Pharmacist Salary Thread

[aboveliquidice]

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I wouldn't consider Hillsboro too rural. Now Tillamook hospital is rural. Congrats on the job man, busy year with job and rotations huh.

I was relocated to a small southern Oregon city to do my rotations... Lets just say that the walmart is where the kids go on Saturday night. HAHAHAH - I like it, but it is a serious adjustment coming from the outskirts of Portland. 😎

 

[Kirbypuff]

I don't get why everyone thinks bklyngirl is all in it for the money. She's well informed about the benefits of the union because her father works for them and she's well informed about compensation of nurses and physical therapists because she goes to LIU where a bunch of her classmates are probably nursing and PT majors. I think since she compares her options among other healthcare professionals, it seems that she is actually interested in healthcare. It's not like she's comparing pharmacy to finance, real estate, or entertainment. I just don't see that she's in it for the money anymore than any other SDN member. Oh well.

 

[Nerdgirl]

Is there a salary difference between working at a grocery pharmacy store or a drug store like CVS?

Just wondering.
Thanks.

 

[owlegrad]

Is there a salary difference between working at a grocery pharmacy store or a drug store like CVS?

Just wondering.
Thanks.

In a word: Yes, although it is pretty small overall. (Sorry, I couldn't contain myself to one word!)

Try this: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291051.htm

For more info try this: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm

Really great site for getting employment related statistics and information. Hope this helped.

Or maybe you wanted anecdotal evidence? If so sorry can't help you there. Maybe in a few years...

 

[atlrph]

I was relocated to a small southern Oregon city to do my rotations... Lets just say that the walmart is where the kids go on Saturday night. HAHAHAH - I like it, but it is a serious adjustment coming from the outskirts of Portland. 😎

Hillsburitos

 

[AC1997]

I am making roughly 118,000 a year working in Cali.

 

[gustavo32]

I am making roughly 118,000 a year working in Cali.

So,after all this.I'll call the DM and tell him that i'm glad i'm working for him.
It was great to see the actual state of the things.
Although,I know now they are starting new Rphs at $55/h.But,things are tough ,so I rather take it and wait....

 

[WagsTale]

I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with taking into consideration wages when making a career decision. Obviously in an idealistic mindset, you should chose a job that is most fulfilling and enjoyable for yourself. However, in a more practical sense, coming out of an educational program 6 figures in debt to make less than a 6 figure salary would be ridiculous. I completely understand your concern and appreciate your wanting to find employment that wouldn't result in your operating in the "red" economically for the greater part of your professional life. That being said "OMG YOU'RE A TOTAL SCUMBAG COMPLETELY IN THIS FOR THE BLING BLING, YO!!" 😉

For your wages questions, I can give you a brief summary of what my colleagues have been offered in retail:

Walgreens in Tuscon AZ: 56/hr
Thrifty White in MN: 52/hr
Walgreens in Minneapolis, MN as overnight: 54/hr
Walgreens Denver, CO: 53/hr
CVS in Anchorage, AK: 48/hr
King Soopers Denver, CO: 51/hr

Three of my friends chose residencies, and their salaries were around the 70K mark.

My advice to you, as has already been mentioned above, take into serious consideration benefits such as 401K, health insurance, and paid time off. One thing to also consider with regard to paid time off, is the ease of actually USING it. Several companies promise 2 or more weeks of PTO, but make it nearly impossible to schedule it in. Using lame excuses as "We can't get a float pharmacist to cover during these times." and block off entire months at a time. The best way to find this out is simply by asking staff pharmacists working at whichever site you're interested in.

Another FYI, I would pass on any sign on bonus offered to you. It's pretty difficult to predict whether or not you're going to absolutely LOVE your starting location/company. And it totally sucks feeling like you're stuck there until you fulfill your contract. Many companies not only require full repayment of the sign on, but an additional 8 to 10 percent interest. In case you aren't already aware, you only collect about half of the sign on they give you anyway due to taxes. It really isn't worth it.

Hope this helps you make an educated decision enabling you not only to chose employment at a location that allows you to be a fantastic pharmacist helping out all those patients and feeling fulfilled, but also allows you to get out of debt in a reasonable fashion.

Cheers!

 

[BavarianMWE46]

....
CVS in Anchorage, AK: 48/hr

I think you mean $48 per second or $48 per minute since it is in Alaska.

