Pharmacy tech pay?

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I'm an uncertified tech (just started working Monday) and I make $10/hour at a CVS in south florida.
 
I make $10 @ CVS (pt/not certified). I was told once I obtain my state/national cert, my pay would increase to $16/HR. However, I work for the Mental Health Department (auth analyst, $22/HR) during the day, and the techs at the mental hosp make $38-46K per year!
 
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I'm a certified tech. making close to $13/hour. Part time btw. I believe the more experienced, full time techs working with me make somewhere between 16-20 per hour.
 
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I replied awhile back already with what I make ($9/hr at a grocery store based pharmacy, noncertifed, 4 months experience) but I recently found out what two other places in my city start out at so wanted to post those as well. I'm in the midwest (think Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska) and apparently CVS doesn't pay well here. They pay approx. $7.25/hr to start apparently. Wal-Mart pays around $8.25/hr or so.

Just a few tidbits of info for anyone who cares to know. 🙂 I'm getting certified soon though, will update what my hourly wage goes to then.
 
this is totally weird. I remember writing in this tread two years ago. I'm no longer a tech and stupid Walgreen's gave me a pay cut to $18 an hour. 😡
 
hospital pharmacy.. $15, just started
 
I've been a pharmacy technician for over 10 yrs. In the hospital setting I topped out making $18.53/hr (+ differential pay for weekends or night shifts). I recently started working retail again, and as a nationally certified technician I start out at $14.50/hr and will get $16.50 after I take the pharmacy software proficiency exam. (It's important to note that both positions are not in big cities.)

Wages vary greatly by employer as well as geographic location. If there is a metropolitan job market within commuting distance, the wages tend to be comparable to like metro area positions.

I realize this thread is an old one, but if you happen across my reply and want to pick my brain I'm more than happy to help.
 
14.70--Dominicks, Chicago suburb.
No previous experience, but I am a 1st year pharmacy student. No PTCB certification either.
 
I was a pharmacy tech in TX w/ no experience and started at CVS making 12.00/hr. Now i work at a hospital w/ no hospital experience and make 17.00/hr. Where are yall workin in TX, cuz i couldnt imagine getting paid less than 12/hr. Yall should wrk in dallas!!!
 
In Cali...Kaiser Permanente pays $24-25 an hour.
 
FresnoPharmD said:
In Cali...Kaiser Permanente pays $24-25 an hour.
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Wow, I live in Fresno too. $25 an hour, what's starting or is that it? Did you do a pharmacy tech program here and is the job easy to get their?
 
ASDF 686 said:
Wow, I live in Fresno too. $25 an hour, what's starting or is that it? Did you do a pharmacy tech program here and is the job easy to get their?
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I'm a clerk myself...it probably starts around $22-23 for techs, if you don't get benefits then you get I think an extra $1 or $2 an hour...and given a little more time...you get some raises as well.

They seem to hire a fair amount of new techs but getting hours is sometimes a problem if you have school to tend to. There also appears to be no rhyme or reason as to who they hire so it's hard to say what the odds are of getting in.
 
FresnoPharmD said:
In Cali...Kaiser Permanente pays $24-25 an hour.
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It depends where you live, b/c California is more expensive to live in than Texas and alot of other states. California will pay more of everything (even pharmacists) because it costs more to live there. I was born there, but now im here. Thats how i know, but yall r lucky yall live there.
 
North California - Just started working for Safeway Pharmacy after 1 year at CVS Pharmacy.

I am nationally certified by PTCB after taking their test. I did not go through any training program.

CVS 2007: $10.80 starting pay
Safeway 2008: $14.90 starting ($12.90 if not nationally certified)
 
NC - Walgreens

-starting tech pay is $10.00/hr
-starting certified tech pay is $11.25/hr
 
Started at $8.75/hr, promoted to $11.74/hr in a for-profit hospital. I should've worked for somewhere else. 😵
 
lol...texasgogetter are you kidding me?
 
