How Much Does a Pharmacy Tech Make in Hickory, NC in 2026?
Typical pay for Pharmacy Techs in Hickory, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across North Carolina.
BLS OES May 2025 · Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area
A typical Pharmacy Tech in Hickory, North Carolina earns $21.11 per hour, or $43,920 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $3,660 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,160, and the top 10% of earners make over $51,070.
That pay is 1% below the North Carolina figure of $44,530 and 4% below the national figure of $45,750. Hickory ranks 11th of 16 metro areas in North Carolina for Pharmacy Tech pay. About 580 Pharmacy Techs work in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area. Hickory is part of the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton metro area, and BLS reports pay for the metro as a whole, so Lenoir and Morganton share these figures.
Pharmacy Tech pay in Hickory at a glance
- Typical pay is $21.11 an hour, or $43,920 a year.
- That is 1% below the North Carolina figure, ranking 11th of 16 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $35,160; the top 10% make over $51,070.
- Typical pay rose +63% from 2015 to 2025, against +55% for North Carolina as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Pharmacy Tech make in Hickory?
Pay in Hickory runs from entry-level positions at around $16.90 an hour to more than $24.55 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the North Carolina and national figures.
Pharmacy Tech pay by career stage in Hickory
| Career stage | Hickory | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $35,160$16.90 an hour | $35,820$17.22 an hour | $36,020$17.32 an hour |
| First years | $37,420$17.99 an hour | $37,480$18.02 an hour | $37,850$18.20 an hour |
| Typical Pharmacy Tech | $43,920$21.11 an hour | $44,530$21.41 an hour | $45,750$22.00 an hour |
| Experienced | $47,610$22.89 an hour | $48,480$23.31 an hour | $49,990$24.04 an hour |
| Top 10% | $51,070$24.55 an hour | $57,360$27.58 an hour | $61,040$29.35 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area as BLS defines it
Pharmacy Tech pay growth in Hickory
Typical (median) annual wage for Pharmacy Techs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Pharmacy Tech pay in Hickory was $26,960 a year. By 2025 it had reached $43,920, a change of +63%, compared with +55% for North Carolina over the same years.
How Hickory compares with other North Carolina cities
Chapel Hill pays Pharmacy Techs the most in North Carolina at $47,350 a year, $3,430 more than Hickory. The lowest-paying area in the state is Rocky Mount at $40,700.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Hickory | Pharmacy Techs employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapel Hill metro incl. Durham | $47,350 | $22.76 | +8% | 1,380 |
| 2 | Fayetteville | $46,490 | $22.35 | +6% | 580 |
| 3 | Charlotte | $46,220 | $22.22 | +5% | 3,970 |
| 4 | Raleigh metro incl. Cary | $46,130 | $22.18 | +5% | 2,430 |
| 5 | Salem metro incl. Winston | $45,770 | $22.01 | +4% | 1,540 |
| 6 | Greenville | $45,310 | $21.78 | +3% | 370 |
| 7 | Asheville | $45,160 | $21.71 | +3% | 680 |
| 8 | High Point metro incl. Greensboro | $44,930 | $21.60 | +2% | 1,240 |
| 9 | Wilmington | $44,300 | $21.30 | +1% | 670 |
| 10 | Norfolk metro incl. Chesapeake | $43,930 | $21.12 | 0% | 1,990 |
| 11 | Hickory | $43,920 | $21.11 | this city | 580 |
| 12 | Pinehurst metro incl. Southern Pines | $43,150 | $20.75 | -2% | 160 |
| 13 | Goldsboro | $42,030 | $20.21 | -4% | 160 |
| 14 | Burlington | $41,490 | $19.95 | -6% | 240 |
| 15 | Jacksonville | $40,710 | $19.57 | -7% | 170 |
| 16 | Rocky Mount | $40,700 | $19.57 | -7% | 220 |
Every metro area in North Carolina with Pharmacy Tech wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · North Carolina typical pay $44,530
Is Hickory a good place to work as a Pharmacy Tech?
Pharmacy Tech pay in Hickory sits close to the national figure: $43,920 a year, 4% below the national rate. For every 1,000 jobs in the Hickory · Lenoir · Morganton area, about 3.8 are Pharmacy Tech positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 3.0. That makes the local economy more reliant on Pharmacy Techs than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Pharmacy Tech make in Hickory, NC?
- A typical Pharmacy Tech in Hickory earns $43,920 a year, or $21.11 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $35,160 and the top 10% earn over $51,070.
- How much does a Pharmacy Tech make an hour in Hickory?
- Typical hourly pay for Pharmacy Techs in Hickory is $21.11. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $16.90, and the top 10% earn over $24.55 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Pharmacy Tech in Hickory?
- Entry-level Pharmacy Tech positions in Hickory typically offer around $16.90 an hour, or $35,160 a year.
- Is Pharmacy Tech pay in Hickory higher than in the rest of North Carolina?
- Hickory pay is 1% below the North Carolina figure of $44,530 a year, ranking 11th of 16 metro areas in the state. Chapel Hill pays the most in North Carolina at $47,350.