NOC 2021 · 32124 · TEER 2
NOC 32124: Pharmacy technicians
Official NOC 2021, Job Bank and IRCC data · checked 21 October 2026
Pharmacy technicians perform technical functions relating to prescriptions including gathering patients' information, product preparation, product distribution and inventory control. They work closely with pharmacists to provide pharmaceutical care to clients. Pharmacy technicians are employed in retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities and by pharmaceutical manufacturers. Pharmacy technicians who are supervisors are included in this unit group.
TEER
TEER 2
Usually needs a college diploma, an apprenticeship of 2 or more years, or supervisory work
Median wage (Canada)
$24.83 / hour
Job Bank, 2023-2024
High-wage tier (from 3 Nov 2026)
Not on the list
No high-wage CRS points
Express Entry categories
Healthcare and social services
Category-based draws (2026)
Express Entry
How NOC 32124 counts for Express Entry
- Federal Skilled Worker: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of continuous skilled (TEER 0–3) work in the last 10 years and 67 points on the FSW grid.
- Canadian Experience Class: eligible occupationNeeds 1 year of skilled (TEER 0–3) work in Canada in the last 3 years.
- Federal Skilled Trades: not eligibleNeeds 2 years of work in an eligible trade group in the last 5 years, plus a job offer or a Canadian certificate of qualification.
High-wage CRS points
NOC 32124 is not one of IRCC's 186 high-wage occupations, so Canadian work or a job offer in it earns no high-wage points. Your usual Canadian work-length points still count.
See all 186 high-wage occupationsCategory-based draws
- Healthcare and social services
At least 12 months of full-time work experience (or equal part-time) in the past 3 years in one listed occupation, plus Express Entry eligibility and the round instructions.
IRCC category listsDuties
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assist pharmacists to maintain inventories of medications and prescription records of pharmaceutical products
- Assess prescriptions for completeness and ensure information is accurate
- Gather and enter client information in databases and prepare medications for clients in collaboration with pharmacists
- Compound pharmaceutical products such as intravenous injections, oral solutions, ointments and creams
- Process payment of prescriptions and other pharmacy services including direct billing to third party insurers
- Provide instructions on how to use health aids, and medical devices such as drug administration devices and monitoring devices
- May help with scheduling and workflow.
For Express Entry, your experience must match the lead statement and most of these duties, not only the job title.
Job titles
Example job titles
- pharmacy technician
- pharmacy technician supervisor
All 7 job titles in NOC 32124
- certified pharmacy technician
- pharmaceutical technician
- pharmacy technician
- pharmacy technician supervisor
- registered pharmacy technician
- regulated pharmacy technician
- senior pharmacy technician
Requirements
Employment requirements
- Pharmacy technicians usually require a two-year pharmacy technician college program or completion of a two- to three-year college program in pharmaceutics and supervised practical training.
- Completion of the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) certification exams is required for pharmacy technicians.
- Registration with a regulatory body is required for pharmacy technicians in all provinces except Quebec.
Additional information
- Pharmacy technicians may progress to supervisory positions with experience.
This occupation may be regulated in some provinces. You may need a licence or certificate from the provincial regulator before you can work in it in Canada, even if you hold permanent residence.
Wages
Wages for NOC 32124 in Canada
Low, median and high wages per hour in Canadian dollars, from ESDC Job Bank's 2025 wage data.
| Region | Low | Median | High | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $17.50 | $24.83 | $34.20 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $18.75 | $26.94 | $31.85 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Prince Edward Island | $16.50 | $21.00 | $32.69 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.00 | $25.00 | $30.00 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| New Brunswick | $18.00 | $26.94 | $31.85 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Quebec | $17.00 | $20.00 | $27.00 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Ontario | $18.00 | $26.45 | $36.80 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Manitoba | $18.00 | $28.00 | $38.82 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Saskatchewan | $15.50 | $25.00 | $36.92 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| Alberta | $18.50 | $26.75 | $38.98 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
| British Columbia | $20.00 | $31.00 | $34.18 | Labour Force Survey, 2023-2024 |
Provinces with too little data are not shown. Wages vary by city and employer; see Job Bank for regional figures.
