Pharmacy tech pay?

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I'm in california and working for walgreens. I'm CPhT certified.
 
in california around my place, it's like $12 to $13/hr starting.......
 
I Dunno What There Talken About I Get Paid $17 With 4 Years Expiernce Independent Pharmacy!!! Cali
 
I'm an undergrad intern at rite aid.. and I don't have the gall to ask the pharmtech how much she makes, but my friend who works in the front where the regular store is knows the pharmtech pretty well and she says she only gets paid 11.50. She also said that in wallgreens the pay was 17 dollars. Big difference.

This is the Sacramento area by the way
 
PolarBear21 said:
I'm an undergrad intern at rite aid.. and I don't have the gall to ask the pharmtech how much she makes, but my friend who works in the front where the regular store is knows the pharmtech pretty well and she says she only gets paid 11.50. She also said that in wallgreens the pay was 17 dollars. Big difference.

This is the Sacramento area by the way
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That is incorrect info...starting pay at woodland walgreens is $14.25....or somewhere close to that
 
I just got a job at kaiser as a Pharm Clerk that makes 13.88/hr! planning to take the ptcb in nov!
 
I work at wm make 9.40 in new hampshire. i want to work in the hospital setting. im going to college. what do i need. oh and i have been working there for the last 6 months
 
I'm a certified tech at wags in phoenix, been there less than a year and I make $11.50. Hoping to move on to a hospital position before too long.
 
pion said:
I'm a certified tech at wags in phoenix, been there less than a year and I make $11.50. Hoping to move on to a hospital position before too long.
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which walgreens do u work at in phoenix? i just started workin at wags in scottsdale n i started at $10.25
 
I've been working at CVS/Pharmacy for over a year now. I was Company-Certified (meaning I was no longer a PSA but a Pharm Tech) 17 days after my hire date.. most techs take 3-4 months.. I got my national certification in early December, under a year, with a higher score than my lead tech. 3 achievements I'm proud of.

I make $9.40/hr. I've worked 40 hours a week for the entire time I've been employed there, until now. CVS is cutting hours back in every store here in NC, no matter the script count per week. I got cut back to 28 hours, I forced them to boost it to 35 so I can keep my benefits. I don't count on getting a raise for either my yearly eval nor my certification. My poor lead tech, a good friend of mine, got hired at $6.75/hr, because of a miscommunication bt her hiring manager and the shift supervisor on duty that day.. so she got a raise, boosted to $9.30 about 8 months ago. Her year evaluation was in November, also the time she became a CPhT and got promoted to Lead Tech. a Promotion, a Certification, and a very positive eval, and she got no raise, because she "got a raise this calendar year". So i dont count on getting one either. If they didnt give her one, they wont justify giving me one.

I applied at Walgreen's yesterday, they called me back today for an interview. I'm excited. I like CVS, its not that bad a company, its just run poorly.

I feel bad for all you posters saying you only get $7-8/hr, you're woefully underpaid. 🙁

Wish me luck!
 
$17.24/hr hospital pharmacy.. A little more when I'm in the IV room. I'm not certified and I started at this job 17 months ago with only volunteer experience (which is pretty much NO experience). 😉
 
I just got hired as a Pharmacy Tech in Ohio for my first Tech Job. I am certified and I started off at 12.96

After my first 6 months I get moved up to 15.25 as long as I'm in good standing.

After a year and a half, I can earn up to 20.00 an hour then I can get annual bonuses if I score high on my annual review.

Plus with the great benefits and bonuses I get, I don't see myself leaving 🙂
 
I was wondering if the pharmacy techs could entertain a question about becoming a pharmacy tech. The low wages I see still beat what I am making as a computer operator in a large (26,000 students) university. :scared:

You have to take an exam given by the PTCB, right? Or can you get hired without it? Do you have to take a course to be able to take the exam? Why do they call it a testing window?

Anything else I should know to head down this road?

