Annual Salary
£25,000 to £35,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Pharmacy technicians prepare and supply medicines for prescriptions, under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
4% more Pharmacy technician jobs in 2027.
In this role you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing and a uniform.
You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a health centre, in a prison or at a store.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a Pharmacy Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.
You can also train to be a pharmacy technician through an apprenticeship with the NHS or the armed forces.
You'll usually need:
You can apply for a trainee pharmacy technician position and learn on the job.
Employers will often ask for 4 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), including English, maths and science, Level 2 Diploma in Applied Science, or equivalent qualifications.
You'll do on-the-job training over 2 years and work towards a Level 3 Diploma in the Principles and Practice for Pharmacy Technicians.
You'll need to:
Once qualified you can join the Association of Pharmacy Technicians for continuous professional development.
You can find out more about becoming a pharmacy technician from Health Careers and the Association of Pharmacy Technicians.
With experience you could become a lead pharmacy technician or a department manager.
You could take on a specialist role like clinical technician, working with healthcare professionals and patients on wards. There may also be opportunities to move into areas like oncology, paediatrics or clinical trials.
Some pharmacy technicians go into research and development work, or move into pharmaceutical production, sales or marketing.
You could train to be a pharmacist.
Another option is to become a pharmacy assessor working with trainee pharmacy technicians.
You'll need: