green Bay	70	$18,100	$8.70	$21,000	$10.10	2.5%
La Crosse	50	$21,900	$10.50	$25,000	$12.00	90.8%
Madison	NA	$22,900	$11.00	$25,400	$12.20	NA
Milwaukee	NA	$20,100	$9.70	$24,900	$12.00	NA
Wausau	NA	$17,300	$8.30	$19,100	$9.20	NA