Thanks.
 
walgreens in houston texas

certified and registered.

started at 10.75 finally got my first raise to 11.25

i see different states pay different rates.
 
pharmpilot said:
I was wondering if the pharmacy techs could entertain a question about becoming a pharmacy tech. The low wages I see still beat what I am making as a computer operator in a large (26,000 students) university. :scared:

You have to take an exam given by the PTCB, right? Or can you get hired without it? Do you have to take a course to be able to take the exam? Why do they call it a testing window?

Anything else I should know to head down this road?

Thanks.
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It all depends on what state you live in to decide whether or not you need to take the PTCB. Some states require it while others don't. But sometimes you'll find employers in the states that don't require it who want you to have it, plus it doesn't hurt to have a professional license.

In other words, just take it lol..

The testing window refers to the dates you can take the test. For example, right now, to be able to take the test during the feb.-march testing window, you have to have your application and application fee in by January 11th.

They have several testing windows a year.

Also, if you become certified, try to get a job in a hospital, the pay and benefits are usually way better.
 
JT2386

Thanks for the information. I'm going to take it.
 
I just got hired at Walmart today in TX, certified, no experience whatsoever... $10.00/hr
 
chicago
osco drug
currently @ $9.55. started at 9.30, 6mo raise increments of 25cents - another "raise" coming in 1-2 more months.
no experience
not certified
fortunately, i don't have to work too much (~15 hrs a week) so i have time for school+stuff
 
JT2386 said:
I just got hired as a Pharmacy Tech in Ohio for my first Tech Job. I am certified and I started off at 12.96

After my first 6 months I get moved up to 15.25 as long as I'm in good standing.

After a year and a half, I can earn up to 20.00 an hour then I can get annual bonuses if I score high on my annual review.

Plus with the great benefits and bonuses I get, I don't see myself leaving 🙂
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what company you wor for? sounds great~
is it a hospital?
 
Tucson Arizona: Inpatient pharmacy 14.98/hr
 
fiorio said:
what company you wor for? sounds great~
is it a hospital?
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Yes, it's our local city hospital....

If you can, you should always choose to work in a hospital over a retail setting...
 
South Florida Inpatient Pharmacy $10/hr (per diem) + $1-2/hr premiums for evening, overnight, and weekend shifts
 
I'm in south ga. I make $12.75 per hour and I have 10 years of pharmacy experience!!
 
I work at CVS in california. After being a tech for 2.5 years, I applied at a hospital and made 15.50/hr. Apparently techs at that hosp made up to 21/hr. The CVS I am working at used to be a Savon, and I have worked at the same location for 5 years. I make 17/hr there.
 
I just started working in a hospital pharmacy with no previous pharmacy experience and I make $11/hr. I'm looking into getting certified so I can move up, any advice?
 
I just got hired at Walmart, no experience whatsoever, certified-- $10.00/hr. By the way , I am in Texas.
 
Wow the tech at my uncle's pharmacy is super overpaid. she gets paid $22/hr and it is an independent retail pharmacy in Los Angeles.
 
Some older techs... who have worked at a place so long (possibly longer than the pharmacist) that they can pretty much run it get paid high salaries.

This is especially true in independent community retail settings.
 
i started as a certified tech at walgreens over 2 years ago in TX and starting pay was $11.25..no experience. now i make 13/hr.

my cousin who works at a hospital nearby gets 15.00 as a part-time pharm tech..but shes had 2 years experience in hospital pharmacy previously. if she were full time i think she would get 16 or 17 per hour.
 
Nationally, the average tech pay is about $13 per hour. In general, hospital techs are paid way more than retail techs. Certified techs get paid more than non-certified.
 
I just got hired to Hy-Vee and am going to be making $9/hour. I'm fine with that though because it appears to be the average starting wage in my area for someone who is not certified and has no experience. I haven't had a chance yet to ask if there are advancement and pay raises possible. I will be asking about that when I go for my orientation. I wouldn't have been real happy though with something lower than $9.

Some of those wages are ridiculous that are shown... $5.50/hour??!! That's how much I made when I was doing grocery bagging and stuff at Hy-Vee before! $5.50 for a pharm tech sure doesn't indicate they value you very much. 😕

Edit: I am in Kansas.
 
meister said:
$12.65/hour with 2 years as a tech for Sav-on in SoCal. I used to be certified by PTCB but let my registration expire after I figured out it didn't matter once I was licensed.

