2026 Edition · An annual reference on what work pays

Houston vs. Los Angeles

Pharmacy Technicians. Median, spread and buying power, side by side.

Data released May 2025 BLS OEWS · SOC 29-2052
Fig. 1 — Side by side

Both distributions, one scale

10th to 90th percentile, median struck in red
40k60k80k HOUSTON $46,400 LOS ANGELES $50,760
Table 1 — Adjusted

Los Angeles's median is 9.4% higher — but after local prices, the advantage flips: a median salary goes further in Houston.

Houston's median $46,400 buys $47,000 at national prices (price parity 98.6); Los Angeles's $50,760 buys $44,700 (113.6).

Table 2 — The figures

Point by point

Published percentiles for both metros; the last column is Los Angeles against Houston.

HoustonLos AngelesΔ
Employment10,61013,130+23.8%
10th percentile$35,430$39,820+12.4%
25th percentile$37,740$45,180+19.7%
Median$46,400$50,760+9.4%
75th percentile$49,570$62,910+26.9%
90th percentile$61,120$78,850+29.0%
Sources

How this page was made

Wage data
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release. Public domain.
Price parity
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Full pages
Pharmacy Technicians in Houston · Pharmacy Technicians in Los Angeles

Percentiles are reported exactly as released. Derived (price-adjusted) figures round to the nearest hundred. We take no payment for how any figure is presented.