 

[Passion4Sci]

I think you mean $48 per second or $48 per minute since it is in Alaska.

I loved the 6 months I spent on assignment in Alaska.

What're you trying to say, buddy?

😛

 

[117296]

I was relocated to a small southern Oregon city to do my rotations... Lets just say that the walmart is where the kids go on Saturday night. HAHAHAH - I like it, but it is a serious adjustment coming from the outskirts of Portland. 😎

"Small" as in Medford or Klamath Falls, or small as in Ashland/Grants Pass/Brookings?

 

[82032k25515k]

I have been bombarded here before, but this is where I can get the most updated information .So, here it goes.
I graduated and got a job at CVS. They have a standard graduate intern rate .All the interns are paid $42.41,but every intern is offered a different salary as a pharmacist based on God knows what.
I’ll have an interview with the DM next week to touch up about any concern we may have. It’s going to be 3 interns at the time.
The conditional job offer I signed has a pharmacist salary on it .But , I have learned that other interns have different numbers there .How can I know if I’m getting a good deal?
For what I know one of them was offered more, and I have no way to know the others. The rate is about $50 /h but I will work overnight.
Any advice from people that know about this will be appreciated.

Starting salary would be around $43 an hour depending on which area of the U.S.

 

[tongiecc]

I think the only reason (unfortunately) that there is so much talk about Alaska is merely due to the "pharmacy folklore" around the salary offers up there; its too bad that so many of us are more concerned with making a few more dollars per hour than we are with our working conditions. I would personally rather make 10% less and enjoy my job rather than suffer for a what essentially amounts to only a few extra grand after tax to work in undesirable conditions(in any setting). I just spoke with a class of 2010 graduate and he says that in his class over 60% say they are going to work for one of the big chains (which is a typical number at a lot of schools), which I think is unfortunate b/c many will not ever consider hospital, LTC, etc due to a slightly lower pay scale, even if they have the passion to work in one of those areas. But then again maybe I should be estatic b/c that just means more options for those of us who really want those positions.

Well sorry for the rambling collection of thoughts there; I just still think its hilarious how many people will talk about the wonderful pay in Alaska and exaggerate it out of proportion (esp. if they have no intention of ever working there to begin with)

 

[Vitamin K]

I think the only reason (unfortunately) that there is so much talk about Alaska is merely due to the "pharmacy folklore" around the salary offers up there; its too bad that so many of us are more concerned with making a few more dollars per hour than we are with our working conditions. I would personally rather make 10% less and enjoy my job rather than suffer for a what essentially amounts to only a few extra grand after tax to work in undesirable conditions(in any setting). I just spoke with a class of 2010 graduate and he says that in his class over 60% say they are going to work for one of the big chains (which is a typical number at a lot of schools), which I think is unfortunate b/c many will not ever consider hospital, LTC, etc due to a slightly lower pay scale, even if they have the passion to work in one of those areas. But then again maybe I should be estatic b/c that just means more options for those of us who really want those positions.

Well sorry for the rambling collection of thoughts there; I just still think its hilarious how many people will talk about the wonderful pay in Alaska and exaggerate it out of proportion (esp. if they have no intention of ever working there to begin with)

Don't be so quick to assume that people only go into retail for the money. I happen to love retail for the patient interaction that I get every day. When I was in the hospital, I came home depressed most days and lost sleep over the tragedies that I saw there. I never got to know a single patient because most of them either went home quickly or passed away. That's not what I want for myself. I feel like I make a big impact for my patients, and I can do it just as easily in a retail pharmacy. It's not about the money for me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Don't be so quick to assume that people only go into retail for the money. I happen to love retail for the patient interaction that I get every day. When I was in the hospital, I came home depressed most days and lost sleep over the tragedies that I saw there. I never got to know a single patient because most of them either went home quickly or passed away. That's not what I want for myself. I feel like I make a big impact for my patients, and I can do it just as easily in a retail pharmacy. It's not about the money for me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

That's an interesting perspective.

I have the unique experience of concurrently working for a retail pharmacy and volunteering in a really busy inpatient/outpatient clinical pharmacy. I find that, in retail, folks come in, snag their goody bag, sign "Decline Counseling" and go about their merry way. The Pharmacist never even says hello to 90% of his clients. I'm not sure what kind of retail pharmacy you work in - Maybe it's one where the clients are complete nincompoops and are friendly (I just giggled to myself putting friendly and retail in the same statement) and always want to be counseled, and actually listen when you counsel them. If so, I'm happy for you, but I just can't imagine it...

