Side-by-side distribution
Formulation Scientist
$139,450
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 60.9%
- Live roles
- 23
Pharmacy Technician
$24.15/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 81.8%
- Live roles
- 6,976
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences
Principal Scientist - Formulation
Senior / Principal Scientist, Formulation and Drug Product Development
Principal Scientist, Formulation Development
Principal Scientist - Process & Formulation
Manager/Principal Scientist Research & Development - Polymer Formulation
Scientist, Process Development (Formulation)
Lead Scientist, Formulation
Scientist, mRNA Formulation
Scientist, Personal Care Formulation
Highest-paying jobs
Pharmacy Technician, StaffFlex contract
Pharmacy Technician, StaffFlex contract, Evenings
Pharmacy Technician, StaffFlex StaffFlex contract
Pharmacy Manager, Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT)
Pharmacy Manager, Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT) (1 Year contract)
Sr Pharmacy Automation Technician
Ambulatory Pharmacy Technician, Lead
Inpatient Pharmacy Technician II, Bay Area Float Pool
Inpatient Pharmacy Technician II, Bay Area Float Pool
Inpatient Pharmacy Technician II
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
MSD
|
$222,900 | 1 |
| PP Praxis Precision Medicines, Inc. | $180,000 | 1 |
|
Immunome, Inc.
|
$173,058 | 1 |
| BP Bora Pharmaceuticals | $163,500 | 1 |
|
Novartis
|
$155,000 | 1 |
|
Cresilon, Inc.
|
$155,000 | 1 |
|
Moderna
|
$141,900 | 1 |
|
Entegris
|
$137,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CVS Health
|
$43,160 | 4,734 |
Option Care Health
|
$53,123 | 81 |
Cardinal Health
|
$41,600 | 46 |
| BI Beth Israel Lahey Health | $63,430 | 36 |
Advocate Health
|
$59,540 | 36 |
| AD AdventHealth | $52,510 | 33 |
| BU Brown University Health | $54,486 | 31 |
Guardian Pharmacy Services
|
$43,680 | 27 |
Pharmacy Technician salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $99,965 | 7 |
| London | $55,175 | 34 |
| Seattle | $53,830 | 12 |
| Denver | $52,988 | 16 |
| Boston | $50,263 | 36 |
| Chicago | $50,024 | 22 |
| New York | $49,920 | 36 |
| Atlanta | $43,160 | 20 |
| Paris | $43,160 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $41,746 | 19 |
Formulation Scientist vs Pharmacy Technician: which pays more?
The median for Formulation Scientist is $139,450 per year (typically $117,335–$161,375), versus $24.15/hr for Pharmacy Technician ($22.00/hr–$27.36/hr). That puts Formulation Scientist about 178% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Formulation Scientist and Pharmacy Technician are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.