Pharmacy Technician Jobs in San Diego, CA
Licensed pharmacy technicians in San Diego see posted hospital pay from about $25 an hour to nearly $42, with Scripps, Sharp, Rady Children's and UC San Diego Health all hiring for inpatient, infusion and outpatient pharmacies. Here are the current openings, then who is hiring and how to get your California license.
Current pharmacy technician Openings in San Diego, CA
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Pharmacy Technician Work in San Diego
Much of San Diego's pharmacy tech hiring runs through the hospital systems. Scripps runs a float pool that covers its five hospital locations, plus ambulatory and specialty pharmacy teams at Scripps Mercy in Hillcrest. Rady Children's staffs its inpatient pharmacy on the Kearny Mesa campus off SR-163 with rotating shifts. UC San Diego Health hires outpatient techs in Encinitas and infusion techs for its La Jolla outpatient sites, and Sharp runs both a system float pool and a discharge retail pharmacy in the Frost Street building on its Kearny Mesa metro campus.
Hospital work here leans on sterile compounding, infusion and specialty drugs, so IV experience and national certification help you stand out; Rady Children's requires IV compounding experience for its inpatient techs. Every one of these employers asks for a California pharmacy technician license before day one.
Top San Diego Employers Hiring Pharmacy Technicians
These San Diego employers post pharmacy technician openings on their own careers sites:
- Scripps Health - hires float pool techs across its five hospital locations, plus ambulatory, specialty and infusion center techs at Scripps Mercy San Diego.
- Sharp HealthCare - posts per diem float pool techs and discharge techs for the Sharp Metro retail pharmacy.
- Rady Children's Health - the Kearny Mesa children's hospital hires inpatient techs with IV compounding experience on rotating shifts under a union contract.
- UC San Diego Health - hires outpatient pharmacy techs in Encinitas and infusion techs for its La Jolla outpatient sites.
Pharmacy Technician Salaries in San Diego
- Entry level: about $25 to $31 per hour for newly licensed techs.
- Experienced: roughly $31 to $37 per hour with inpatient or IV experience.
- Senior / specialist: $37 to $42 per hour for senior, infusion and specialty techs.
These are estimates drawn from ranges San Diego employers posted in 2025 and 2026. Scripps lists $28.05 to $37.65 for its float pool, Sharp $27.84 to $41.77 for its float pool and $25.31 to $37.97 for discharge techs, Rady Children's $30.10 to $41.91 under its bargaining agreement, and UC San Diego Health $32.45 to $40.33 for a senior outpatient tech. National certification, sterile compounding skills, and specialty or oncology experience move pay up.
How to Become a Pharmacy Technician in San Diego
California requires a Pharmacy Technician license from the California State Board of Pharmacy. You need a high school diploma or equivalent and Live Scan fingerprints, plus one qualifying route: an associate degree in pharmacy technology, a training course of at least 240 hours, an ASHP-accredited program, PTCB or ExCPT national certification, or military pharmacy technician training documented on a DD-214. Locally, the Grossmont Health Occupations Center at 8770 Mast Blvd in Santee runs a one-semester pharmacy technician program for a $995 registration fee that covers fingerprinting and the PTCB exam fee, with a 160-hour internship at a local pharmacy. The state application fee is extra.
What the Job Involves
Pharmacy technicians prepare and deliver medications under a pharmacist's supervision. In a hospital, that means filling automated dispensing cabinets, compounding IV bags in a clean room, delivering medications to units, tracking controlled drugs, and scanning barcodes so every dose is accounted for. Outpatient techs enter prescriptions, handle insurance and prior authorizations, and help patients at the counter.
Skills Employers Look For
- Active California pharmacy technician license
- PTCB certification (CPhT)
- Sterile and IV compounding experience
- Pharmacy math and medical terminology
- Automated dispensing and barcode systems
- Epic or Willow pharmacy software
Career Path and Advancement
Many San Diego techs start in retail or a float pool, then move into inpatient work at Scripps, Sharp or Rady once they have IV compounding experience. From there, the path runs to infusion and specialty pharmacy, prior authorization, and senior tech roles like UC San Diego Health's Pharmacy Technician III, then to outpatient pharmacy supervisor.
Related Careers in San Diego
If pharmacy work interests you, these San Diego healthcare roles are close matches:
- Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs
- Phlebotomist Jobs
- Medical Assistant Jobs
- Medical Receptionist Jobs
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a pharmacy technician in San Diego?
Yes. California requires a Pharmacy Technician license from the California State Board of Pharmacy. Scripps, Sharp, Rady Children's and UC San Diego Health all list it as a requirement in their San Diego postings.
Is PTCB certification required in California?
Not by law. PTCB is one of several ways to qualify for the state license, along with a 240-hour course, a pharmacy technology degree, ExCPT or military training. Many San Diego hospitals list PTCB as preferred, and UC San Diego Health requires it for some senior roles.
How much do pharmacy technicians make in San Diego?
Posted hospital ranges run from about $25 an hour at the low end to about $42 at the top of Sharp's and Rady Children's scales. Most newly licensed techs start around $25 to $31 an hour.
How long does it take to become a pharmacy technician in San Diego?
The Grossmont Health Occupations Center program in Santee runs one semester, about four to five months, followed by a 160-hour internship. After that, you apply to the Board of Pharmacy with your fingerprints and proof of training.
Do hospital pharmacy techs work nights in San Diego?
Often, yes. Hospital pharmacies run around the clock, and Rady Children's inpatient pharmacy posts rotating shifts. Outpatient jobs, like UC San Diego Health's Encinitas role, can be Monday-to-Friday day shifts.
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