Job outlook
Job outlook by province, 2025–2027
Job Bank rates the 3-year outlook as good or very good in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Alberta.
Very goodPrince Edward Island
The employment outlook will be Very good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Prince Edward Island for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Prince Edward Island:
Approximately 150 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 52%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 48%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 84% compared to 84% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 16% compared to 16% for all occupations
64% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 36% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: less than 5% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: more than 95% compared to 49% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 19% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: n/a
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 54% compared to 25% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 23% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
GoodNewfoundland and Labrador
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Newfoundland and Labrador for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Newfoundland and Labrador:
Approximately 400 people worked in this occupation in May 2021.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 63%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 37%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 95% compared to 83% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 5% compared to 17% for all occupations
89% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 11% work only part of the year, compared to 56% and 43% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 48 weeks compared to 40 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 9% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 91% compared to 49% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 5% compared to 27% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 16% compared to 17% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 75% compared to 23% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: less than 5% compared to 14% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
GoodNova Scotia
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Nova Scotia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Recent graduates from fields of study related to this occupation have found it easy to find work.
Strong demand for pharmacy technicians has emerged in recent years as the number of pharmacies and the services they can provide in Nova Scotia have both expanded. Jobseekers in this occupation should have little difficulty finding employment and may benefit from the upward pressure on wages created by the shortage of candidates.
In response to the shortage of workers in this occupation, a new pharmacy technician bridging program was introduced in 2024 which allows employed pharmacy assistants to upgrade their skills through online study.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Nova Scotia:
Approximately 700 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 71%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 28%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 80% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 20% compared to 18% for all occupations
79% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 21% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 7% compared to 51% for all occupations
Women: 93% compared to 49% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 24% compared to 27% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 12% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 51% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 10% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
GoodNew Brunswick
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in New Brunswick for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
An increasing and ageing population is largely driving the demand for pharmacy technicians.
Pharmacy technicians who wish to work in n New Brunswick must be certified by the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) and must register with the New Brunswick College of Pharmacists. Candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Pharmacy technicians work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, retail pharmacies, health insurance companies and third-party billing centres, pharmaceutical companies, drug wholesalers and pharmacy supply companies.
Candidates must have a willingness to keep up to date with new developments, including new products and updates to existing products.
Strong communication skills and good manual dexterity are considered an asset for this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in New Brunswick:
Approximately 900 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 72%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 27%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 92% compared to 84% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 8% compared to 16% for all occupations
75% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 25% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 6% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 94% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: n/a
high school diploma or equivalent: 14% compared to 30% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 17% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 60% compared to 23% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 9% compared to 16% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: n/a
GoodOntario
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Ontario for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
What Types of Employers Are Out There?
Pharmacies and drug stores
Hospitals
What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?
Greater need for medication management and overall health care services to support the growing and aging population in Ontario
Investments in health care facilities and hospitals
What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?
Registration with the Ontario College of Pharmacists is required to practise
What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?
