Pharmacy Technician Programs in Victorville, CA
A California pharmacy technician is a key player on any pharmacy team, whether it is based in a retail setting or a hospital or long-term care facility.
Tasked as they are to both serve pharmacists as their 'right-hand person' in every step of the dispensary process and with being the smiling face that serves patients, the job of a pharmacy technician, especially one who has graduated from one of the pharmacy technician schools in Victorville, CA is a complicated, skilled, and sometimes hectic one, but also very personally and professionally rewarding, in addition to being well paid.
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Pharmacy Technician Wages and Employment Trends in Victorville, CA
Before starting out on a new career as a pharmacy technician, and investing the time, effort and money involved in attending, and graduating from, a pharmacy technician training program in Victorville or anywhere else for that matter, a good overview of what the job has to offer in terms of salary and future growth prospects is a must for most.
Victorville is considered part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA region. On the US side, where most graduates will be employed, the average salary paid to a working pharmacy technician is $43,280 per annum, a figure that is $10,000 higher than the national average of $33,950.
LOCATION | MEDIAN (50%) SALARY |
|---|---|
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $38,910 |
California | $43,280 |
United States | $33,950 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data.
The 'bottom 10%' of earners, usually brand-new pharmacy technicians, can expect to earn around $27,220 or less, while the top 10%, those who have experience, and in many cases advanced education, can command an annual salary of $57,820 or more.
In Riverside-San-Bernardino-Ontario, CA:
- Pharmacy techs on average earn $38,910
- 10% of techs earn $27,220 or less.
- 10% of workers earn $57,820 or more.
Top Paying Metropolitan Areas for Pharmacy Technicians
Pharmacy technicians working in the California metro areas are among the highest paid in the country. Here are the top-paying metro areas according to BLS wage 2019 data.
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA - $48,740 ($23.43 per hour)
- Santa Rosa, CA - $48,530 ($23.33)
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA - $47,900 ($23.03)
- Madera, CA - $47,290 ($22.73)
- Salinas, CA - $47,090 ($22.64)
- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA - $46,780 ($22.49)
- Napa, CA - $45,450 ($21.85)
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA - $44,090 ($21.20)
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA - $43,600 ($20.96)
- Stockton-Lodi, CA - $43,530 ($20.93)
Why Become a Pharmacy Technician in Victorville?
The outlook for pharmacy technicians in Victorville and throughout California is good too. In fact, California has the second-highest employment level of pharmacy technicians after Texas.
Statistics from 2019 predicted a 13% increase in pharmacy technician employment between 2020 and 2028 but given the significant role pharmacies are playing in COVID-19 management and mitigation experts says that the figure is likely to increase even more.
Source: Projections Central
Pharmacy Technician Schools in Victorville, CA
A pharmacy technician working in the State of California needs to obtain a license from the California Board of Pharmacy in order to work. This is not a legal mandate - as it is in some other states - but rather an employer preference. It is rare that employers will hire pharmacy technician candidates who are not licensed.
In addition to being over the age of 18 and able to produce a background check free of felony convictions, licensing candidates must, in lieu of 500 hours or more professional experience, have passed one of the two national Pharmacy Technician Certification exams, either the PTCE or the ExCPT.
As of 2020, the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board, who set the PTCE, have required that candidates complete an approved training program before taking the exam. There are two such pharmacy technician programs available locally to Victorville, Ca residents:
1. San Joaquin Valley College [Hesperia Campus]
9331 Mariposa Road Hesperia, CA 92344 | 
(760) 948-1947
San Joaquin Valley College, a private vocational college offering a wide range of career-based certificate and associate degree programs, offers would be pharmacy technicians two options in terms of high quality, affordable education: a nine-month certificate program or a 15-month Associate Degree in Pharmacy Studies.
Whichever program students eventually complete they all start out in the Certificate Program, at the end of which students have the knowledge, skills and experience required to pass the PTCE, obtain California licensing and begin working as an entry level pharmacy technician. Should they want to, students can then complete the additional schooling required to graduate with an AAS degree. Students must hold a high school diploma or GED for admission to either program.
The Hesperia campus is most convenient for Victorville residents, and the majority of their studies are completed there. In addition to classroom-based work students are required to complete an externship with a local employer as a graduation requirement, for which a background check is required.
The cost of the Certificate in Pharmacy Technology offered by San Joaquin Valley College is $18,526, while the Associate Degree Program is $30,000. Most students meet these costs via traditional financial aid, however, those who do not qualify may be able to obtain a private student loan from a lender like Sallie Mae instead.
2. San Bernardino Valley College [San Bernardino Campus]
701 South Mount Vernon Avenue San Bernardino, CA 92410| (909) 384-4400
San Bernardino Valley College is one of the oldest community colleges in California and offers a wide range of certificate and associate degree programs at an affordable cost to local residents. For future pharmacy technicians they offer both a nine-month certificate program and a 16-month associate degree option. To be admitted to either program, students must be over the age of 18, hold a high school diploma or GED and pass a criminal background and drug test.
All students begin in the Certificate program, a PTCB approved offering that blends extensive campus-based classroom learning with onsite lab sessions and an externship with a local employer. By graduation students have all they need to pass the PTCE and work as a pharmacy technician. Should they choose to students can then complete the additional classes, including general education classes to earn an AAS in Pharmacy Technology.
The cost of both courses is charged on a per-credit basis and varies according to student age, residency, and personal circumstances. Most students make use of traditional financial aid to fund their studies.