Bartell Drugs advice?

[whitecoat2015]

I was offered a position from Bartell. The pay is $53/hr for starting pharmacists. I know this is lower than what other retailers are offering in the Seattle area but they are an independent. Any advice from those who are current Bartell pharmacists or have worked for them before? Is it worth the lower pay in the end? Or keep looking? How is the workload and do they make you drive far if you have to float? Vacation time? Benefits? Any advice would help.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Momus]

53 X 2 = so ~$106k/yr... too low for my taste

 

[radio frequency]

Have you seen the housing prices in Seattle? Unless you're independently wealthy, you're going to be living in a dump on that low salary, 50 miles away from work…

Also, while Bartell's is independent, they're also *the* major retail pharmacy in the Seattle area.

 

[Vain Brother]

I was offered a position from Bartell. The pay is $53/hr for starting pharmacists. I know this is lower than what other retailers are offering in the Seattle area but they are an independent. Any advice from those who are current Bartell pharmacists or have worked for them before? Is it worth the lower pay in the end? Or keep looking? How is the workload and do they make you drive far if you have to float? Vacation time? Benefits? Any advice would help.

you could probably ask the person who is hiring you these questions

 

[whitecoat2015]

Yes I know. I will be asking more questions once I see the email. Right now going through drug screen and background checks. I just wanted all the information before I start throwing figures around. There's got to be a reason people take these positions over the others if the salary is less. Thanks for your opinion.

 

[confettiflyer]

Jesus that's like almost half what my friends at Amazon make and they're not exactly rich...can't imagine living a decent life in Seattle proper unless you're debt-free and have roommates (living the college life).

But then again these friends have kids and other expenses.

Just my $0.02. Does WA have state income tax?

 

[PCOM_Pharmacy_2015]

WA has no income tax!

 

[MatCauthon]

$53 is low, but I think lot of the chain retail places are slowly trying to bring the starting wages down. In all honesty where else are you going to work?

 

[Eichhoernchen]

I would take it. Wages in the NE are pretty similar.

 

[radio frequency]

Eastern WA pay is higher. I was quoted low 60s (per hour) out that way (different company, but still). Cheaper cost of living, too...

 

[qvctran]

Eastern WA pay is higher. I was quoted low 60s (per hour) out that way (different company, but still). Cheaper cost of living, too...

That is similar to my offer for Eastern WA. They also gave me another option of going in the Western WA area (peninsula?) and it's high 50's. I might go with that since it is closer to Seattle. $53 seems really low for Seattle. The housing there is so expensive..

 

[PharmacistReb]

I don't know how you big city pharmacists make it. Anybody in here work for Mickey Fine in Beverly Hills? I was out West last year and ran into that place. Very cool -- also the place that helped supply Michael Jackson with some of his meds. I also wondered how a pharmacist works in Beverly Hills and is able to eat anything other than cans of beans.