Side-by-side distribution
Formulation Scientist
$145,550
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 63.3%
- Live roles
- 30
Pharmacy Technician
$24.15/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 83%
- Live roles
- 7,039
Highest-paying jobs
Principal Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences
Staff Membrane Formulation Scientist
Associate Principal Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences
Principal Scientist, Formulation Development (DPDT)
Principal Scientist - Process & Formulation
Senior Scientist, Oral Formulation Sciences (On-site)
Manager/Principal Scientist Research & Development - Polymer Formulation
Senior Formulation Scientist, Sterile & Peptide Product Development
Principal Scientist – Protein Formulation & Biophysical Characterization (High-Concentration Biologics)
Scientist, Process Development (Formulation)
Highest-paying jobs
Supervisor, Pharmacy Technician Operations, Specialty Pharmacy
Pharmacy Manager, Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT)
Pharmacy Manager, Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT)
Pharmacy Manager, Registered Pharmacy Technician (RPhT) (1 Year contract)
Inpatient Pharmacy Technician II
Hospital Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technician Supervisor
Ambulatory Pharmacy Technician II
Infusion Pharmacy Technician, Oncology
Infusion Pharmacy Technician, Oncology
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
MSD
|
$166,925 | 4 |
| DE Dexcom | $189,100 | 1 |
|
Regeneron
|
$169,300 | 1 |
| BP Bora Pharmaceuticals | $163,500 | 1 |
|
Hims & Hers
|
$160,000 | 1 |
Avalyn Pharma
|
$156,000 | 1 |
|
Cresilon, Inc.
|
$155,000 | 1 |
PTC Therapeutics
|
$145,550 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CVS Health
|
$43,160 | 4,944 |
|
Option Care Health
|
$51,917 | 66 |
Advocate Health
|
$56,836 | 60 |
| BI Beth Israel Lahey Health | $63,430 | 44 |
Cardinal Health
|
$43,992 | 39 |
| AD AdventHealth | $51,782 | 37 |
| BU Brown University Health | $54,558 | 25 |
|
Loblaw
|
$56,498 | 24 |
Pharmacy Technician salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $58,864 | 4 |
| London | $57,816 | 20 |
| San Francisco | $55,349 | 4 |
| Denver | $54,683 | 17 |
| Los Angeles | $52,874 | 19 |
| Chicago | $50,024 | 24 |
| New York | $49,920 | 44 |
| Dublin | $46,436 | 4 |
| Boston | $45,760 | 30 |
| Atlanta | $43,160 | 27 |
Formulation Scientist vs Pharmacy Technician: which pays more?
The median for Formulation Scientist is $145,550 per year (typically $96,680–$161,750), versus $24.15/hr for Pharmacy Technician ($22.00/hr–$27.33/hr). That puts Formulation Scientist about 190% 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.