Insights / Hardest metros by occupation / California
10 metros where Pharmacy Technicians are hardest to fill
San Jose should be staffed first for technicians, and San Jose already scores 8.3.
San Jose pays technicians about $75.5K, 65% above the national median, and San Jose stays first.
San Jose technicians are barely half as common, with San Jose share 0.52 against a typical metro.
Fresno closes the technician sheet at 7.4, with Fresno pay about $52.2K, 14% above the national median.
Each metro
1San Jose, CA
- Score
- 8.3
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.52
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.565
- Metro median
- $75,490
- Pay ratio
- 1.65
2San Francisco, CA
- Score
- 8.2
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.56
- Jobs per 1,000
- 1.700
- Metro median
- $60,550
- Pay ratio
- 1.32
3Seattle, WA
- Score
- 8.0
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.73
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.218
- Metro median
- $61,320
- Pay ratio
- 1.34
4Portland, OR
- Score
- 8.0
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.67
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.038
- Metro median
- $58,590
- Pay ratio
- 1.28
5Sacramento, CA
- Score
- 7.9
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.86
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.609
- Metro median
- $58,470
- Pay ratio
- 1.28
6San Diego, CA
- Score
- 7.7
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.77
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.339
- Metro median
- $54,500
- Pay ratio
- 1.19
7Los Angeles, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.69
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.093
- Metro median
- $50,760
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
8Denver, CO
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.67
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.027
- Metro median
- $50,970
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
9Oxnard, CA
- Score
- 7.5
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.74
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.235
- Metro median
- $50,720
- Pay ratio
- 1.11
10Fresno, CA
- Score
- 7.4
- Band
- Hard
- Location quotient
- 0.91
- Jobs per 1,000
- 2.774
- Metro median
- $52,210
- Pay ratio
- 1.14
Ranked table
Swipe the table sideways. The same figures are in the blocks above.
| Rank | Metro | Score | Band | Location quotient | Jobs per 1,000 | Metro median | Pay ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | 8.3 | Hard | 0.52 | 1.565 | $75,490 | 1.65 |
| 2 | San Francisco, CA | 8.2 | Hard | 0.56 | 1.700 | $60,550 | 1.32 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | 8.0 | Hard | 0.73 | 2.218 | $61,320 | 1.34 |
| 4 | Portland, OR | 8.0 | Hard | 0.67 | 2.038 | $58,590 | 1.28 |
| 5 | Sacramento, CA | 7.9 | Hard | 0.86 | 2.609 | $58,470 | 1.28 |
| 6 | San Diego, CA | 7.7 | Hard | 0.77 | 2.339 | $54,500 | 1.19 |
| 7 | Los Angeles, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.69 | 2.093 | $50,760 | 1.11 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | 7.5 | Hard | 0.67 | 2.027 | $50,970 | 1.11 |
| 9 | Oxnard, CA | 7.5 | Hard | 0.74 | 2.235 | $50,720 | 1.11 |
| 10 | Fresno, CA | 7.4 | Hard | 0.91 | 2.774 | $52,210 | 1.14 |
Takeaways
- San Francisco technicians are less common than typical, share 0.56, about a third under usual San Francisco supply.
- Seattle technicians earn about $61.3K, so Seattle should wait until San Jose is fully sourced.
- Los Angeles technicians show share 0.69, and Los Angeles is not where this search should open.
- Portland technicians earn about $58.6K, which Portland still leaves behind the San Jose start.
For recruiters
- San Jose recruiters should staff technicians there before San Jose opens any second metro.
- Fresno can be the comparison after San Jose pay and the San Jose bench are set.
- Put the California wage in the Hiring Pack.
FAQ
- Are these posted wages or open jobs?
- No. The table is a government survey or a designation file.
- What should a recruiter do first?
- Follow the recruiter note on this page.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
Related hiring pages
Methodology
Rows are the scored metro pages for Pharmacy Technicians (29-2052) with the highest public market difficulty score, up to 10. Metros under 500 workers are not scored. A metro page is scored only when OEWS employment for that occupation is at least 500. Below that, the page stays up and is left off this ranking. Postsecondary teaching occupations and medical scientists are left off even when they are scored. Nominal weights, before a missing shortage match is rescaled, are projected openings divided by 2025 employment 18%, projected growth 22%, the metro median divided by the U.S. median 40%, how common the occupation is locally compared with the country 8% (the location-quotient column; a lower figure means a thinner local bench), a matching HRSA shortage designation 8%, and statewide all-industry JOLTS for December 2025 4%. Bands are Standard under 4, Elevated from 4 up to 7, and Hard at 7 and above. The California total-nonfarm job openings rate for December 2025 is 3.6. The U.S. rate is 4.0. Both are all-industry JOLTS rates. The article is tagged to California because that state holds the leading metro, so the publishing calendar does not stack it with another California article the same day. Rounded figures in the prose: $75,490 is stated as about $75.5K. a comparison of 1.65 is stated as 65 percent. $45,750 is stated as about $45.8K. Rounded figures in the prose: $52,210 is stated as about $52.2K. a comparison of 1.14 is stated as 14 percent. $61,320 is stated as about $61.3K. $58,590 is stated as about $58.6K.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm · December 2025
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