I sometimes push a Pharmacist consult, and they usually say something like, "Eh it's fine, I can look it up on Rxlist at home if I need to." Like, OK what's the pharmacist even THERE for?

In the clinical pharmacy, it's true, building long-lasting relationships with pt's can be pretty challenging. The one way I've found that I can establish even a basic relationship, is by starting a smoking cessation program wherein all of us volunteers walk the pt floors and counsel pt's that are indicated by their attending as "needing" the counseling. Then, we can ask the pt if s/he would like to extend contact information to us (volunteers) for follow-ups on their cessation quit plan a few times after their dischg.

Is it perfect? No... but I dunno. I'm rambling here I guess...

This seems appropriate here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGip7x-sIuo

Pharmacy respect.

 

[bigpharmD]

I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with taking into consideration wages when making a career decision. Obviously in an idealistic mindset, you should chose a job that is most fulfilling and enjoyable for yourself. However, in a more practical sense, coming out of an educational program 6 figures in debt to make less than a 6 figure salary would be ridiculous. I completely understand your concern and appreciate your wanting to find employment that wouldn't result in your operating in the "red" economically for the greater part of your professional life. That being said "OMG YOU'RE A TOTAL SCUMBAG COMPLETELY IN THIS FOR THE BLING BLING, YO!!" 😉

For your wages questions, I can give you a brief summary of what my colleagues have been offered in retail:

Walgreens in Tuscon AZ: 56/hr
Thrifty White in MN: 52/hr
Walgreens in Minneapolis, MN as overnight: 54/hr
Walgreens Denver, CO: 53/hr
CVS in Anchorage, AK: 48/hr
King Soopers Denver, CO: 51/hr

Three of my friends chose residencies, and their salaries were around the 70K mark.

My advice to you, as has already been mentioned above, take into serious consideration benefits such as 401K, health insurance, and paid time off. One thing to also consider with regard to paid time off, is the ease of actually USING it. Several companies promise 2 or more weeks of PTO, but make it nearly impossible to schedule it in. Using lame excuses as "We can't get a float pharmacist to cover during these times." and block off entire months at a time. The best way to find this out is simply by asking staff pharmacists working at whichever site you're interested in.

Another FYI, I would pass on any sign on bonus offered to you. It's pretty difficult to predict whether or not you're going to absolutely LOVE your starting location/company. And it totally sucks feeling like you're stuck there until you fulfill your contract. Many companies not only require full repayment of the sign on, but an additional 8 to 10 percent interest. In case you aren't already aware, you only collect about half of the sign on they give you anyway due to taxes. It really isn't worth it.

Hope this helps you make an educated decision enabling you not only to chose employment at a location that allows you to be a fantastic pharmacist helping out all those patients and feeling fulfilled, but also allows you to get out of debt in a reasonable fashion.

Cheers!

well then your friend took a ****ty job

 

[Charlemagne]

well then your friend took a ****ty job

Really? From the way I read it, i thought he/she meant that the people who worked in residencies received 70,000 a year, which must be erroneous because that's damn more than normal.
If I was wrong, then poor wording on his/her part.

 

[MountainPharmD]

Don't be so quick to assume that people only go into retail for the money. I happen to love retail for the patient interaction that I get every day. When I was in the hospital, I came home depressed most days and lost sleep over the tragedies that I saw there. I never got to know a single patient because most of them either went home quickly or passed away. That's not what I want for myself. I feel like I make a big impact for my patients, and I can do it just as easily in a retail pharmacy. It's not about the money for me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

This is why I went into retail. I did not become a pharmacist to sit in the basement of a hospital and do order entry for 8 hours straight. It is great to be able to interact with patients on a daily basis. It is a good feeling to have people call and only want to talk to you because they trust you. At my pharmacy we counsel every single patient on every single new prescription. My techs do not just ask people if they have any questions. The tech sends them to the counsel window and we go over and ask them if they have any questions.

