Salary a Pharmacist VS a nurse

Wow that post was really hard to read. I think pharmacists make more than nurses, don't quote me on it though.

Wow that post was really hard to read. I think pharmacists make more than nurses, don't quote me on it though.

i think nurses are more respected, but pharmacists come in behind nurses on that one. But pharmacists make alot more than nurses starting out.

Pharmacists make more than nurses...but to be an RN you only need to attend school for two years (in the US). Considering this it's no wonder why everyone and their mother is going to school to be a nurse.

Pharmacists by far even considering the additional years of schooling.

Oh please - are you really considering what you want to do day in & day out based on your hourly wage??????

I don't care what a nurse makes - it would never be enough for me! Not that I don't respect them nor do others in my fields & other medically related fields - I just don't want to do their job. And....mostly - they don't want to do mine.

Do you want hands on patient care? Do you want to give advice or instruction solely on mediation or dispense medication? There is a big difference in what we do.

Neither on is better nor worse & the money we make, dependng on the market we're in (just read the ER forum on the nursing shortange) will determine what you're paid & where you're paid it. We are all respected for the part we play in this very complex system of US healthcare - I don't care what anyone says - we are very iimportant as are nurses!

Really....reallly.....really...after a cetain length of time - & it is a very short length of time, what you do everyday is so much more important than how much you are paid to do it! I know those loans seem large right now, but they really diminsh with not that many years.

Choose what you want to do based on what you like & what fulfills you - not how much you make. It will never be as much as you'd like, but it will always be enough. My rant......

pharmacists make more than nurses because they go to school longer. I don't know about the higher ranked nurses though, like nurse practictioners.

emedpa said:

well paid pa's and nurse practitoners make more than pharmacists. the avg pa salary last yr was 81k with many making> 100k and some making >150k in em, surgical specialties, and ortho.granted there are pa's and np's who make < 60k but very few.

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Average income of a pharmacy director (a pharmacist, right?) in my area is around 130-150K/year. Talking about money-wise, i happen to know one pharmacist, the owner of a small chain pharmacy...and his annual income is about 5 millions/year. So who makes more? An NP or PA, or a pharmacist?

Talking about respect, if you don't know what you are doing...of course people won't give u respect. Respect is EARNED, not automatically granted. In hospital, I treat everyone with respect initially....but if someone makes my job tougher or think he/she's all that, then he/she doesn't earn my respect. Simple as that...

emedpa said:

You need to compare entry level vs entry level....avg pa 81k to start....avg pharmacist at riteaid makes what?(not the director, the guy who just graduated last week)

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My sister graduated last year, and she works for Rite Aid and makes 98K plus 25K bonus.
I think it's higher than what a pa can make.

k=1000
98k=$98,000

My brother is becomming a RN, he said it takes 5 years to become.

Also, he went to class on wensday and someone there told him that the salary of a RN went up to $80 an hour because there is this new test that you have to take in order to graduate which is very difficult. He said out of 500 people, 22 pass, you have 10 seconds for each question. However, I highly doubt this.

Current RN's do not get paid the 80 an hour untill they pass this exam.

RN takes 2 or 4 years depending on the state. The push is for 4 years but as far as I know only one of the Dakotas has an absolute 4 year degree requirement (this was when my wife last checked about 4 years ago). A typical RN isn't going to make $80/hr but there are a lot of specialities and advanced degrees where the pay can be exceedingly good.

Also, with the massive shortage of nurses there are a lot of opportunities out there to make money...the hospital my wife works at pays overtime plus a $25-30/hour bonus for contract overtime which for her is anything over 5 days in a 2-week period.

starting salary in nyc for a pharmacist averages >100 k definitely in any retail pharmacy. Most gets paid in the 110k + when you add in benefits (vacation and sick days) and bonuses.

Aznfarmerboi said:

starting salary in nyc for a pharmacist averages >100 k definitely in any retail pharmacy. Most gets paid in the 110k + when you add in benefits (vacation and sick days) and bonuses.

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do pharmacists make this much their first year after they get their license? or is it usually lower than increases slowly.

ghost8 said:

do pharmacists make this much their first year after they get their license? or is it usually lower than increases slowly.

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it depends on the area (living costs, etc...). In California and Nevada, if you just grad and get a job at walgreens, you're expected to make 100K/year. If you work overtime during weekends and holidays...boy, that can be up to 120=130K/year.

emedpa said:

You need to compare entry level vs entry level....avg pa 81k to start....avg pharmacist at riteaid makes what?(not the director, the guy who just graduated last week)

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Don't know about Rite Aid, but for Walgreens in KY you start at or slightly above $100,000 + $15,000 signing bonus. Higher signing bonuses in rural areas.

Edit: this is for a licensed, new graduate.

Fusionice662 said:

My brother is becomming a RN, he said it takes 5 years to become.

Also, he went to class on wensday and someone there told him that the salary of a RN went up to $80 an hour because there is this new test that you have to take in order to graduate which is very difficult. He said out of 500 people, 22 pass, you have 10 seconds for each question. However, I highly doubt this.

Current RN's do not get paid the 80 an hour untill they pass this exam.

