How to get a pharmacy technician job with no experience
Pharmacy tech is one of the few healthcare jobs you can start without a degree or experience. Pharmacies hire every week. Here's how people go from no experience to hired in a few months. Switching careers? Read is pharmacy tech a good career change.
The job, by the numbers
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook (pay: May 2025; openings and growth: 2025 to 2035). Pay varies by state, setting, and employer.
Getting hired, step by step
- Get trained. A PTCB-recognized program teaches the drugs, the math, the laws, and the safety rules you'll use on the job. Foothills is online and self-paced, so you can keep your current job while you train.
- Get certified. Pass the PTCE to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT). Many employers prefer it, some states require it, and it goes with you if you move.
- Check your state. Most states have you register with the state board of pharmacy. See our guides for North Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Georgia, and Tennessee.
- Apply where techs are hired. Retail and grocery pharmacies, independent pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care, mail-order, and compounding pharmacies all hire technicians.
- Lead with your certification. Put "CPhT" (or "PTCE scheduled") at the top of your resume. Customer service, cash handling, and attention to detail from any past job count.
Train for the job for $180
Foothills is a PTCB-recognized online program taught by a licensed pharmacist with 33 years in the field and six years teaching pharmacy tech at community colleges. Finish it and you can sit for the PTCE.
Most students are ready in about 4 months. Community college programs often cost $3,000 or more. Foothills is about $541 start to certified.