2024 Pharmacy Technician Salary in Arkansas
Once you have decided to become a pharmacy technician and you want to work in The Natural State, then you should know that Arkansas offers tremendous employment opportunities for aspiring pharmacy technicians. According to BLS, AR is expected to hire over 390 pharmacy technicians every year until 2030, representing a growth of 9.78% which is over 4.77% higher than the national average. While working as a pharmacy technician in Arkansas, you can fetch the highest annual salary in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway and Hot Springs cities, whereas concerning healthcare industries, hospitals and departmental stores in AR pay the highest salaries. In last five years, pharmacy technician salary in Arkansas grew at an average rate of 11.42%.
Pharmacy Technician Average Salary in Arkansas
Arkansas pharmacy technicians make $15.72 per hour while working part time, whereas full timers earn an annual average salary of $32,690 which is 13.91% lower than the national average. However, if you wisely select your work city in AR and get your PTCB certification, you can end up making more than the annual average salary in the state.
| Type | Average Salary |
| Hourly Wage | $15.72 |
| Monthly Salary | $2,720 |
| Annual Salary | $32,690 |
Pharmacy Technician Salary by Experience in AR
After completing your high school and pharmacy training education, you can start earning $11.27 per hour working as a part timer and $23,450 per annum, working as a full time pharmacy technician in Arkansas. In less than ten years, you can expect to earn around $29,650 annually and within 20 years, your annual salary will be around $36,630. AR will consistently raise your salary based on your experience. After 20+ years of experience, you can make $21.86 per hour or $45,470 per year.
| Level of Experience | Hourly | Annual |
| Less than 1 year (Starting) | $11.27 | $23,450 |
| 1-4 years | $13.75 | $28,610 |
| 5-9 years | $14.25 | $29,650 |
| 10-19 years | $17.61 | $36,630 |
| 20 years or more | $21.86 | $45,470 |
Total Number of PTCB Certified Pharmacy Techs in Arkansas: 1,505
There are only 1,505 PTCB Certified pharmacy technicians in Arkansas as certification is not mandatory in the state. However employers in healthcare sector prefer PTCB certified candidates.Salary Growth (2017-2021)
AR has always shown positive salary growth numbers in last five years. In 2017, pharmacy technicians in Arkansas earned $30,210, which marked a growth of 2.97% in that year. The highest salary growth was seen in 2021, when salaries of pharmacy technicians in AR grew by 5.42%. Overall in last five years, AR added $3,350 more to the annual salaries of pharmacy technicians.
| Year | Annual Salary | Growth |
| 2017 | $30,210 | 2.97% |
| 2018 | $29,640 | -1.89% |
| 2019 | $30,930 | 4.35% |
| 2020 | $31,010 | 0.26% |
| 2021 | $32,690 | 5.42% |
| Total | $3,350 | 11.42% |
Employment Growth (2017-2021)
Apart from 2017 and 2019 when pharmacy techs were employed at positive growth of 15.66% and 8.69% respectively. Arkansas has actively increased the employment rate with amazing numbers except in 2021where there has been negative growth rate of 8.10%.
| Year | Employment | Growth |
| 2017 | 4,580 | 15.66% |
| 2018 | 4,490 | -1.97% |
| 2019 | 4,880 | 8.69% |
| 2020 | 4,570 | -6.35% |
| 2021 | 4,200 | -8.10% |
| Total | 240 | 6.06% |
Industry Wise Salary and Employment (2021)
The highest salary of $37,270 annually is paid by Arkansas hospitals which employs over 650 pharmacy technicians in the state, whereas the largest number of 2,100 pharmacy technicians are employed at retail pharmacies in AR, paying around $30,330 annually. AR department stores employ least number of pharmacy technicians, whereas lowest salary is paid at Grocery Stores in Arkansas.
| Industry | Employment | Hourly Salary | Annual Salary |
| Retail Pharmacies | 2,100 | $14.59 | $30,330 |
| Hospitals | 650 | $17.93 | $37,270 |
| Grocery Stores | 400 | $14.20 | $29,530 |
| Other General Merchandise Stores | 370 | $16.28 | $33,850 |
| Department Stores | 150 | $16.13 | $33,530 |
Arkansas City Wise Salary and Employment (2021)
As an entry level pharmacy technician, you can get the best starting salary of $28,820 per annum at Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers in Arkansas, whereas the lowest starting salary of $22,970 is paid in Fort Smith. Hot Springs and Fort Smith employ 180 and 350 pharmacy technicians respectively, whereas the largest numbers of 1,290 pharmacy technicians are employed at Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway area in Arkansas. As a part timer, you can make the best remuneration of $16.53 per hour in Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers.
| Area Name | Employment | Hourly | Annual | Starting Salary | Experienced Salary |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway | 1,290 | $16.08 | $33,440 | $23,650 | $45,850 |
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers | 700 | $16.53 | $34,380 | $28,820 | $46,170 |
| Fort Smith | 350 | $15.59 | $32,420 | $22,970 | $45,850 |
| Jonesboro | 240 | $15.61 | $32,480 | $23,320 | $37,330 |
| Hot Springs | 180 | $15.51 | $32,260 | $23,340 | $45,190 |
| Pine Bluff | 80 | $15.34 | $31,910 | $23,350 | $44,730 |
Pharmacy Tech Job Outlook in AR (2020-2030)
In 2020, Arkansas had over 4,600 pharmacy technicians working all across the state and as per the estimation by BLS, AR will have around 5,050 pharmacy technician by 2030, representing a growth of 9.78%. Arkansas is likely to open 390 job vacancies every year for the aspiring pharmacy technicians. The leading healthcare companies like CVS Health Retail, Mercy, Kroger Stores, Walgreens, Fred’s Inc and many others will employ both certified and non-certified pharmacy technicians across the state of Arkansas.
| 2020 Employment | 2030 Employment | Percent Change | Projected Annual Job Openings | |
| Arkansas | 4,600 | 5,050 | 9.78% | 390 |
| United States | 447,300 | 469,700 | 5.01% | 43,500 |
Pharmacy Technician Arkansas VS Pharmacy Technician National
There is a difference of about 13.91% between the salaries of pharmacy technicians in Arkansas and national average. Arkansas pharmacy technicians earn an annual average income of $32,690 against the national average at $37,970 per annum, marking a difference of 5,280.
| Type | Arkansas Salary | US Salary | Difference | % Difference |
| Hourly Wage | $15.72 | $18.25 | -2.54 | -13.91% |
| Monthly Salary | $2,720 | $3,160 | -440 | -13.92% |
| Annual Salary | $32,690 | $37,970 | -5,280 | -13.91% |
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