Current pharm techs, how muich is the base pay?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Carboxilic774

Member
10+ Year Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
112
Reaction score
0
Hello, anybody here is working as a pharm tech? Could anybody tell me how much is the base pay? I have no experience in retail or pharmacy. What is the starting wage for a pharm tech with no experience? What do they pay after you get you certification?
THANKS

Members don't see this ad.
 
CARBON774 said:
Hello, anybody here is working as a pharm tech? Could anybody tell me how much is the base pay? I have no experience in retail or pharmacy. What is the starting wage for a pharm tech with no experience? What do they pay after you get you certification?
THANKS

When I started a year ago, my base pay was about 13.00
 
julierx said:
When I started a year ago, my base pay was about 13.00


One of my techs gets almost $14/hour, the other gets a little over $13/hour. They've both been techs for a while, are certified, and are members of the union.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
CARBON774 said:
Hello, anybody here is working as a pharm tech? Could anybody tell me how much is the base pay? I have no experience in retail or pharmacy. What is the starting wage for a pharm tech with no experience? What do they pay after you get you certification?
THANKS


Depends on your state, which company, your experience level, and etc. But from your post I would say about $7-9/hr. You'll probably just start out as a pharmacy clerk. I have a full-time job and I work at a pharmacy part-time so I'll be in the "loop."
 
I talked to a pharmacist at CVS and he told me if I had no experience they would pay me 6-7 dollars an hour. I told him that I was accepted to a pharmacy school and then he said it would probably be 8 dollars an hour. Looking at Salary.com, the national average is just under 12 dollars an hour. I believe that this amount applies to those who have passed the Pharmacy Technician test, correct? I do have a year of compounding experience in a research facility, but I don't think CVS does that. How do you negotiate the higher salary?
 
CARBON774 said:
Hello, anybody here is working as a pharm tech? Could anybody tell me how much is the base pay? I have no experience in retail or pharmacy. What is the starting wage for a pharm tech with no experience? What do they pay after you get you certification?
THANKS

I gave up a $13.18 non-pharmacy job (with benefits) to work at Walgreens for $9.75 (no benefits). I just took my certification test yesterday and that would have me up to $10.25 an hour when I get the results if I wasn't leaving the position before then.

I wish I lived in the states that are paying 13 bucks an hour!

Chris
 
What about pharmacy interns? I was told that after I complete my third year, I will obtain a pharmacy intern permit.

Does anyone have any idea how much the starting salary is for NY/NJ?

Thanks in advanced,

Hcp
 
Fatpharm said:
I talked to a pharmacist at CVS and he told me if I had no experience they would pay me 6-7 dollars an hour. I told him that I was accepted to a pharmacy school and then he said it would probably be 8 dollars an hour. Looking at Salary.com, the national average is just under 12 dollars an hour. I believe that this amount applies to those who have passed the Pharmacy Technician test, correct? I do have a year of compounding experience in a research facility, but I don't think CVS does that. How do you negotiate the higher salary?

Hi, I work for CVS as a tech now. Pay is very dependent on what market you are in. In my market (metro Atlanta) I think the pay for tech with no experience is more like 8-9 per hour. I'm not familiar with the salary.com stats, but if they include hospital techs also, then it's not really a comparable average. Yes, CVS does generally pay a bit more for a PTCB-certified tech, and I would think that at least a simple majority of techs making $12 or more are certified (in some states, you have to be certified). I'm not sure about all states, but in Georgia once you start pharmacy school (not just accepted) you are considered to be a pharmacy intern, you have to get an intern license from the state board, and your pay would certainly be more than 8 per hour. In terms of negotiating more, I'm not sure if it's handled this way in all CVS districts, but in my district the store manager and the DM are the ones who decide what salary to offer techs - it's not up to the pharmacists.
 
Top