Basic pharmacy technician salary information
One of the biggest, if not most important, deciding factors in helping us choose a career is the salary. It can make or break when it comes to whether or not we take the job. It doesn’t matter what job you get. You can be a nurse, doctor, engineer, or a pharmacy technician and you still will not accept a position that pays less. Big salaries usually indicate job security and a lot of other benefits, like a retirement plan, free usage of facilities, and discounts on products.
But when you’re deciding to become a pharmacy technician, is the salary going to be enough for you to consider a career, let alone a job position as a pharmacy technician in a hospital or in a retail pharmacy?
Entry level technicians will earn a pharmacy technician salary range of $10 to $12 per hour, depending on some other factors that will determine an increase or decrease in the salary. Experience is a crucial factor, as your previous working experience as a technician in another hospital will indicate that there’s minimal or no need for you to be trained again. Because the company’s able to save time on training and you’re able to become productive as a pharmacy technician, your salary will probably higher than that of someone who just started his career as a technician.
The demand of pharmacy technicians in your area will also play a crucial role on how much you’ll be getting for your pharmacy technician salary. For example, a big city pharmacy technician would probably be getting more than a pharmacy technician living in a small city. Again, we take a look at some factors like:
- Cost of living can play a huge role in determining a pharmacy technicians salary. A big city like New York would mean more expensive rent, food items, and even transportation costs, so the salary needs to be able to cover these expenses and help you save at the same time. Of course, this does not mean that you will be reimbursed for what you spend. It’s stupid to get an apartment in Queens and expect that your pharmacy technicians salary will be enough to cover your rent, food, and other expenses for a month.
- The demand for technicians will also play a huge role, as pharmacies or laboratories tend to be very competitive in acquiring pharmacy technicians. If you’re lucky, your employer will try to coax you into working with them by offering the highest pharmacy technicians salary possible.
Once you’ve settled in with your work, and now that you’ve acquired certifications and another degree that will help you with your work, you may be able to get an increase of up to hourly wage of $16 to $20, or even higher. If you’re a bachelor/bachelorette, this may be more than enough for you to live on. a pharmacy technicians salary at this rate can also be good for a two-income family in any city. This salary increase can happen within two years after you start working or even more than that. Getting a promotion will also secure a higher pharmacy technicians salary.
The demand rationalizes the salary
Like most salaries from any career, from a janitor’s salary to a CEO’s salary, the demand for the said profession will more likely play a crucial role in how much an individual will be paid at an hourly wage. A standard pharmacy technician wage is a few dollars higher than minimum wage, according to the BLS or Bureau of Labor Statistics, but the opportunities for growth make this somewhat meager pharmacy technician wage seem reasonable. We’ve come a point that the baby boomer generation has reached the point of being old, so the need for more individuals to take care of them increases. The rate of which healthcare professionals are now retiring cannot be contrasted to how many new healthcare professionals are taking their places, and being a pharmacy technician is not an exception. A starting level pharmacy technician has the chance to become a pharmacist or researcher within the next few years, depending on the demand for the individual’s skills and knowledge. We all know that your pharmacy technician wage is based on more than just what you’re doing, but also on what you’ve gone through in your educational years.
In most recent years, we’ve heard about new diseases coming out of the woodwork and the medical industry is trying its hardest to investigate all of these diseases so to bring about a possible prevention, rather than focusing on a cure. The evolution of common illnesses like flu and chickenpox has also forced the pharmaceutical industry to seek out better forms of medication and treatments for the evolving diseases. This is what we call a challenging campaign for healthcare providers today, as nurses and doctors are increasing their skills and knowledge in dealing with patients and pharmacy technicians and pharmacists are trying their hardest to help the doctors and nurses with patient management. According to the various statistics from the BLS, the demand for pharmacy technicians and other healthcare professionals will grow as much as 16% per year and the current population of pharmacy technicians will double by the end of 2016.
Healthcare professionals are usually paid top money because of their responsibility in their given fields. A doctor or nurse is expected to earn more hourly wage than a clerk or a barista because of their numerous duties. A pharmacy technician can earn more money than a bank teller because of his responsibilities. The healthcare industry is a fast-paced and sometimes stressful environment, and compensation is one of the key consolations that any healthcare professional can get out of it, including a pharmacy technician.
Pharmacy technicians are not only found in hospitals and retail pharmacy stores, but they are also found in pharmaceutical laboratories and even in the military. Those with graduate degrees in pharmacology are known to working in the laboratories and are paid twice as much as their hospital counterparts due to the nature of their work and their skills.
