New Pharmacist Salaries - Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid

[tylenolnumber3]

These numbers... They ain't looking so good I wonder what the bottom will be... if there will be a bottom.
Wonder if down the line I'll be on the chopping block for having graduated last year

Yoooooooo wake up !!!!

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[CarbmonstaRX]

How many hours?

they were quoted for 32hr/week

 

[projektreverb]

How many hours?

These numbers... They ain't looking so good I wonder what the bottom will be... if there will be a bottom.
Wonder if down the line I'll be on the chopping block for having graduated last year

At 51$ an hour I wonder if I’ll be axed for graduating in 2018 too lmao

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

they were quoted for 32hr/week

$51/hr x 32hrs = $84k/year. Ouch.

 

[King2440]

These numbers... They ain't looking so good I wonder what the bottom will be... if there will be a bottom.
Wonder if down the line I'll be on the chopping block for having graduated last year

The bottom is as low as new grads will accept jobs. Would you do the Rph job given the current conditions at 50k? I imagine if that is the new norm with the current or worsening conditions, there may be another Rph shortage..but for the wrong reasons lol.

 

[VA77]

It is going to be interesting what the "leaders of pharmacy" do or should I say can't do according to their past stances.

 

[Gombrich12]

$51/hr x 32hrs = $84k/year. Ouch.

A college graduate from a decent field of study will have made at least $240,000 in that 4 years you were in pharmacy school and will probably be close to or exceeding making $84k after 4 years. They'll also probably only be in $30k of debt instead of $200,000. So you're looking at starting out $400,000 in the hole against a bachelor degree holder. It really makes you wonder who is enrolling in pharmacy school right now.

 

[projektreverb]

A college graduate from a decent field of study will have made at least $240,000 in that 4 years you were in pharmacy school and will probably be close to or exceeding making $84k after 4 years. They'll also probably only be in $30k of debt instead of $200,000. So you're looking at starting out $400,000 in the hole against a bachelor degree holder. It really makes you wonder who is enrolling in pharmacy school right now.

Idiots. That’s who.

 

[projektreverb]

$51/hr x 32hrs = $84k/year. Ouch.

Yeah that’s brutal. Even at full time, 40 hours, that’s 106k. Ouch.

 

[morenife]

How many hours?

PIC - 42Hrs
Pharmacist- 32hrs.

 

[projektreverb]

PIC - 42Hrs
Pharmacist- 32hrs.

You can pull over 42 hours as a floater. Minus all the headache of being a PIC.

 

[morenife]

$51/hr x 32hrs = $84k/year. Ouch.

I know right! Ouch! Same salary as Analysts or some non doctorate jobs.
Staff 32hrs - $84k
PIC 42hrs - $131k
PIC 32hrs - $99.8k

 

[wagrxm2000]

You can pull over 42 hours as a floater. Minus all the headache of being a PIC.

Where? And don't tell that to all these people looking for a job, they might find one.

 

[projektreverb]

Where? And don't tell that to all these people looking for a job, they might find one.

In my area lol

 

[projektreverb]

Where? And don't tell that to all these people looking for a job, they might find one.

Won’t spread the trade secret. Also helps to be halfway competent so people actually want you floating at their store.

 

[morenife]

Where are the best states for Pharmacist jobs now? Please share! Thanks.

 

[wagrxm2000]

Midwest

 

[alpha12]

A college graduate from a decent field of study will have made at least $240,000 in that 4 years you were in pharmacy school and will probably be close to or exceeding making $84k after 4 years. They'll also probably only be in $30k of debt instead of $200,000. So you're looking at starting out $400,000 in the hole against a bachelor degree holder. It really makes you wonder who is enrolling in pharmacy school right now.

Good analysis. Its not just money wasted but time as well. Time that could have been spent making money.

 

[clutchtho]

A college graduate from a decent field of study will have made at least $240,000 in that 4 years you were in pharmacy school and will probably be close to or exceeding making $84k after 4 years. They'll also probably only be in $30k of debt instead of $200,000. So you're looking at starting out $400,000 in the hole against a bachelor degree holder. It really makes you wonder who is enrolling in pharmacy school right now.

honestly as someone who just graduated (undergrad)...its not that simple.

people are doing pharmacy because you go in set to do Pharmacy/Healthcare so your degree is a hardscience degree or something else that's not super useful (bio, nutrition, chem, etc)

A lot of these students went to top universities yes, but without a more useful degree, it often doesn't matter.

I'll use myself as an example. My school is a top public school in the country. they're a top 10 program OVERALL in civil, chemical, petroleum, biomedical, electrical etc etc etc engineering. They're also top 10 in finance, accounting, marketing, management...and so on.