However, the CVSs and Walgreens of the world have all but destroyed the profession of pharmacy. Counseling is the butt of jokes at the aforementioned pharmacies. There is hardly time to breathe let alone counsel anyone. People go to CVS or Walgreens because it is convenient not because of the service they get. Ask anyone you know who gets prescriptions filled at CVS or Walgreens if they know their pharmacists name. I bet 90% will not know. It is sad because the poor policies and flawed business models of these two chains are starting to filter down to the rest of the retail chains. Retail pharmacy is truly going to ****. My hours and budget have been slashed so much it is getting to the CVS/Walgreens point. The point where I do not even have time to safely fill prescriptions let alone do anything else.

It is sad and I am getting out while I still can. Hospital pharmacy may not be my dream job but it beats the hell out of what retail pharmacy has become. I can sit in the basement and do order entry all day, no problem. In my opinion if you do not get out of retail pharmacy soon you will be stuck.

 

[Ian1223]

Are hospital pharmacys frequently in the basement?

 

[MountainPharmD]

Are hospital pharmacys frequently in the basement?

Yes. Not far from the morgue. I am not kidding.

 

[dafoozeking]

Yes. Not far from the morgue. I am not kidding.

Yup. The hospital I used to work at, there were only three things in the basement: Morgue, Pharmacy, and Kitchen (LOL)

 

[Passion4Sci]

I guess I am fortunate in that my pharmacy is on the 3d floor.

 

[nafcillin]

I think bklyngirl is being very pragmatic. And no, I'm not a sock puppet. She is taking things into consideration before going into over 100k of debt for a profession she may or may not enjoy. I would never go into anything with this much schooling and debt involved unless I thought I was going to enjoy it AND be able to pay off my loans.

Turns out that pharmacy isn't for me. I am actually quite miserable in my position but I do make decent money. I never went into this for the money and I am looking into going into another profession w/less pay. My career depresses me (I was already clinically depressed before going into pharmacy but the situation I'm in just seems to make it worse). I can't imagine doing this **** until I'm 65.

 

[Kirbypuff]

Adding on to WagsTale's list

Walgreens in Tuscon AZ: 56/hr
Thrifty White in MN: 52/hr
Walgreens in Minneapolis, MN as overnight: 54/hr
Walgreens Denver, CO: 53/hr
CVS in Anchorage, AK: 48/hr
King Soopers Denver, CO: 51/hr
Walgreens in NYC: 57/hr

I think bklyngirl is being very pragmatic. And no, I'm not a sock puppet. She is taking things into consideration before going into over 100k of debt for a profession she may or may not enjoy. I would never go into anything with this much schooling and debt involved unless I thought I was going to enjoy it AND be able to pay off my loans.

Turns out that pharmacy isn't for me. I am actually quite miserable in my position but I do make decent money. I never went into this for the money and I am looking into going into another profession w/less pay. My career depresses me (I was already clinically depressed before going into pharmacy but the situation I'm in just seems to make it worse). I can't imagine doing this **** until I'm 65.

I'm sorry to hear about your depression. Maybe you can work part time (which technically does give you a pay cut) and you can do other things that you enjoy more without making any extra investments. What would you do if you could start over? 🙂

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Here's a few concrete pay numbers I know of...based upon asking friends...and looking for jobs myself...

Northern WV; retail: $51/hr
Northern WV; hospital, academic: $42/hour
Western PA; mail order: $55/hr
Western PA; hospital, local: $42/hr
Western PA; hospital, local: $38/hr (offset by being given a pension rather than a ****ty 401k)
Western PA; hospital, regional: $40/hr
Pittsburgh, PA; hospital, academic: $37/hr (Yup...UPMC...and this is why Pitt sucks...)

 

[netrx]

I think you mean $48 per second or $48 per minute since it is in Alaska.

Just curious, why is it higher in Alaska?

 

[Charlemagne]

Here's a few concrete pay numbers I know of...based upon asking friends...and looking for jobs myself...

Northern WV; retail: $51/hr
Northern WV; hospital, academic: $42/hour
Western PA; mail order: $55/hr
Western PA; hospital, local: $42/hr
Western PA; hospital, local: $38/hr (offset by being given a pension rather than a ****ty 401k)
Western PA; hospital, regional: $40/hr
Pittsburgh, PA; hospital, academic: $37/hr (Yup...UPMC...and this is why Pitt sucks...)

Just an inquiry, but don't you need to have a PhD in order to work in the academic hospital setting, or are there exceptions to this rule?

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Just an inquiry, but don't you need to have a PhD in order to work in the academic hospital setting, or are there exceptions to this rule?

