From the U.S. Department of Labor:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the estimated mean annual wage for Pharmacy Technicians as of May 2008 is, $28,500. This would amount to $13.70 per hour. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.95 and $15.88. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.27, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $18.98.
More input from Answers.com contributors:
- Pharmacy techs are paid very poorly during their early years of employment. It's up to the pharmacist to how high or low your pay cheque will be. They have the monopoly over the techs. On the Early stages techs receive $25 000- $35 000. Once you have seniority (10 years of experience!) you will make around $40 000 yearly. * According to the American Medical Association, the average starting salary for pharmacy technicians is $19,000. The wages vary by industry and level of experience
- The salary per year for a pharmacy technician is about $10.00 to $17.00 per hour. The median expected salary for a typical Pharmacy Technician I in the United States is $24,954.
- Ask someone at the reference desk of your local public library for the Occupational Outlook Handbook. It lists all kinds of information you would need to know,(including the salary) of just about any occupation you can think of.
- I don't know how much pharmacy techs make in Florida, but I live in North Carolina and I am a pharmacy tech. I make $10.00 and hour because I am not yet certified. Once I am certified I'm sure it will be a lot more.
- I just got hired at a place in Ohio.... and they are starting me off at $9.50 an hour. and I'm not even certified yet.
- As i understand it Utah and 1 other state are the only states that REQUIRE a certification course with internship hours and state testing before you ever start working in a pharmacy... this may make these 2 states pay more... according to my OWATC class in Utah the starting pay is about 12.00/hour but i have heard of people starting as high as 15 or 16 per hour... any thoughts?
- Earnings of $20-40 dollars an hour are extremely rare, especially within the domain of retail pharmacy chains, where most prescriptions are filled, giving these chains dominance in the pharmacy marketplace and, in turn, creating a large repository of pharmacy technician jobs. Those who make within the range posted for the aforementioned answer are usually pharmacy interns, not technicians.
- What I have encountered among my colleagues while being a pharmacy technician for a large pharmacy retail chain, a pharmacy technician could earn anywhere between $7.00 and $20.00 per hour, depending on years of experience, pharmacy technician certifications (certifications from the federal government and state of residence in the US), and any formal education gearing one towards pharmacy technician practices and procedures (e.g. strong mathematical and algebraic skills are required. However, having some knowledge in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pathology, and psychiatry/psychology are helpful, but not required). Further, having strong customer service skills, being able to learn by example, and possessing lots of patience are a must for this job.
- I get paid $15.00/hour at CVS.
- I was just RAISED to $7.55/hour after 6 months of employment
- I make $8.27/hour at CVS in New England. I have 2 years experience (at CVS) and am certified in my state. I am also attending the pharmacy school in the fall. As I have found, the pay rate depends on the district manager, especially in large, retail pharmacies.
- I make $18/ph and have a travel allowance of about $35/pweek-I thought this was pretty low, maybe not! I have only just fully qualified last month (Wellington, NZ)
- I work in hospital pharmacy in Washington state and make $ 19.45 an hour. This is with 9 years of experience. Our hourly rate ranges from $ 15.50 - $ 23.50 per hour. We are required to be licensed and some of us are Nationally certified as well. Our hospital does not recognize national certification as a reason to pay higher wages, but many retail sites in our area do.
- I am a pharmacy technician for Kroger Pharmacy in GA and I make $7.50 an hour starting out, but that is because I have customer service experience. Everyone else stats out at $7.00. We get raises and I know in one year you get a .50 cent raise so that would put me at $8.00 an hour without certification. With certification with each level it is a .75 cent raise until you get national certification and then I am not sure what it is.
- I am employed in California not certified and make $21 an hour with 3 years experience. I work inpatient which pays a lot more than retail from the looks of things. I would never work retail, you don't get to put your skills to use.
- CANADA - I work in a CANADIAN hospital. I am a Certified Pharmacy tech and I make $25.77/hour. Retails pharmacies in this area (Ontario) vary according to managers designated payscales however it ranges from about $10-$20/hour. There are many changes happening with Pharmacy Technicians in Canada and we are currenly going through a Regulatory Process. One can only assume that our payscale will rise after this in place.
- I am a certified and state licensed tech in Texas, I started at $9.50 while not certified, I was bumped to $12.00/hr when certified, and am now making $13.50 with about a year of experience. I work at a major drugstore chain. Senior techs at our store get paid according to profits and get bonuses. Minimum for a senior tech is $16.00 an hour here, and with profit sharing goes as high as $21 an hour, and senior techs make a bonus that's about 35% of the pharmacy manager's bonus, if this is a busy 24 hour location, it can sometimes be a bonus in excess of $10,000 before taxes. Don't work at a big box store (wal mart, kroger, target) as they pay much less. Drugstores, hospitals are best.
- I work at Rite Aide as a pharmacy tech and get paid minimum wage ($7.25/hr). I'm not certified yet, but once I am I'll be getting paid an extra dollar. This job is a lot of work and the worst part about it is dealing with rude customers. It's definitely not a job worth doing for minimum wage. It could be that Rite Aide is just a horrible company to work for.
- I am employed in Texas as well but, I am at a big-box retailer and the horror stories are true. I am a certified and licensed (registered) C.ph.t and I have been with the company for 10 years in my position. I have been the lead technician for 6 of those years. I am making only 14.95 per hour and I am no longer eligible for raises and we do not get bonuses or any other incentive pay. I am the only full time pharm tech at my store and it is a hassle to get declared as full time. If you are not full time the max rate of pay is around 13.50. Do not work at a major non pharmacy retailer such as Target, Kroger, or Wal-Mart if you are looking for a career. The focus is on sales alone and you are basically treated as a cashier.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the estimated mean annual wage for Pharmacy Technicians as of May 2008 is, $28,500. This would amount to $13.70 per hour. Median hourly wages of wage and salary pharmacy technicians in May 2008 were $13.32. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.95 and $15.88. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.27, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $18.98.
There are also other factors that determine the salary of a pharmacy technician. For one is the location (state) where you will be working. There are states that pay more. Another is the size and type of the company, and the credentials (certification and years of experience) that the applicant present to the employer.
The median expected salary for a typical Pharmacy Technician in the United States is $24,839.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the estimated mean annual wage for Pharmacy Technicians as of May 2008 is, $28,500. This would amount to $13.70 per hour. Median hourly wages of wage and salary pharmacy technicians in May 2008 were $13.32. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.95 and $15.88. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $9.27, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $18.98.