Ability to work evenings and weekends to meet client needs may be required
Generally, Bridging Programs are available to assist internationally trained professionals in various fields enter the labour market more quickly in the province.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Ontario:
Approximately 9,550 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 63%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 30%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 84% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 16% compared to 19% for all occupations
80% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 20% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 47 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of pharmacy technicians are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 15% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 85% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 9% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 14% compared to 25% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 8% compared to 8% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 53% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 19% compared to 24% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 6% compared to 13% for all occupations
GoodAlberta
The employment outlook will be Good for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Alberta for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Alberta:
Approximately 2,600 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 56%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 32%
Provincial and territorial public administration (NAICS 912): 8%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 80% compared to 80% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 20% compared to 20% for all occupations
75% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 25% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of pharmacy technicians are self-employed compared to an average of 15% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 10% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 90% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 10% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 6% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 15% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 57% compared to 19% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 15% compared to 21% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 6% compared to 9% for all occupations
ModerateQuebec
The employment outlook will be Moderate for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Quebec for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a few new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Quebec:
Approximately 11,450 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 84%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 8%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 64% compared to 82% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 36% compared to 18% for all occupations
70% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 30% work only part of the year, compared to 62% and 38% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 44 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of pharmacy technicians are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 12% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 88% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 26% compared to 19% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 27% compared to 19% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 30% compared to 22% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 11% compared to 17% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
ModerateManitoba
The employment outlook will be Moderate for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Manitoba for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Manitoba:
Approximately 650 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 77%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 16%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 84% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 16% compared to 19% for all occupations
78% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 22% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 16% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 84% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 12% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 14% compared to 31% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 28% compared to 12% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 31% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 21% compared to 20% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
ModerateSaskatchewan
The employment outlook will be Moderate for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in Saskatchewan for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
Not many positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in Saskatchewan:
Approximately 550 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 67%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 32%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 79% compared to 81% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 21% compared to 19% for all occupations
79% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 21% work only part of the year, compared to 65% and 35% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 43 weeks for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 12% compared to 53% for all occupations
Women: 88% compared to 47% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 11% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 22% compared to 33% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 13% compared to 15% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 53% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 9% compared to 18% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 7% for all occupations
ModerateBritish Columbia
The employment outlook will be Moderate for pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124) in British Columbia for the 2025-2027 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
Employment growth will lead to a moderate number of new positions.
A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
Here are some key facts about pharmacy technicians in British Columbia:
Approximately 3,900 people work in this occupation.
Pharmacy technicians mainly work in the following sectors:
Other retail stores (NAICS 44-45, except 445): 56%
Hospitals (NAICS 622): 41%
The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
Full-time workers: 80% compared to 78% for all occupations
Part-time workers: 20% compared to 22% for all occupations
77% of pharmacy technicians work all year, while 23% work only part of the year, compared to 61% and 39% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 46 weeks compared to 42 weeks for all occupations.
Less than 5% of pharmacy technicians are self-employed compared to an average of 17% for all occupations.
The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
Men: 16% compared to 52% for all occupations
Women: 84% compared to 48% for all occupations
The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
no high school diploma: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupations
high school diploma or equivalent: 14% compared to 28% for all occupations
apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 28% compared to 13% for all occupations
college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor's: 34% compared to 17% for all occupations
bachelor's degree: 19% compared to 22% for all occupations
university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: 6% compared to 12% for all occupations
UndeterminedNorthwest Territories
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
UndeterminedNunavut
An employment outlook has not been assigned to this occupation in this region due to low levels of employment.
Source: ESDC Job Bank, 3-year employment outlooks 2025–2027 (released December 2025).
Provinces
Provincial Nominee Programs
A provincial nomination adds 600 CRS points. Most provinces run occupation-targeted draws or in-demand lists, and some accept TEER 4 and 5 occupations that Express Entry does not.
Provincial lists change often, sometimes between draws. We check whether NOC 32124 is being targeted by any province as part of a consultation.
Similar occupations
Related NOC codes
Classified elsewhere
If your duties fit one of these better, use that code instead.
Same occupation group
Medical technologists and technicians
Questions
NOC 32124: common questions
What is the NOC code for pharmacy technicians?
What TEER category is NOC 32124?
Is NOC 32124 eligible for Express Entry?
Is NOC 32124 a high-wage occupation for Express Entry?
Is NOC 32124 eligible for category-based Express Entry draws?
What is the median wage for NOC 32124 in Canada?
Classification
Where it sits in NOC 2021
- 3Health occupationsBroad Category
- 32Technical occupations in healthMajor Group
- 321Technical occupations in health (except practitioners of natural healing)Sub-major Group
- 3212Medical technologists and techniciansMinor Group
- 32124Pharmacy technicians
Enquiry
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Tell us your duties, experience and language scores. We will confirm your NOC code and the Canadian routes that fit.
Sources: Statistics Canada, NOC 2021 Version 1.0, Job Bank wages (2025), Job Bank outlooks 2025–2027 and IRCC. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Checked 21 October 2026.
NOC 2026 is due from Statistics Canada in December 2026. IRCC still uses NOC 2021 codes, and this page will show any change once IRCC switches.
This page is general information, not immigration advice. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Government of Canada, IRCC or ESDC.
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