No. In fact, I've never heard of anyone at an academic hospital working in a pharmacy department with a PhD unless it's some strictly research-focused job where you don't actually have any involvement in patient care.

I think you're confused.

 

[genesis09]

Just curious, why is it higher in Alaska?

Higher costs of living

 

[bigpharmD]

I think bklyngirl is being very pragmatic. And no, I'm not a sock puppet. She is taking things into consideration before going into over 100k of debt for a profession she may or may not enjoy. I would never go into anything with this much schooling and debt involved unless I thought I was going to enjoy it AND be able to pay off my loans.

Turns out that pharmacy isn't for me. I am actually quite miserable in my position but I do make decent money. I never went into this for the money and I am looking into going into another profession w/less pay. My career depresses me (I was already clinically depressed before going into pharmacy but the situation I'm in just seems to make it worse). I can't imagine doing this **** until I'm 65.

What do you do? And what makes you think doing anything else is going to be that much better?

 

[bigpharmD]

Really? From the way I read it, i thought he/she meant that the people who worked in residencies received 70,000 a year, which must be erroneous because that's damn more than normal.
If I was wrong, then poor wording on his/her part.

I read as the person has finished a residency and makes 70,000

 

[Passion4Sci]

Higher costs of living

I thought it was because Alaska sucks... and Sarah Palin is there.

*shudder*

 

[Charlemagne]

I read as the person has finished a residency and makes 70,000

Ah, I took a more literal meaning then. On a related note, yes, I am very confused. (I hate being an ENTP sometimes)

 

[Passion4Sci]

Ah, I took a more literal meaning then. On a related note, yes, I am very confused. (I hate being an ENTP sometimes)

ENFJ all the way!

 

[Kirbypuff]

ENFJ all the way!

Oh shut up! you too?? You, Me and Sparda = ENFJ club Haha.

 

[IrishHammer]

Oh shut up! you too?? You, Me and Sparda = ENFJ club Haha.

Stupid Myers-Briggs. My type is the STFU.

 

[Zrchrn]

Is the lower pay in hospital pharmacy worth it? (I'm not talking about being a staff pharmacists, I'm talking about the kind that go out on rounds with the medical team etc.) BTW I say worth it for lack of a better word. What I mean is, do you get benefits to compensate, do you still get to experience a similar standard of living etc.

I was under the impression that hospital pharmacists were getting hire pay now (in the 90k region at least).

 

[Maxpwer222]

I read as the person has finished a residency and makes 70,000

Well, I read it as a few friends chose residency and that was their residency salary

 

[type b pharmD]

its all depend on your experience. you have to get knowledge about your work. if you have good experience then you can get good salary and if you have low experience then you will get low salary.

eat well!

 

[Kirbypuff]

Stupid Myers-Briggs. My type is the STFU.

Now you're just being mean.

 

[IrishHammer]

Now you're just being mean.

I just now started being mean?

Welcome to SDN, Kirb.

 

[bigpharmD]

Is the lower pay in hospital pharmacy worth it? (I'm not talking about being a staff pharmacists, I'm talking about the kind that go out on rounds with the medical team etc.) BTW I say worth it for lack of a better word. What I mean is, do you get benefits to compensate, do you still get to experience a similar standard of living etc.

I was under the impression that hospital pharmacists were getting hire pay now (in the 90k region at least).

I make more than that

 

[Zrchrn]

I make more than that

Are you still a resident? Where do you practice?

 

[Zrchrn]

The basic thing I want to know is this. Does a pharmacist pay/workload lead to a decent living. Ok so decent is relative, here is what I want.

At Best what I want is:
car:
BMW 328i: ~40k (w/ taxes etc.)
or
MB C class: ~44k (w/taxes etc.)

house:
150k-300k house (I'm not really sure how much a decent house is but I'm looking in the range of 3 bedroom house, nothing too fancy, just nice.)
In an area like Florida. (Gainesville/Orlando/Daytona Beach if you must know)

Ignore tuition and loans etc.


Now, I'm not a fool to think I'll just graduate and buy all that first year but I'm thinking it'd be nice to have that within 3-5 years of work.

Also, how crazy would it be to work 2 jobs (one full time, one part-time on the weekends) as a pharmacist for a year or two to save up. After that I'd work less and spend more time with my family etc. I realize it's pretty expensive to start a "home" and a family, so I'd like to work to get all the basics ready then maybe move to part time work to spend time with my family.