What Are The Distinct Educational Requirements For Pharmacy Technicians?
So if a pharmacy technician is paid top money for his pharmacy technicians wage, what does he need to secure a good-paying job in the healthcare industry? Education is a very big factor that will make or break his career because candidates for a good or exceptional pharmacy technicians wage must be able to have attended certified courses or programs, like an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or even graduate studies. Non-certified courses like a short-term certification cannot guarantee a high paying job, let alone being accepted into certification exams. Certification is also another factor that will help secure a good paying job with a high pharmacy technicians wage in this industry. Pharmacy technicians can get certifications from the ICPT or Institute for the Certification of Pharmacy Technicians and PTCB or Pharmacy Technicians Certification Board. Certifications from these two offices are recognized by the US government and all its states.
What Are the Details Revolving Around the Pharmacy Technician Salary?
We now know that a pharmacy technicians wage is dependent on the location of the workplace and the individual’s background. Normally, an individual with a certification and a graduate degree will have a higher pharmacy technicians wage than another individual with a certification but no graduate degree. Experience may or may not affect this at all, as an entry-level technician with a graduate degree can still earn more with a higher pharmacy technicians wage than a technician who’s been in the company for a few years. Another assumption made by pharmacy technicians is that the bigger the institution, the bigger the pay. A private hospital with 5000 rooms can pay its employees more than a private hospital with only 1000 rooms in the same state or city.
An annual pharmacy technicians wage can range between $25,000 and $35,000 in a hospital setting, and a range of $20,000 to $30,000 for those working in retail pharmacy. Individuals working in the laboratories or military facilities can earn a minimum annual pharmacy technicians wage of no less than $50,000. Of course, you’d have to have the best educational background to be able to work in these institutions. Based on the current state of the Economy, a yearly salary of $35,000 is sufficient for a two-income family with two or three children in any state.
Earning the best possible Pharmacy technician pay
So how does a technician earn the best possible pharmacy technicians salaries?
Apart from the healthcare industry being a fast-paced working environment, a pharmacy technician needs to have the right qualifications and skills when it comes to getting the best pharmacy technicians salaries possible.
Registered Pharmacy Technician
In the USA and in some European countries, registered or certified pharmacy technicians earn higher pharmacy technician salaries because of their work experience, requirements, and registration testing. They are able to get into specialized positions including those outside a hospital or retail setting. The title of CPhT or Certified Pharmacy Technician is only given to those who pass the certification exams given by the ICPT, PTCB, or NHA.
Non-Certified Pharmacy Technician
Non-certified pharmacy technicians may or may not get the same pharmacy technician employment salary as those who’re certified. A non-certified technician is probably limited by the fact that his or her educational attainment is not sufficient to be able to take the certification exams, or he or she has no access to the right courses or programs that would help him or her become certified. However, this does not mean that a non-certified technician will receive anything less than minimum wage. A non-certified technician will receive a pharmacy technician employment salary that’s the same as an entry level certified technician, but he or she is limited to working in retail pharmacy.
More pharmacy technician salary advice
If you’re just starting your career as a pharmacy technician, you may want to heed these pharmacy technicians employment salaries advices.
- Get certified. There are certification exams available every week in more than 600 testing centres all across the state. You can ask your local colleges or institutions about where your nearest testing centre is. When you’re certified, your skills are quantified and measured to the standards created by the ICPT and PTCB, along with the NHA. This basically means that your skills are more than sufficient to dub you as competent in your given field. A certification will also mean access to greater career opportunities, like a managerial or supervisorial position in a huge facility or centre. A certification will also require you to take up continuing education so you can renew your certification two years after you get it. This will somewhat encourage you to enhance your skills so you can become a more effective pharmacy technician. Individuals with a graduate degree or a BS degree in any field related to pharmacology are guaranteed the best pharmacy technicians employment salaries possible.
- The more skills you have, the higher the chances of getting the best pharmacy technicians employment salaries possible. This will boil down to how good your education was before your certification. A Bachelor’s Degree may give you a solid foundation, but a master’s degree or even a PhD will propel your career to new heights, and your pharmacy technicians employment salaries will be a lot higher as you take on more responsibilities.
- When possible try to build your experience first, as it plays a huge role in helping you get a pharmacy technicians employment salary as you progress. Don’t be disappointed if you’re getting a minimum wage salary, even if you’re certified. Remember, not all states have the same pharmacy technicians employment salary rates.
Now that you know all about the highs and lows of pharmacy technicians employment salary rates, so to speak, you can now make an informed decision as to whether or not pursuing this career will be a good choice or not for you.