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Wow...Not to sure about all this

I know UCSF is one of the hardest pharm schools get into ( avg GPA 3.8 and pcat 95% ). That means if finishing the school, a graduater makes more money than others..

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Uhhh..no. Nobody in the real world cares where you graduated from.

wnnr1119 said:

I heard that the tution is very expensive.. I know UCSF is one of the hardest pharm schools get into ( avg GPA 3.8 and pcat 95% )

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CA schools don't care about the PCAT, so I don't know where you heard about the average 95% PCAT score.

wnnr1119 said:

I wonder you are a pharmacist or studying at a pharms..How many pharm schools do know in California and Nevada? There is no pharm school at UCLA and UC Berkely ( Asians extremely like those schools). Am I right? USC, I heard that the tution is very expensive.. I know UCSF is one of the hardest pharm schools get into ( avg GPA 3.8 and pcat 95% ). That means if finishing the school, a graduater makes more money than others.. One more question...What does USN stands for??

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7 pharmacy schools in CA - UCSF, UCSD, USC, Western, Loma Linda, UOP, Touro

UCSF's average GPA is more around 3.5 than 3.8, and none of the CA schools require PCAT http://pharmacy.ucsf.edu/pharmd/admissions/aboutstudents/

USN = University of Southern Nevada http://www.usn.edu/html/pharmacy_program.html

emedpa said:

I make significantly more than that as do all the pa's in my em group....keep in mind we are all very experienced and make in the top 10% of pa salaries nationaly. if a starting pharmacist makes around 125k then I agree that they make more than the avg pa. I am just used to pharmd's in retail making around 80-90k max. my apologies.

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PharmDs in retail start at 90K+ min.

I start my pharmacists at 90K fresh out of school with no experience at an inpatient setting. On the average, pharmacist will make more than PAs.

Certainly the case in my hospital.

ZpackSux said:

PharmDs in retail start at 90K+ min.

I start my pharmacists at 90K fresh out of school with no experience at an inpatient setting. On the average, pharmacist will make more than PAs.

Certainly the case in my hospital.

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I'm betting your buddy in Sacramento pays more than 90K for a starting pharmacist (bad shifts, every other weekend, pyxis checking, no chance for ICU/TCU rotations for 6 mo....)

For everyone else...remember...PA's are usually physician employees (ok - not always!) so benefits are at will of the employer. When employed by a hospital or retail corporation, your benefits constitute about 30% of your pay (in other words....add 30% to get your total compensation package).

If you have to buy your medical/dental/vision, etc...it gets to be a bit of a chunk - particularly when you have a family.

I still contend....career is all about what you like. After 10 years - it is the job which is meaningful...not the money. What would you say Zpack?

sdn1977 said:

I'm betting your buddy in Sacramento pays more than 90K for a starting pharmacist (bad shifts, every other weekend, pyxis checking, no chance for ICU/TCU rotations for 6 mo....)

For everyone else...remember...PA's are usually physician employees (ok - not always!) so benefits are at will of the employer. When employed by a hospital or retail corporation, your benefits constitute about 30% of your pay (in other words....add 30% to get your total compensation package).

If you have to buy your medical/dental/vision, etc...it gets to be a bit of a chunk - particularly when you have a family.

I still contend....career is all about what you like. After 10 years - it is the job which is meaningful...not the money. What would you say Zpack?

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My buddy in Sacramento starts his pharmacists at $60 per hour with 1 weekend a month I believe. He's a good guy. He and I have a wager going. His bonus for this quarter is $15,000.. I said after taxes..his take home will be closer to 8K, he thinks 12K. Whoever is closer wins..the loser gets to fly to the other guys town and must buy sushi.

You're right. The career is more than about the money...especially in my case. My primary income is not from being a director of Pharmacy...rather from my businesses.

I enjoy what I do. It encompasses everything I learned...and it's very academic at the same time heavily entrenched in finance. It's dynamic yet very clean without direct patient contact. At the end of the day, it's very satisfying.

wnnr1119 said:

I am wondering that I can apply to pharms more than one in a state.

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say what?

wnnr1119 said:

Can I apply more than two schools in one state or "only" one school in each state?

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You can apply where ever you feel like.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/snapshots/9.html

That's national average..wages will be higher in places like cali and oregon.

wnnr1119 said:

I wonder you are a pharmacist or studying at a pharms..How many pharm schools do know in California and Nevada? There is no pharm school at UCLA and UC Berkely ( Asians extremely like those schools). Am I right? USC, I heard that the tution is very expensive.. I know UCSF is one of the hardest pharm schools get into ( avg GPA 3.8 and pcat 95% ). That means if finishing the school, a graduater makes more money than others.. One more question...What does USN stands for??

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i assume that you don't pay attention to details, do you? I remember I put "USN CLass of 2007".

hmmm my sister just got into the RN program at my school, and from what i know, pharmacists for sure start off more than RNs. like others have said, they tend to start off around 90-100K whereas RNs start around 40-50K. you can become an RN through AA or BS degree although the pay is not too different. however, the advantage with getting an BSN (bs nursing) degree is that you can advance to get your masters to become nurse practitioner (they get around 60-70K ish) or become CRNA which is a nurse anaethesiologist and they get around 120K average. <~~~ thats what my sister is aiming for.

being a nurse is great bc you can find a job anywhere and they offer you scholarships to have 2 year commitment with them while youre still learning usually. i intern/volunteer at a hospital where i shadow doctors and nurses, and i know pharmacy's for me. it all depends on what you like to do.

