How much are hospital pharmacists making?

Started by Son_Goku
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Son_Goku

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I'm being told 120K minimum; even if you're just staffing.

This is pretty much what retail pays.

Seems like the hospital pharmacist pay being much lower than retail thing was just a myth.
 
I'm also a little over 100k. You've been told wrong. Though it does vary by state.

Edit: Since you seem to be from Florida, I'll say this. South Florida and its more populated areas has low salaries in the country for hospital pharmacists. I believe gwarm01 could shed more light on this than I could.

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm#st has average salaries, though it doesn't differentiate by hospital/retail. Seeing that the bottom 10% make 87k, and that hospital pharmacists in Florida generally make less than retail which makes up around 70% of all jobs, I'd say the minimum is around 95k.
 
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It's all geographic. My first job out of residency was >$140K.

And 3 years later I was offered only $115K in a different part of the country.

Do what makes you happy. You'll be clearing$100K most places in the country regardless of practice site.


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I think it's heavily regional dependent. I know areas like the northeast tend to pay 45-52 an hour or so it seems. Here in the southeast 105-115 seems to be standard starting. Retail is usually 115-125 here.
 
Digsbe said:
I think it's heavily regional dependent. I know areas like the northeast tend to pay 45-52 an hour or so it seems. Here in the southeast 105-115 seems to be standard starting. Retail is usually 115-125 here.
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So basically were talking about only a difference of 10k between chilling and sitting all day versus standing all day dealing with the drive thru?
 
Son_Goku said:
So basically were talking about only a difference of 10k between chilling and sitting all day versus standing all day dealing with the drive thru?
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Depends on the job. I do very little chilling or sitting.


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Son_Goku said:
So basically were talking about only a difference of 10k between chilling and sitting all day versus standing all day dealing with the drive thru?
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In my region yes, but the hospitals I've been at have honestly been pretty heavy volume. The stress is just different. Here they keep adding on responsibilities and developing clinic/staff hybrid models without really increasing personnel. I'd take a medium or lower volume community pharmacy over some of those hospitals any day as far as stress is concerned.
 
Son_Goku said:
I'm being told 120K minimum; even if you're just staffing.

This is pretty much what retail pays.

Seems like the hospital pharmacist pay being much lower than retail thing was just a myth.
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False (excluding Cali). 120K minimum is too high. 100-110 is probably average. Depending on your retail gig, the difference in money could be 20k or more.
 
Son_Goku said:
How likely is it to break into a hospital position after years of retail?
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Well like anything else it is probably more about timing and who you know more than anything else. But I applied pretty broadly and over a pretty extended amount of time and all I got was one call back that didn't become an interview and one interview that did not become a job offer. I could have been more aggressive if I had to, having a well paying gig took away a lot of sense of urgency.

YMMV of course.
 
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owlegrad said:
Well like anything else it is probably more about timing and who you know more than anything else. But I applied pretty broadly and over a pretty extended amount of time and all I got was one call back that didn't become an interview and one interview that did not become a job offer. I could have been more aggressive if I had to, having a well paying gig took away a lot of sense of urgency.

YMMV of course.
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If you were to return to CVS, would you resume your previous pay or would you start back at square 1?
 
I think $140k is about right/average for starting inpatient/hospital positions in CA, add for experience/years of service, hard to staff areas (Southern/Central Valley, State of Jefferson, etc...), or union/Kaiser shop.

This is about what my current residents have signed on at for this coming July.


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Son_Goku said:
I'm being told 120K minimum; even if you're just staffing.

This is pretty much what retail pays.

Seems like the hospital pharmacist pay being much lower than retail thing was just a myth.
Click to expand...

I am in California and I think as a hospital pharmacist, I am paid a little more than retail - if not equivalent. I haven't bothered to check because I would never work retail. I remember my days as an intern working for CVS retail or this deep discount drug store retail pharmacy. They were both heavy volume and stressful work environments (these pharmacies were in the east coast before I moved to Cali). Based on those early experiences, I've always preferred hospital and am happy where I am.
 
TheBlaah said:
I'm also a little over 100k. You've been told wrong. Though it does vary by state.

Edit: Since you seem to be from Florida, I'll say this. South Florida and its more populated areas has low salaries in the country for hospital pharmacists. I believe gwarm01 could shed more light on this than I could.

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm#st has average salaries, though it doesn't differentiate by hospital/retail. Seeing that the bottom 10% make 87k, and that hospital pharmacists in Florida generally make less than retail which makes up around 70% of all jobs, I'd say the minimum is around 95k.
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I appreciate the shout out.

