Pharmacy Technician
Forty-four states require pharmacy technicians to obtain licenses. On average, these laws require $136 in fees, 46 days of education and experience, and about one exam—the 73rd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pharmacy technicians are licensed by most states, the occupation ranks as the 26th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary greatly across states. While most states (29) require no education or experience, Florida, Nevada and West Virginia require over 220 days—more than seven months—of education and experience. (See Appendix B for details on education and experience requirements.) Similarly, while Utah requires two exams, 19 states require none. Fees also vary, from $25 in Kentucky and Rhode Island to $379 in New Mexico.
| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 44 | $105.00 | 245 | 1050 clock hours | - | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 2 | West Virginia | 44 | $190.00 | 227 | 20 clock hours | 960 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 3 | Nevada | 44 | $80.00 | 222 | 600 clock hours | 350 clock hours | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 44 | $269.75 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 5 | Utah | 44 | $229.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 0 |
| 6 | Arizona | 44 | $197.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 7 | Illinois | 44 | $169.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 44 | $40.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 9 | Washington | 44 | $189.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 10 | New Mexico | 44 | $379.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 44 | $25.00 | 140 | - | 600 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 12 | North Dakota | 44 | $174.00 | 91 | - | 3 months | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 44 | $150.00 | 56 | 240 clock hours | - | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Maryland | 44 | $63.00 | 37 | - | 160 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 15 | Wyoming | 44 | $229.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | Idaho | 44 | $198.75 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 17 | Indiana | 44 | $193.45 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 18 | Montana | 44 | $189.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 19 | Nebraska | 44 | $154.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 20 | California | 44 | $290.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 21 | Oregon | 44 | $231.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 22 | Texas | 44 | $209.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 23 | Ohio | 44 | $46.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 24 | New Hampshire | 44 | $50.00 | 19 | - | 80 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 25 | Michigan | 44 | $184.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 26 | Iowa | 44 | $169.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 27 | South Dakota | 44 | $154.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 27 | Virginia | 44 | $154.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 29 | Alaska | 44 | $120.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 30 | Mississippi | 44 | $90.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 31 | New Jersey | 44 | $85.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 44 | $37.50 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 33 | Arkansas | 44 | $72.75 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 34 | North Carolina | 44 | $159.00 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Georgia | 44 | $100.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 36 | Alabama | 44 | $60.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 44 | $25.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 38 | Tennessee | 44 | $127.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Connecticut | 44 | $100.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Missouri | 44 | $78.05 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 41 | Kansas | 44 | $68.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 42 | Vermont | 44 | $50.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 43 | Maine | 44 | $41.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | South Carolina | 44 | $40.00 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | 0 |