In 8 months I start making $15/hour. 🙂
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Weird seeing this quote pop up again. Quoting almost 2 years to the day. Now I make $16.60/hour at the same store, been working there 4.5 years, 3 as a technician.
 
Anyone here a pharmacy student and working as a tech? I know a few pharm. students working as interns and they get paid $17-18/hr. Do you get paid more if they know you're already in pharmacy school?
 
MD Anderson Cancer Center... 17.28/hr
 
Smilescali said:
How are the benefits for techs? Medical, Dental, 401K bonuses, vacation etc?

My sister is looking into becoming a tech. Are there any hopes for advancement?


Thanks for any help 🙂
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I make 17.05 at CVS now, only due to a few weird raises when it was formerly SavOn. It is partially due to cost of living in my area of CA, so trust me relatively its not that great. I made 15.50 at an inpatient hospital for a year, and they gave 5% raises per year. You could get up to 21 there after 5 years or so. I believe medical plans depend on what company you work for. Dental is extra. Rx's are $7.50 for covered generics with the CVS plan, but you are only able to go to CVS to get rx's filled. 401k through SavOn was about 30% match up to 6%. The hospital had 100% match up to 3%. CVS is 100% match up to 5%, but half of it is paid after an entire year, and it is paid in some weird kinda stock thing i haven't figure out yet. I believe walgreens has an unbelieveable 401k with a 100% match up to 10%! But that is through the grapevine. I have about 2 weeks paid vacation after 5 years part time work. If i were full time it would be 3 by now. Advancement is tough, but if you work hard enough at contacting the right people AND find a time in which the position is needed, you can become a "trainer", which is kind of a lead technician for a district, but that is not too common.
 
Retail in Colorado w/ 6 years as a CPhT and I make $16.26/hr
 
I just graduated pharmacy tech school and just got a full time job at CVS for $13.00 per hour. I have no prior experience other than the 300 clinical hours req'd to graduate. Is this a good starting pay for Texas? I was told in school that CVS is the lowest paying company and that Wallgreens is the best. Anyone agree/disagree?
 
I work at a CVS in Southern California and make $11.13 an hour.

I started in January as a tech (certified, I was a PSA before for 10 months) and got the base pay of $10.65.. and then CVS gave me a whole 48 cent raise in May! Haha.

One of the techs I worked with who just quit was with the company for 6 years and made about $18/hr.
 
Ok so i just passed my PTCE and im certified yay! but i need a good paying tech job. I live in the boston area and was wondering if anyone knows of any hospital or retail that is looking for a certified pharm tech and willing to pay a reasonable rate? please let me know. thank you
 
Some of your numbers make me SUPER jealous! I make $11 certified at a small retail chain.
 
here in orange county california most retail stores start you off at $14.
ironically the hospitals pay their techs more. hospitals around here start techs at $16 for the 1st shift.
 
Wow, very different numbers here! I never worked before and I just got certified last night. but my teacher told me here in colorado, the people make an average around 10 bucks an hour at safeway w/ no experience and 15 bucks an hour at Kaiser Permanente with some experience (1 to 2 years) His cousin is a pharmacy tech and worked for kaiser for 9 years! he makes around 22 bucks an hour he says!

virtue: dude congrats! I passed mine too yesterday night!!!

scavok: which retail do you work in colorado?
 
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I work for wal mart pharmacy and i make $10.70 an hour after 3.5 years. Im going to take the ptcb in nov and demand more money. Its not required, but i would be the only tech with it. (out of 6)
 
Here in Orlando, Walgreens starts Techs at $8-9hr. If you're certified, you should expect $9-11hr, depending on amount of experience. Senior Certified Techs make $11-14hr, again depending on how much experience and specific markets. Once a Senior Tech, you can make upwards of $14hr given enough time. Like any job with any company, many factors go into your starting pay, raises and so forth. These are just some general figures.
 
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