Sounds great right? Well guess what. All that does it make it hard to switch into those majors if you're a current student. So now you picked a major like Bio in high school, realized pharmacy isn't great in college but you can't do much about it. A degree in a hard science CAN be useful in many places but its hard to do something besides PhD/research or Healthcare. Medicine is too hard or long or competitive for some people and so they stick with pharmacy, hoping they'll make it.

Not to mention, a ton of students are doing the 2 years then pharm school right? Which means you apply summer of your freshman year...they don't know any better! You're basically still a high schooler at this time. I personally was in a similar boat but luckily I knew I really wanted to be physician and switched out. but others are left with their hands tied.


Now don't get me wrong. there are tons of people who go into pharmacy not knowing anything and get in bc the requirements are so low. But a lot of the "passionate" students are what i described and they don't have many options than to pray it works out

 

[PharmtoCS]

honestly as someone who just graduated (undergrad)...its not that simple.

people are doing pharmacy because you go in set to do Pharmacy/Healthcare so your degree is a hardscience degree or something else that's not super useful (bio, nutrition, chem, etc)

A lot of these students went to top universities yes, but without a more useful degree, it often doesn't matter.

I'll use myself as an example. My school is a top public school in the country. they're a top 10 program OVERALL in civil, chemical, petroleum, biomedical, electrical etc etc etc engineering. They're also top 10 in finance, accounting, marketing, management...and so on.

Sounds great right? Well guess what. All that does it make it hard to switch into those majors if you're a current student. So now you picked a major like Bio in high school, realized pharmacy isn't great in college but you can't do much about it. A degree in a hard science CAN be useful in many places but its hard to do something besides PhD/research or Healthcare. Medicine is too hard or long or competitive for some people and so they stick with pharmacy, hoping they'll make it.

Not to mention, a ton of students are doing the 2 years then pharm school right? Which means you apply summer of your freshman year...they don't know any better! You're basically still a high schooler at this time. I personally was in a similar boat but luckily I knew I really wanted to be physician and switched out. but others are left with their hands tied.


Now don't get me wrong. there are tons of people who go into pharmacy not knowing anything and get in bc the requirements are so low. But a lot of the "passionate" students are what i described and they don't have many options than to pray it works out

They are stuck between a rock and hard place either way. The smarter thing to do would be to still finish their bio degree and go back for a second bachelors in engineering, computer science, finance, etc. or even trade school or coding bootcamp if they end up not being able to switch. The much worse choice would be to go to pharmacy school, increase your earning power only marginally if at all, lose 4 years of earnings, and increase your student loan balance by five- to ten-fold.

 

[clutchtho]

They are stuck between a rock and hard place either way. The smarter thing to do would be to still finish their bio degree and go back for a second bachelors in engineering, computer science, finance, etc. or even trade school or coding bootcamp if they end up not being able to switch. The much worse choice would be to go to pharmacy school, increase your earning power only marginally if at all, lose 4 years of earnings, and increase your student loan balance by five- to ten-fold.

absolutely agreed but as someone who was in that position just a little bit ago, it isn't so easy convince yourself that doing ANOTHER bachelor's degree is the right path. the "doctorate" feels like the next step up and we're all fed the competition and constantly looking at what everyone else is doing.

 

[alpha12]

absolutely agreed but as someone who was in that position just a little bit ago, it isn't so easy convince yourself that doing ANOTHER bachelor's degree is the right path. the "doctorate" feels like the next step up and we're all fed the competition and constantly looking at what everyone else is doing.

You can do an ms in computer science with a bio degree. All you have to do is finish the prereqs. No second bachelors needed.

 

[clutchtho]

You can do an ms in computer science with a bio degree. All you have to do is finish the prereqs. No second bachelors needed.

do any reputable MS programs for CS take Bio majors with no coding experience? My friends who did so went from jobs they were unhappy with in finance or engineering where they had some experience coding. Bootcamps seem like the only easy option and Bootcamps are doing to entry level CS jobs what pharmacy diploma mill type school did to pharmacy.

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

A buddy of mine told me that retail chains in Arizona are starting their new grad pharmacists (not grad interns) out at $40/hr now.

 

[8turkeys]

A buddy of mine told me that retail chains in Arizona are starting their new grad pharmacists (not grad interns) out at $40/hr now.

It is actually $48, not 40... big difference but it is still bad

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

It is actually $48, not 40... big difference but it is still bad

Phoenix area?

