Illinois Pharmacy Tech Schools & Certification

Last Updated/Verified: Dec 23, 2023

Opting to become a pharmacy technician in Illinois provides you with a range of advantages. You’ll be able to work in the fast-growing healthcare field while choosing either a patient-facing role or one that is more in the background. In addition to significant advancement opportunities, you’ll also be able to choose from many different workplace environment options.

Illinois Pharmacy Technician Certification Requirements

In Illinois, there are a number of requirements you must meet in order to become a pharmacy technician. These include the following:

  • Be at least 16 years of age
  • Must hold a high school diploma or the equivalent, or you must be completing such a degree
  • Request registration as a pharmacy technician by submitting a written application to the Illinois State Board of Pharmacy
  • Pay the non-refundable registration fee
  • Be a graduate of a pharmacy technician training program or provide documents from the state-licensed pharmacist who is in charge of training you
  • Provide satisfactory results from either the ExCPT or PTCE certification exam

The Illinois State Board of Pharmacy has approved two certification exams: the PTCE and the ExCPT. The ICPT offers the Exam for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) while the PTCB offers the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE).

  • PTCE is comprised of 90 questions with multiple choice answers. Test takers are allowed 1 hour and 50 minutes in order to complete the exam.
  • ExCPT consists of 100 questions along with 20 pretest questions. The exam must be completed within 2 hours and 10 minutes in one continuous session at an approved testing center.

Illinois Pharmacy Technician Careers & Employment Outlook

Illinois pharmacy technician careers provide diverse opportunities for motivated employees. From retail pharmacies with a national presence and private hospitals to government agencies and community-based organizations, pharmacy technicians will also discover that they have room for advancement.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that pharmacy technicians will experience a job outlook that increases about four percent from 2019 through 2029. With more than 422,000 jobs in 2019, the agency expects the industry to add an additional 15,200 jobs during that decade.

For 2019, the median pay for pharmacy technicians was nearly $34,000 yearly. For those positions that pay an hourly wage instead, the median was $16.32 per hour.

According to the BLS, Illinois is the state with the fourth-highest level of employment when it comes to pharmacy technicians. About 21,090 people were employed within the industry with a mean annual wage of $33,590. More specifically regarding the Illinois region, the metro area comprised of Chicago, Naperville, IN and Elgin, WI has the second-highest level of employment for pharmacy technicians.

Obtaining certification as an Illinois pharmacy technician provides innumerable advantages for students. Not only will you have many employment opportunities, but you’ll also be well-compensated for your efforts as you perform a valuable service. In addition, you’ll discover that advancement potential and financial stability is built into this career.

Illinois Schools That Offer Pharmacy Technician Training Programs

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Get information on Pharmacy Technician programs by entering your zip code and request enrollment information.

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Carterville, IL

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John A. Logan CollegeCarterville, IL(618) 985-2828

Centralia, IL

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Kaskaskia CollegeCentralia, IL(618) 545-3000

Champaign, IL

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Parkland CollegeChampaign, IL(217) 351-2200

Chicago, IL

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City Colleges Of Chicago Harold WashingtonChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Harry S TrumanChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Kennedy-KingChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Malcolm XChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Olive-HarveyChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Richard J. DaleyChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
City Colleges Of Chicago Wilbur WrightChicago, IL(312) 553-2500
Coyne CollegeChicago, IL(773) 577-8100
Midwestern Career CollegeChicago, IL(312) 236-9000
Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL(773) 583-4050

Chicago Heights, IL

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Prairie State CollegeChicago Heights, IL(708) 709-3500

Cicero, IL

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Morton CollegeCicero, IL(708) 656-8000

Crystal Lake, IL

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McHenry County CollegeCrystal Lake, IL (Online)(815) 455-3700

Danville, IL

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Danville Area Community CollegeDanville, IL(217) 443-3222

Decatur, IL

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Richland Community CollegeDecatur, IL(217) 875-7200

Des Plaines, IL

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Oakton Community CollegeDes Plaines, IL(847) 635-1600

Dixon, IL

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Sauk Valley Community CollegeDixon, IL (Online)(815) 288-5511

East Moline, IL

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Black Hawk College Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE)East Moline, IL(309) 796-8223

East Peoria, IL

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Midwest Technical Institute-East PeoriaEast Peoria, IL(309) 427-2750

Fairfield, IL

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Illinois Eastern Community College FrontierFairfield, IL(618) 842-3711

Glen Ellyn, IL

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College of DuPageGlen Ellyn, IL(630) 942-2800

Grayslake, IL

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College of Lake CountyGrayslake, IL(847) 543-2000

Harrisburg, IL

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Southeastern Illinois CollegeHarrisburg, IL(618) 252-5400

Joliet, IL

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Joliet Junior CollegeJoliet, IL(815) 729-9020

Malta, IL

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Kishwaukee CollegeMalta, IL(815) 825-2086

Moline, IL

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Midwest Technical Institute Quad CitiesMoline, IL(888) 755-3326

Mt Carmel, IL

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Illinois Eastern Community College Wabash ValleyMt Carmel, IL(618) 262-8641

Normal, IL

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Heartland Community CollegeNormal, IL(309) 268-8000

Olney, IL

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Illinois Eastern Community College Olney CentralOlney, IL(618) 395-7777

Palatine, IL

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Harper CollegePalatine, IL(847) 925-6000

Palos Hills, IL

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Moraine Valley Community CollegePalos Hills, IL(708) 974-4300

Peoria, IL

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Illinois Central College Professional Development InstitutePeoria, IL(309) 999-4550
Midstate CollegePeoria, IL(309) 692-4092

Quincy, IL

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John Wood Community CollegeQuincy, IL(217) 224-6500

River Grove, IL

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Triton CollegeRiver Grove, IL(708) 456-0300

Robinson, IL

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Illinois Eastern Community College Lincoln TrailRobinson, IL(618) 544-8657

Rockford, IL

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Rockford Career CollegeRockford, IL(815) 965-8616

Rolling Meadows, IL

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Northwest Suburban CollegeRolling Meadows, IL(847) 290-6425

South Holland, IL

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South Suburban CollegeSouth Holland, IL(708) 596-2000

Springfield, IL

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Lincoln Land Community CollegeSpringfield, IL(217) 786-2200
Midwest Technical Institute-SpringfieldSpringfield, IL(217) 527-8324

Sugar Grove, IL

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Waubonsee Community CollegeSugar Grove, IL (Online)(630) 466-7900