Now please tell me if there are any unrealistic notions in my thinking so I can augment expectations etc. (I'm just starting out in pharm. school). It's not like I'm dead set on the cars etc. I'd be happy driving a nice Camry if it meant not being broke. Also, keep in mind, I would be trying to save up all that money before buying it, I wouldn't buy a car I couldn't pay for in cash.

I'll be honest I have no "real life" experience. I mean I've worked tough jobs, but not enough to have to pay taxes and deal with all that (I never broke past 3k/year). (Maybe they should include a financing/home economics course in Pharmacy school. ) This is why I am asking you more experienced folk as to what the standard of living of a pharmacist is. I'm not really in it for the money, but the one thing I'd hate is to be "worried" about money all the time, it just takes the fun out of life thinking about all this money crap.

 

[Passion4Sci]

After your loan payments, you'll have a very nice living unless you've got 3 mouths to feed and a wife's shoe habit to worry about.
WVUPharm, a recently graduated Pharmacist, works at a small hospital in Pennsylvania, I believe, and he does very well. Plenty of money for fun stuff, the trick is, he didn't buy an expensive car or a big house.

Let's say you start with a $75,000 salary. No deductions like a 401(k) just for the sake of argument.

Figure you live in California. You file independent (1) as Single status.


Bi-weekly Gross Pay
$2,884.62 Federal Withholding
$304.04 Social Security
$178.85 Medicare
$41.83 California
$173.29 CA SDI
$31.73 Net Pay
$2,154.88
Let's say you borrowed $120,000 for your pharmacy education. At 6.8%, your monthly payment should be somewhere around $1,400 a month. That means 65% of your first check (if paid bi-monthly) will go to paying that loan back. Then the rest, as they say, is history and you can spend it how you like.

Obviously, not too many pharmacists start below 75, and most start above, at least for now, so I like 75k as a decent figure to throw around as a ballpark.

Bottom line: You'll be able to buy a C-Class Benz and a nice house on your own, but if you've got a housewife and 3 open mouths it might be a little more difficult. I'm no financial wizard, but it seems to me that it'll be a comfortable living - Certainly far from living paycheck to paycheck.

About working two jobs - A pharmacist I work with is a full-time pharmacist in a hospital, and on night differentials/weekends, she farms herself out to whatever business/group needs a per-diem pharmacist. She makes about $80/hr on these per-diem shifts, and they vary in length. A premium on salary is put down because there are no other benefits, but she gets them from her main employment anyway.

It's a nice way to add some "mad money" to your budget, if you're in an area where per-diem is popular.

 

[diastole]

The basic thing I want to know is this. Does a pharmacist pay/workload lead to a decent living. Ok so decent is relative, here is what I want.

At Best what I want is:
car:
BMW 328i: ~40k (w/ taxes etc.)
or
MB C class: ~44k (w/taxes etc.)

house:
150k-300k house (I'm not really sure how much a decent house is but I'm looking in the range of 3 bedroom house, nothing too fancy, just nice.)
In an area like Florida. (Gainesville/Orlando/Daytona Beach if you must know)

Ignore tuition and loans etc.


Now, I'm not a fool to think I'll just graduate and buy all that first year but I'm thinking it'd be nice to have that within 3-5 years of work.

Also, how crazy would it be to work 2 jobs (one full time, one part-time on the weekends) as a pharmacist for a year or two to save up. After that I'd work less and spend more time with my family etc. I realize it's pretty expensive to start a "home" and a family, so I'd like to work to get all the basics ready then maybe move to part time work to spend time with my family.


Now please tell me if there are any unrealistic notions in my thinking so I can augment expectations etc. (I'm just starting out in pharm. school). It's not like I'm dead set on the cars etc. I'd be happy driving a nice Camry if it meant not being broke. Also, keep in mind, I would be trying to save up all that money before buying it, I wouldn't buy a car I couldn't pay for in cash.

I'll be honest I have no "real life" experience. I mean I've worked tough jobs, but not enough to have to pay taxes and deal with all that (I never broke past 3k/year). (Maybe they should include a financing/home economics course in Pharmacy school. ) This is why I am asking you more experienced folk as to what the standard of living of a pharmacist is. I'm not really in it for the money, but the one thing I'd hate is to be "worried" about money all the time, it just takes the fun out of life thinking about all this money crap.