Scattered Light said:

Pharmacists make more than nurses...but to be an RN you only need to attend school for two years (in the US). Considering this it's no wonder why everyone and their mother is going to school to be a nurse.

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Actually RN programs are 3-4 years in length, even the Associates. Despite being listed as an associate degree, it is generally two years after a year or two of prereqs.

As far as everyone and their mother going to school to be a nurse, the vast majority of good nursing programs have a backlog of qualified applicants, so much so that there are 1-4 year waits to into the good programs. My class in 1990 had over 500 apps for 60 openings. At last count, it was now up to 750 apps for 72 spaces.

They may want to go to school to be a nurse, but most will not make it.

And most classes will only have 20-30 that will pass.

caroladybelle said:

Actually RN programs are 3-4 years in length, even the Associates. Despite being listed as an associate degree, it is generally two years after a year or two of prereqs.

As far as everyone and their mother going to school to be a nurse, the vast majority of good nursing programs have a backlog of qualified applicants, so much so that there are 1-4 year waits to into the good programs. My class in 1990 had over 500 apps for 60 openings. At last count, it was now up to 750 apps for 72 spaces.

They may want to go to school to be a nurse, but most will not make it.

And most classes will only have 20-30 that will pass.

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In Oklahoma at least, I was accepted, and went, to nursing school right out of high school with no pre reqs of any kind. All auxillary classes that have to be taken were built into the two year program. Maybe that's just in Oklahoma.

Fusionice662 said:

My brother is becomming a RN, he said it takes 5 years to become.

Also, he went to class on wensday and someone there told him that the salary of a RN went up to $80 an hour because there is this new test that you have to take in order to graduate which is very difficult. He said out of 500 people, 22 pass, you have 10 seconds for each question. However, I highly doubt this.

Current RN's do not get paid the 80 an hour untill they pass this exam.

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You do not know what you are talking about. Please before giving your opinion you should make sure you are well informed. You do not even know how long it takes to be a nurse. A nurse does not get paid 80 $ an hour. Pharmacist makes more money than a nurse!

ZpackSux said:

My buddy in Sacramento starts his pharmacists at $60 per hour with 1 weekend a month I believe. He's a good guy. He and I have a wager going. His bonus for this quarter is $15,000.. I said after taxes..his take home will be closer to 8K, he thinks 12K. Whoever is closer wins..the loser gets to fly to the other guys town and must buy sushi.

You're right. The career is more than about the money...especially in my case. My primary income is not from being a director of Pharmacy...rather from my businesses.

I enjoy what I do. It encompasses everything I learned...and it's very academic at the same time heavily entrenched in finance. It's dynamic yet very clean without direct patient contact. At the end of the day, it's very satisfying.

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hey, where does your buddy in Sacramento work? Does he work at Sutter Hospital?

Maestrojo said:

hey, where does your buddy in Sacramento work? Does he work at Sutter Hospital?

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I do have a buddy who works for Sutter Roseville but my DOP buddy is not at the Sutter.

cycloketocaine said:

In Oklahoma at least, I was accepted, and went, to nursing school right out of high school with no pre reqs of any kind. All auxillary classes that have to be taken were built into the two year program. Maybe that's just in Oklahoma.

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You're a nurse?

ZpackSux said:

My buddy in Sacramento starts his pharmacists at $60 per hour with 1 weekend a month I believe. He's a good guy. He and I have a wager going. His bonus for this quarter is $15,000.. I said after taxes..his take home will be closer to 8K, he thinks 12K. Whoever is closer wins..the loser gets to fly to the other guys town and must buy sushi.

You're right. The career is more than about the money...especially in my case. My primary income is not from being a director of Pharmacy...rather from my businesses.

I enjoy what I do. It encompasses everything I learned...and it's very academic at the same time heavily entrenched in finance. It's dynamic yet very clean without direct patient contact. At the end of the day, it's very satisfying.

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I know that's non of my business, but your businesses, are they pharmacy related or not?

konkan said:

I know that's non of my business, but your businesses, are they pharmacy related or not?

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I own a Durable Medical Equipment company specializing in pediatric medical nutrtion for medicaid population. Currently service over 1200 kids per month. We also have an Oxygen company and a closed door pharmacy for nebulizer meds and specialty nutrition. We're in a process of becoming a provider in a new state along with wholesale operation.

ZpackSux said:

I own a Durable Medical Equipment company specializing in pediatric medical nutrtion for medicaid population. Currently service over 1200 kids per month. We also have an Oxygen company and a closed door pharmacy for nebulizer meds and specialty nutrition. We're in a process of becoming a provider in a new state along with wholesale operation.

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impressive...

rxforlife2004 said:

impressive...

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I was lucky.. but what do they say.. Luck is being prepared when opportunity presents itself?