How Much Does a Pharmacy Tech Make in San Diego, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Pharmacy Techs in San Diego, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area
A typical Pharmacy Tech in San Diego, California earns $26.20 per hour, or $54,500 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,542 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $44,310, and the top 10% of earners make over $81,190.
That pay is 1% below the California figure of $55,110 and 19% above the national figure of $45,750. San Diego ranks 12th of 25 metro areas in California for Pharmacy Tech pay. About 3,600 Pharmacy Techs work in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area. San Diego is part of the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Chula Vista and Carlsbad share these figures.
Pharmacy Tech pay in San Diego at a glance
- Typical pay is $26.20 an hour, or $54,500 a year.
- That is 1% below the California figure, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $44,310; the top 10% make over $81,190.
- Typical pay rose +52% from 2015 to 2025, against +43% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Pharmacy Tech make in San Diego?
Pay in San Diego runs from entry-level positions at around $21.30 an hour to more than $39.03 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Pharmacy Tech pay by career stage in San Diego
| Career stage | San Diego | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $44,310$21.30 an hour | $42,850$20.60 an hour | $36,020$17.32 an hour |
| First years | $47,920$23.04 an hour | $46,430$22.32 an hour | $37,850$18.20 an hour |
| Typical Pharmacy Tech | $54,500$26.20 an hour | $55,110$26.50 an hour | $45,750$22.00 an hour |
| Experienced | $66,750$32.09 an hour | $65,590$31.53 an hour | $49,990$24.04 an hour |
| Top 10% | $81,190$39.03 an hour | $81,190$39.03 an hour | $61,040$29.35 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area as BLS defines it
Pharmacy Tech pay growth in San Diego
Typical (median) annual wage for Pharmacy Techs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Pharmacy Tech pay in San Diego was $35,790 a year. By 2025 it had reached $54,500, a change of +52%, compared with +43% for California over the same years.
How San Diego compares with other California cities
Napa pays Pharmacy Techs the most in California at $77,360 a year, $22,860 more than San Diego. The lowest-paying area in the state is Bakersfield at $48,110.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs San Diego | Pharmacy Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Napa | $77,360 | $37.19 | +42% | 200 |
| 2 | Sunnyvale metro incl. San Jose · Santa Clara | $75,490 | $36.29 | +39% | 1,780 |
| 3 | Santa Rosa metro incl. Petaluma | $61,800 | $29.71 | +13% | 370 |
| 4 | Oakland metro incl. Fremont · San Francisco | $60,550 | $29.11 | +11% | 4,040 |
| 5 | Vallejo | $58,670 | $28.21 | +8% | 440 |
| 6 | Roseville metro incl. Folsom · Sacramento | $58,470 | $28.11 | +7% | 2,820 |
| 7 | Salinas | $57,180 | $27.49 | +5% | 360 |
| 8 | Santa Maria metro incl. Santa Barbara | $56,580 | $27.20 | +4% | 420 |
| 9 | San Luis Obispo metro incl. Paso Robles | $56,530 | $27.18 | +4% | 320 |
| 10 | Chico | $56,320 | $27.08 | +3% | 220 |
| 11 | Yuba City | $56,160 | $27.00 | +3% | 190 |
| 12 | San Diego metro incl. Chula Vista · Carlsbad | $54,500 | $26.20 | this city | 3,600 |
| 13 | Redding | $52,860 | $25.41 | -3% | 220 |
| 14 | Fresno | $52,210 | $25.10 | -4% | 1,320 |
| 15 | Stockton metro incl. Lodi | $52,160 | $25.08 | -4% | 680 |
| 16 | El Centro | $51,130 | $24.58 | -6% | 160 |
| 17 | Los Angeles metro incl. Anaheim · Long Beach | $50,760 | $24.40 | -7% | 13,130 |
| 18 | Thousand Oaks | $50,720 | $24.38 | -7% | 720 |
| 19 | Modesto | $50,540 | $24.30 | -7% | 480 |
| 20 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $50,270 | $24.17 | -8% | 4,630 |
| 21 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $50,100 | $24.09 | -8% | 260 |
| 22 | Corcoran metro incl. Hanford | $50,060 | $24.07 | -8% | 200 |
| 23 | Visalia | $48,870 | $23.50 | -10% | 420 |
| 24 | Merced | $48,680 | $23.40 | -11% | 170 |
| 25 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $48,110 | $23.13 | -12% | 870 |
Every metro area in California with Pharmacy Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $55,110
Is San Diego a good place to work as a Pharmacy Tech?
Pharmacy Techs in San Diego earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $54,500 a year, 19% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the San Diego · Chula Vista · Carlsbad area, about 2.3 are Pharmacy Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 3.0. That makes Pharmacy Techs a smaller part of the local job market than usual, so employers draw from a smaller pool of qualified candidates.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Pharmacy Tech make in San Diego, CA?
- A typical Pharmacy Tech in San Diego earns $54,500 a year, or $26.20 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $44,310 and the top 10% earn over $81,190.
- How much does a Pharmacy Tech make an hour in San Diego?
- Typical hourly pay for Pharmacy Techs in San Diego is $26.20. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $21.30, and the top 10% earn over $39.03 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Pharmacy Tech in San Diego?
- Entry-level Pharmacy Tech positions in San Diego typically offer around $21.30 an hour, or $44,310 a year.
- Is Pharmacy Tech pay in San Diego higher than in the rest of California?
- San Diego pay is 1% below the California figure of $55,110 a year, ranking 12th of 25 metro areas in the state. Napa pays the most in California at $77,360.