You shouldn't have to be worried about money if you don't overspend. I have experienced a variety of income levels in my life and I have found that you end up adjusting to what you make. If you make more, you spend more. You'll do things like buy a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, buy a fancier car, eat at more expensive restaurants, take nicer vacations, or buy more expensive presents for people. If you don't make as much, you'll end up spending less in these areas but you still have enough. The problem people run into is when they spend more than they make and then have to cut back when the credit cards get too high. If you keep your spending in line in the first place, then you won't have to live paycheck to paycheck.

I recommend two things to make your life easier. First, start saving for retirement right away once you start working. The sooner you start, the less you will have to put aside each month. Second, put aside money in an emergency fund. It is the unexpected expenses that bust the budget and they always come up at the most inopportune moments. If you do these two things first and then figure out what you have to spend then you will be just fine.

 

[dblock05]

Holy crap...can you guys stop using CA or NY as your example as the cost of living? Seriously, reading these posts gets annoying because CA is almost always mentioned. The cost of living in CA is outrageous and it doesn't make sense to use that as your example. Making 100k in CA is not enough and EVERYONE knows that. Look at the housing issues that are in CA right now.

Making 100k in the other 48-49 states is enough for you to live on. For a single person, it definitely is. You want to add kids and whatever else? Well thats going to be assuming your married now and you have another 50-150k coming in. Enough with this...100k is enough to live on if you don't live in crazy California where everything costs a fortune.

 

[HayMay18]

Nah man, if you only want money you should go into dentistry. Thats about all its good for...LOL...

Anyhow I just think of it this way....The loans will last only ten years...so I will only have to live like a pauper for ten years...after that I can finally have a good life. It just sucks that I can't have a good life when I am in my twenties...🙄 I have to wait till I am in my thirties (old). 🙁

Ahh this is so my concern. Haha when I get outta pharm school I'm gonna be 24 almost 25. And I'm like, that's old. I wanna live the good life young!

 

[Pharmpills]

The problem is that the whole profession and system is messed up. Even Doctors don't make as much as people think anymore bc of the insane taxes, malpractice ins., etc. The pharmacist supply has already exceeded the demand and it's only a matter of time when the gap becomes filled and surpassed. Sometimes i wished i had gone into medicine but when i see "tax the rich" or those who make over 200k at 40% then hell no forget that. Lawyers have it worse than all of us so thankfully we are not there yet and bc health care is a strong field we should be fine for a fair amount of years prob. 4-10 in my opinion. I think if u worked with a chain pharmacy as a tech or intern for many years then you should be fine well better off than those who don't .

 

[Zrchrn]

The problem is that the whole profession and system is messed up. Even Doctors don't make as much as people think anymore bc of the insane taxes, malpractice ins., etc. The pharmacist supply has already exceeded the demand and it's only a matter of time when the gap becomes filled and surpassed. Sometimes i wished i had gone into medicine but when i see "tax the rich" or those who make over 200k at 40% then hell no forget that. Lawyers have it worse than all of us so thankfully we are not there yet and bc health care is a strong field we should be fine for a fair amount of years prob. 4-10 in my opinion. I think if u worked with a chain pharmacy as a tech or intern for many years then you should be fine well better off than those who don't .

I think in ten years the pharmacy profession as we know it will have changed greatly. The threat on pharmacists jobs refers mostly to retail. The retail pharmacist situation as we know it will probably change greatly. I see a shift from 60% of pharmacists in retails to ~40% over the next 30 years. What needs to be done is that pharmacists need to ensure that there is better regulation of how many new school are allowed and what their capacity is. If as the "doomsayers" say is true, then yes it will be harder to get a job for a little while, but then the number of students applying will drop, the extra schools will close and sooner or later we will have a shortage again. Of course we are all just speculating.

Keep in mind, the pharmD prepares you for more than retail, and hospital pharmacy. But by all means keep shouting as loud as you can about the surplus of pharmacists, the decrease in salary and the lack of "job satisfaction" or w/e else it is you want to say. That way more people who are in it for the "quick money" will find some other profession to give a bad name. While the rest of us enjoy it. Just look at computer scientists and software engineers. When the bubble burst in 2000 everyone ran away. Those who stuck to it though are now making up to 80-90k+ (after working for a few years) due to the shortage of new graduates. Micrsoft and Google are even dropping 100k salaries on new graduates from the top schools.