 

[projektreverb]

48$ an hour... Geez... No wonder New floaters do a terrible job. What’s your motivation to go above and beyond at that rate?

 

[wagrxm2000]

48$ an hour... Geez... No wonder New floaters do a terrible job. What’s your motivation to go above and beyond at that rate?

Keeping your job I would assume.

We've had some pretty bad new grads recently.

 

[projektreverb]

Keeping your job I would assume.

We've had some pretty bad new grads recently.

Based on some of the floaters I work with, I won’t disagree.

 

[mentos]

48$ an hour... Geez... No wonder New floaters do a terrible job. What’s your motivation to go above and beyond at that rate?

Has there ever been an incentive to go above and beyond? You can be a rock star but you'll get paid the same as the slow, lazy Rph in your store. Lately raises and bonuses have been abysmal, if any.

 

[PharmtoCS]

You can’t expect much from those who haven’t had to put forth much of a work ethic other than to show up to their pharmacy school with a pulse and $200k+ in loans.

 

[lord999]

do any reputable MS programs for CS take Bio majors with no coding experience? My friends who did so went from jobs they were unhappy with in finance or engineering where they had some experience coding. Bootcamps seem like the only easy option and Bootcamps are doing to entry level CS jobs what pharmacy diploma mill type school did to pharmacy.

Yes, but your mathematics has to be decent, and that you end up in a terminal MS (ineligible to go for PhD studies).

Bootcamps are not doing that to programmers with a capital P, you do need algorithm knowledge to do the major jobs. If your job iin the CS industry is threatened by bootcamps, your training and knowledge-based skills were not that high to begin with.l All the talk about the salaries are for all those venture capital supported businesses who just need a warm body who can code. Most of the major companies for the serious money select Tech (as in MIT, Caltech, Georgia Tech, Mudd, etc.) or Ivy.

 

[lord999]

Has there ever been an incentive to go above and beyond? You can be a rock star but you'll get paid the same as the slow, lazy Rph in your store. Lately raises and bonuses have been abysmal, if any.

Yes, you can work your way up the ranks, but it's not all about hard work. It's about socializing everyone else to the idea that you're something special as well.

 

[lord999]

It is actually $48, not 40... big difference but it is still bad

Can concur with that figure for Walgreens, although I don't know what Fry's or Albertson's/Safeway are paying because I literally don't know who they hired this cycle which is a first for me. Then again, Fry's downgraded a lot of pharmacists last year.

 

[owlegrad]

Has there ever been an incentive to go above and beyond? You can be a rock star but you'll get paid the same as the slow, lazy Rph in your store. Lately raises and bonuses have been abysmal, if any.

I was thinking the same thing. I mean do people work harder when you pay them $55/hr vs $48/hr? I doubt it.

 

[Pharmacy is a Scam]

I was thinking the same thing. I mean do people work harder when you pay them $55/hr vs $48/hr? I doubt it.

If they were paid $55/hr they’d be complaining that they don’t make $60/hr. If they made $60/hr they’d be complaining that they don’t make $65/hr. It’s a vicious cycle that never stops. It’s human nature to want more once you get more. Only way to fix greed? Strip down what they have till they are happy with just having a job. We haven’t reached rock bottom yet but we are starting to feel the effects of reduced salaries.

 

[DIPEA]

do any reputable MS programs for CS take Bio majors with no coding experience? My friends who did so went from jobs they were unhappy with in finance or engineering where they had some experience coding. Bootcamps seem like the only easy option and Bootcamps are doing to entry level CS jobs what pharmacy diploma mill type school did to pharmacy.

of course regular bio majors who can't deal with any math or physics won't make the cut. but there are also many liberal arts who can.
I know a music major who is working at google~

 

[Lubeckd]

of course regular bio majors who can't deal with any math or physics won't make the cut. but there are also many liberal arts who can.
I know a music major who is working at google~

I play guitar. You probably played piano? It helps with math. Music reading is important.

 

[DIPEA]

I play guitar. You probably played piano? It helps with math. Music reading is important.

I play flute

 

[Lubeckd]

I play flute

I'm going to lstm for deep learning in Quant

 

[morenife]

If they were paid $55/hr they’d be complaining that they don’t make $60/hr. If they made $60/hr they’d be complaining that they don’t make $65/hr. It’s a vicious cycle that never stops. It’s human nature to want more once you get more. Only way to fix greed? Strip down what they have till they are happy with just having a job. We haven’t reached rock bottom yet but we are starting to feel the effects of reduced salaries.

It is a real scam!