He's right, South Florida has very low salaries compared to the cost of living. I worked for the largest non-profit hospital system in Broward county and was offered $42/hr in 2013. 2016 hires have told me the rate was increased to $46, which is a pretty significant improvement, but not in line with the rest of the country. From what I hear retail pays around $50/hr, and PRN hospital jobs about the same. A little further north, I was offered $56/hr in Martin county for a per diem job. One could infer that regular staffing would be a little lower.

Of course, I left Florida and am back in Arkansas. Went from making about $46/hr to $50/hr. I'm still not where I want to be, but I have been making aggressive moves and seeing quick increases in pay. OP, believe me when I say you would be fine even at 100k. It's the quality of life that comes along with hospital jobs that makes it worthwhile, plus if you hustle and gain good experience you can continuously get promoted, find new jobs, and make more money.
 
Dat Kaiser effect... $62-66 for staff pharmacist is the range for WM in the Sacramento area and Kaiser pays more in outpatient. So if inpatient pharmacists are somewhere in that range or higher they are sitting pretty.
 
Sine Cura said:
Dat Kaiser effect... $62-66 for staff pharmacist is the range for WM in the Sacramento area and Kaiser pays more in outpatient. So if inpatient pharmacists are somewhere in that range or higher they are sitting pretty.
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Once I get my Epic certifications and finish this hospital's conversion I should start looking for jobs with Kaiser. I hear San Diego is lively, they down there?
 
It was only 5 years ago and I was only making $41.92/hr in my old hospital. And I know for a fact that the salary range hasn't budged since. I'd be making more due to seniority, but new grads make relatively paltry sums.

I have to work at what is considered one of the worst CVSs to have to work at in the region...and I really don't see why people think it's so bad. (Ask Old Timer how insane this place is.) It's crazy fast-paced, but it's not really that horrible. I don't fear going to work. And I've worked in a hospital. Other than getting a 30 minute lunch, I really don't see much of a difference in stress levels. In fact, I would say that the stress levels at nutso-CVS-on-steroids aren't even CLOSE to my experience at small town hospital pharmacy. That place wore you down like I've never experienced before or since.
 
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As a 2015 grad in a hybrid clinical/staff position in a smaller community hospital, I make a little over 100k base pay in west TN. With differentials and OT though I'll probably make closer to 125k this year.




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In Michigan, I would be making $60/hr at CVS and make $50/hr as an inpatient clinical pharmacist. Like everyone else, I don't look back and am very happy with the change.
 
The fact that retail pays more hourly than inpatient/hospital in ~49 other states still boggles my mind.

#californiaproblems #yesiknowourincometaxratesarehigh


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131k night shift hospital. Western no income tax state. Retail is about the same +\- 7k
 
I make 62 an hour as a clinical specialist . New grads here in hospital make 44 to 46. Retail starts at 60. South east us.
 
Clinical specialist in a large city (though one that isn't too expensive) on the East Coast, 2012 grad. Base pay is a bit under 57/hr, plus assistance with student loans. I heard pharmacists in the major academic medical center in the same city make about 15k a year less. I got paid in the low 60s when I was in the Bay Area in California, but apparently that was low compared to other people in the area
 
Base pay ~46, but with all the differentials its more like 57-58/hr. Pro, only 1820 hours a year. Con, only 1820 hours a year. Staff, biggish city east coast
 
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gwarm01 said:
Once I get my Epic certifications and finish this hospital's conversion I should start looking for jobs with Kaiser. I hear San Diego is lively, they down there?
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You should have no problem finding a job using your Epic certification with Kaiser. There are changes coming to retirement benefits next year meaning all the old people who are Epic certified will retire. You should stand a good chance because it cost money to send someone to Wisconsin to get Epic certified. Good luck. The main place for Epic hires is in Downey California at the Kaiser Independence Park.
 
Sounds like big differences depending on your area. In my area, I would say hospital pharmacists make roughtly $20,000 less than retail. The difference is that big.
 
MrBonita said:
You should have no problem finding a job using your Epic certification with Kaiser. There are changes coming to retirement benefits next year meaning all the old people who are Epic certified will retire. You should stand a good chance because it cost money to send someone to Wisconsin to get Epic certified. Good luck. The main place for Epic hires is in Downey California at the Kaiser Independence Park.
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Interestingly enough, that lines up with my timeline pretty well. I'll keep an eye on the jobs page.
 
Midwest: 46-50/hr is hospital starting pay. Most the retail chains offer 59/hr. Still believe it is worth the pay cut for flexibility in schedule,more vacation, and the lower stress on body. Figure I'll just work 50hrs between 2 places to equal retail pay. Lol.

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