Average pay for Pharm Tech

[rxlea]

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Cvs starts certified techs at 10.50, not sure about wags, definitely not 15. Not sure what retail place starts that high. Non certified you start at 8.50.

I was thinking of intern pay @ retail...my bad. Yeah, you're right they start pretty low for just techs. But, it is rather depressing that they are still starting people out at the same wage as they were back in 2004...

 

[apd5]

Retail around here is 15-16 I believe.

Hospitals are more... I get $21.00 at my hospital and I would say 18 is about the average at hospitals (from what I have seen/heard).

When I started in retail pharmacy in 2004, I started at 8.50. Mail order bumped me to 14 and then when I moved into hospital, I got bumped up pretty quickly.

I am working in inpatient pharmacy now. Without experience, I start with $12/hour.

 

[American Princess]

Houston TX

Certified.

Started at CVS with no experience at $10 per hour. An "exceeds expectations" on my annual review put me in line for a "3%" (aka 3 cent) raise, but it ended up not mattering as I was hired by a sister hospital of the hospital I volunteered at (for 4 hours a week for 1 year) at $15.50 an hour plus $2.50 night shift differential. No hospital experience other than volunteering and no IV certification (having only 1 day off for 1 full year paid off!!). Resigned at CVS.

After 90 day probation period at hospital, was rehired part-time (~12 hours a week) at CVS for $10.50 (though I demanded $12.00 an hour).

I'm currently doing my clinical rotation by this May 2011 with a pharmacy technician program in Houston. My clinical teacher said that I would be luck to get paid $14 per hour. If I would have know that , I would have never attended that pharm tech program. But I've had some other people tell me that I can get paid more than that. If things don't workout, I will just get trained as a computer programmer.

 

[whatbout2morrow]

I'm currently doing my clinical rotation by this May 2011 with a pharmacy technician program in Houston. My clinical teacher said that I would be luck to get paid $14 per hour. If I would have know that , I would have never attended that pharm tech program. But I've had some other people tell me that I can get paid more than that. If things don't workout, I will just get trained as a computer programmer.

The highest I've heard technicians get paid in Houston is around $25/hour. This is as a chemo infusion tech at MD Anderson. However, most technicians I know (including myself) are happy with what they make and would rather stay as far away as possible from chemos, even with all the safeguards and precautions in place.

Since you have done a Pharmacy Technician program, and are most probably IV certified through ACPE accredited training, I imagine you have better odds than I did of negotiating a wage better than $14 an hour. I would advise you to start volunteering in the Pharmacy of a hospital you might be interested in being hired at. If you are able to impress through hard work and quick learning, you shouldn't have any problem in getting hired.

 

[delano2000]

Well I just got a $2 per hr raise. So now I will be getting paid close to $17

 

[lauradiddle]

Well I just got a $2 per hr raise. So now I will be getting paid close to $17

Whaaat? Your hospital must be generous. I only got fiddy cents!

 

[delano2000]

Whaaat? Your hospital must be generous. I only got fiddy cents!

Lol. I love my hospital because even though I am PT, I get the hrs I want.

 

[American Princess]

The highest I've heard technicians get paid in Houston is around $25/hour. This is as a chemo infusion tech at MD Anderson. However, most technicians I know (including myself) are happy with what they make and would rather stay as far away as possible from chemos, even with all the safeguards and precautions in place.

Since you have done a Pharmacy Technician program, and are most probably IV certified through ACPE accredited training, I imagine you have better odds than I did of negotiating a wage better than $14 an hour. I would advise you to start volunteering in the Pharmacy of a hospital you might be interested in being hired at. If you are able to impress through hard work and quick learning, you shouldn't have any problem in getting hired.

It's interesting that you would said that you stay as far away from chemo has possible even with all of the safeguards. During lab, I noticed that even with being doubled gloved( for chemos), if I spilled any liquid my hand would it would feel wet. Some of the students asked if it was safe and the teacher if they ask you to make the chemo just go ahead and do it.


Back in April I ran across a pharmacy technician making $26 a hour on the part-time at a hospital on the night shift and they only work the weekends.

What is the most that I can make without having to work with chemo?

Thanks

 

[whatbout2morrow]

It's interesting that you would said that you stay as far away from chemo has possible even with all of the safeguards. During lab, I noticed that even with being doubled gloved( for chemos), if I spilled any liquid my hand would it would feel wet. Some of the students asked if it was safe and the teacher if they ask you to make the chemo just go ahead and do it.


Back in April I ran across a pharmacy technician making $26 a hour on the part-time at a hospital on the night shift and they only work the weekends.

What is the most that I can make without having to work with chemo?

Thanks

To a great extent, it depends on how much experience you have, what exactly it is that you do, how good of a worker you are, which hospital/establishment you work at etc. If you are willing to work PRN, with 3-4 years experience including IV experience, you will make a good hourly rate (PRNs generally get paid more per hour as they get no benefits whatsoever - not even health insurance).

 

[babybull]

My mom makes $33/hr as a pharm tech at a very large city hospital. She's been a pharm tech for about 20 years now. With overtime, she makes about $110,000 every year -- as much as what pharmacists make every year!

 

[RiteAid]

I started out making about $10/hr. After 1 year of experience and switching chains, I now make $16/hr.

 

[lauradiddle]

My mom makes $33/hr as a pharm tech at a very large city hospital. She's been a pharm tech for about 20 years now. With overtime, she makes about $110,000 every year -- as much as what pharmacists make every year!

Assuming she makes time-and-a-half for overtime, that comes out to about 16 extra hours per week to gross $110K. Her hospital must be VERY generous with overtime!

 

[rxlea]

Assuming she makes time-and-a-half for overtime, that comes out to about 16 extra hours per week to gross $110K. Her hospital must be VERY generous with overtime!

Yeah, I would rather make 110K doing 40 hours a week...

Our hospital used to be generous with OT until some fiasco happened at the mother ship. Now no OT is allowed without pre-authorization from the supervisor... and he gets in trouble if he goes over the hours allowance per pay period. This means people are going to start fighting over vacations.. 🙄