What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Pharmacy Technician Occupational Licensing
License required in 44 states
68th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$144
What They Do
Pharmacy technicians prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. They may measure, mix, count out, label and record amounts and dosages of medications.
Pharmacy Technician Licensing Overview
Forty-four states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Pharmacy Technician. On average, these laws require $144 in fees, 77 days of education and about 1 exam. Pharmacy Technician Licenses have the 68th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied.
Where is a Pharmacy Technician the most regulated?
Out of the 44 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician has the highest burden in Nevada. Nevada requires $100 in fees, no exams, 350 clock hours experience, and 600 clock hours education.
Where is a Pharmacy Technician the least regulated?
Out of the 44 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician has the lowest burden in Maine. Maine requires $41 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Pharmacy Technician license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician costs the most in Arizona. Arizona requires $326 in fees, 1 exams, no experience, and 600 clock hours education.
Where is a Pharmacy Technician license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician costs the least in Kentucky, Rhode Island where the license costs $25.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Pharmacy Technician license?
An occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician takes the longest to obtain in Nevada. It takes 222 days (0 years and 12 days). Nevada requires $100 in fees, no exams, 350 clock hours experience, and 600 clock hours education.
Where is it fastest to obtain a Pharmacy Technician license?
An occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician takes the least time to obtain in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont (0 days).
What states require exams for a Pharmacy Technician license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Pharmacy Technician there is at least one exam required in: Arizona, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming.
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.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Alaska | 64 | $150 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 35 | Alabama | 63 | $104 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 72 | $106 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 2 | Arizona | 68 | $326 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 26 | California | 75 | $249 | 56 | 240 clock hours | None | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 65 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Florida | 55 | $105 | 37 | 160 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 36 | Georgia | 41 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 20 | Iowa | 71 | $169 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 13 | Idaho | 66 | $192 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Illinois | 41 | $157 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 14 | Indiana | 37 | $192 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 24 | Kansas | 35 | $243 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 38 | Kentucky | 38 | $25 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 77 | $281 | 140 | None | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | 50 | $150 | 56 | 240 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 28 | Maryland | 58 | $83 | 37 | None | 160 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 44 | Maine | 46 | $41 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Michigan | 48 | $264 | 117 | 501 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 33 | Minnesota | 35 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 41 | Missouri | 33 | $78 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Mississippi | 65 | $90 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 16 | Montana | 32 | $164 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 22 | North Carolina | 66 | $159 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 8 | North Dakota | 65 | $162 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 17 | Nebraska | 61 | $154 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | 37 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 32 | New Jersey | 54 | $85 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 8 | New Mexico | 66 | $162 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 1 | Nevada | 75 | $100 | 222 | 600 clock hours | 350 clock hours | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 25 | Ohio | 40 | $97 | 70 | None | 300 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 10 | Oklahoma | 42 | $40 | 140 | None | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 11 | Oregon | 69 | $288 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 70 | $25 | 140 | None | 600 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 42 | South Carolina | 60 | $56 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | South Dakota | 32 | $154 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 39 | Tennessee | 69 | $130 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Texas | 38 | $212 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 6 | Utah | 64 | $212 | 140 | 600 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 21 | Virginia | 72 | $164 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 43 | Vermont | 31 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Washington | 76 | $187 | 140 | None | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | West Virginia | 67 | $142 | 143 | 620 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 12 | Wyoming | 26 | $229 | 117 | 500 clock hours | None | 1 | 12 | 18 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
View Report