But I don't think stripping down the pay is the solution. We need to unionize or come up with a better strategy to protect us and our profession. I know many floaters (new and recent grads) who get sent to really crazy places, often times over 60 miles one way with no reimbursement.....no accommodation and are asked to close at 10pm, open the next morning etc. It's a vicious cycle because you can't really put a price on the liability, your safety and even the wear and tear that comes on your vehicle (easily 30k miles travelled per year) & wear and tear on your life as a floater....not to mention the increased risk of making errors on the job from being burnt out. Retailers have a huge turnover but...who cares really? Right?

OT: Stumbled on this recently - Sign the Petition

 

[morenife]

Keeping your job I would assume.

We've had some pretty bad new grads recently.

Do you think that maybe some of this under performance has something to do with on the job training vs expectations set before they are launched into the deep dark waters? I know most of the retailer give a 2 week training which is really time spent reading policies and training modules instead of actually learning from seasoned pharmacists. I may be wrong but not completely wrong.

 

[wagrxm2000]

Do you think it that maybe some of this under performance has something to do with on the job training vs expectations set before they are launched into the deep dark waters? I know most of the retailer give a 2 week training which is really time spent reading policies and training modules instead of actually learning from seasoned pharmacists. I may be wrong but not completely wrong.

Oh they are definitely not trained long enough

 

[Lubeckd]

of course regular bio majors who can't deal with any math or physics won't make the cut. but there are also many liberal arts who can.
I know a music major who is working at google~

I know a data scientist that is working in google lol.
going through my stats for my machine learning and finance stuff hahaha.

 

[sozetone]

Anyone hired before 2017, maybe early 2018 is in jeopardy. Thats when these guys started salary cuts. The bottom line? i've heard rumors at my place (WM) where i am an over paid PIC, that the goal is roughly 30$/hr or below.....this supposedly leaked from very high up, and i believe the source to be reliable.....were talking above regional levels.....Like Ken Sasse and above....Plus automation and technology is intended to alleviate many pharm spots as years go by.....Why else would these companies ALL suddenly shift to a system where they give you not enough to succeed, then implement accountability if you don't fit into the "high performance culture" .....lol Have you ever seen them do this before recent years? no way....not to this extent. It's blatantly obvious they are setting up for failure and have plans of their own.....

 

[sozetone]

How many hours?

He's on par, wags in FL offered me 54/hr for 64 hr float (2 weeks obviously), and CVS offered me 60/hr PIC at a store solely (37 hr per week). I kindly turned them both down , but they were cool DM's , i feel the door will always be open. they understood i could not xfer me and my wife from CO for something with too much uncertainty. The issue with CVS was he wanted to push me to manager in February when that manager left! I was all for it until i heard that. I kindly tapped out. Managing was hard, but i did well, now it just seems almost impossible to get the rx's done for the day. I don't think WM was prepared to REALLY go single coverage. their systems are old and clunky, to labor intensive to fill fast. They screwed up by not simplifying the systems like they said they would to make things smoother. They just dumped more work on us and cut most stores to single coverage. bad deal....

 

[wagrxm2000]

Anyone hired before 2017, maybe early 2018 is in jeopardy. Thats when these guys started salary cuts. The bottom line? i've heard rumors at my place (WM) where i am an over paid PIC, that the goal is roughly 30$/hr or below.....this supposedly leaked from very high up, and i believe the source to be reliable.....were talking above regional levels.....Like Ken Sasse and above....Plus automation and technology is intended to alleviate many pharm spots as years go by.....Why else would these companies ALL suddenly shift to a system where they give you not enough to succeed, then implement accountability if you don't fit into the "high performance culture" .....lol Have you ever seen them do this before recent years? no way....not to this extent. It's blatantly obvious they are setting up for failure and have plans of their own.....

AI needs to be able to enter a prescription correctly first and it still can't do that

 

[Lubeckd]

AI needs to be able to enter a prescription correctly first and it still can't do that

If you train it right it will be able to.

 

[wagrxm2000]

If you train it right it will be able to.

So why hasn't it yet? Seems like a very simple task.

Until MDs aren't allowed to enter directions, it can't be fixed.

 

[Lubeckd]

So why hasn't it yet? Seems like a very simple task.

Until MDs aren't allowed to enter directions, it can't be fixed.

Okay I'll look into it and train machine learning to do it. If it works I'll show you on GitHub. If tech keeps increasing it will happen. First I will need to access these scripts and phi. Diagnosis is already happening. Even in micromerchant systems the computer on e rx picks up the script and translates it. You need the deep learning part for the other parts to happen. Why do you think Canada is having self service pharmacy or in the hospitals?