FresnoPharmD said:
I'm a clerk myself...it probably starts around $22-23 for techs, if you don't get benefits then you get I think an extra $1 or $2 an hour...and given a little more time...you get some raises as well.

They seem to hire a fair amount of new techs but getting hours is sometimes a problem if you have school to tend to. There also appears to be no rhyme or reason as to who they hire so it's hard to say what the odds are of getting in.
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Whoa! I'm in Los Angeles and I'm thinking about applying to Kaiser. Do you know if that is inpatient or outpatient? And I'm guessing it's per diem.
 
I am nationally certified but it has no bearing on my pay rate. I work for Kaiser and the wage is ~19$/hour.
 
I worked at Rite-Aid Pharmacy about 2 years ago and made $7.25 an hour then quit after 6 months...took the PTCB test and got a job at CVS Pharmacy and got $10.75 an hour and after one year got $11.31 an hour...just moved from Oregon from California and got a job at Fred Meyer Pharmacy where I get $13.45 an hour.
 
15.75 starting at Walgreens in NorCal
 
Boo! I work parttime for an independent chain, 2 years of experience and I just got a RAISE to $7.50 an hour! I'm not certified, but it wouldn't make a difference anyway (I know because I asked).

My schedule is super super suuuuper flexible, we're closed on Sundays and I love my customers. That's why I stay.
 
One of my lab partners is a clerk at Long's in CA. Didn't find out how much she makes, but she told me they just hired on a Certified Pharm Tech, no experience, for $12/hour. I'll be putting in my applications in the next couple of weeks.
 
gimpsd said:
:clap: :clap:
Got a raise. 18.25/hr
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What's wrong with my Cali pharmacy? :smack: I always thought that wages 15+ was hospital tech territory. My raise was 0.27. And that was a 2.5% raise... My possibility of attaining your rate is rivaling the most senior members 10+ years experience.
 
In central wisconsin, I make $14 base pay at the hospital, but since I am "prn" status, I actually make almost $16 because I don't get benefits.

I like working at a hospital, because they have all these shift differentials. I pretty much only work afternoons and weekends since I am a student, so really I am making either $17 (on weeknights), $18 (on weekends). All those differentials add up to an extra $4 on weekends, which is something my friends working in retail don't get. They get maybe a dollar more, and only on sundays.

I am not certified or anything, and that isn't even considered during the interview process at that place.

BTW if anyone is looking for a career as a pharmacy tech, it is definitely a respectable career... the Tech IIs that work mostly in the IV room make $20 an hour after a few years of experience, and the two special technicians, the ones that are in charge of purchasing, or other administrative stuff both make almost $30 an hour, but they have been working there for like 25 years.
 
I work for Publix in Florida. I started with no experience at $10 and hour. I will get a $1 raise when I complete my certification, and a $.25 raise per quarter. I also get health benefits and 401K and I'm part time. It's pretty awesome if you ask me. Also, once I get accepted to pharmacy school they bump me up to intern status and I begin making $25 a hour.
 
New hired for CVS part-time for $10/hr in Cali. No experience, PTCB-certified. Some people have been telling me this is low (should be close to $12 because of certification). Is that true?
 
wonkanugget said:
New hired for CVS part-time for $10/hr in Cali. No experience, PTCB-certified. Some people have been telling me this is low (should be close to $12 because of certification). Is that true?
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Not for socal. Sounds about right. PTCB certified in socali only means you may be a lead technician or any other higher ranking position. This position entitles you to higher pay but not a technician.
 
Thanks for the help and quick response!
 
wolfpackhal said:
NC - Walgreens

-starting tech pay is $10.00/hr
-starting certified tech pay is $11.25/hr
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WHAT??? I am in Charlotte NC Walgreens and they start tech out with 9.75 and certified tech with 11!! what city are you in?
 
Giant Eagle first year interns in the Columbus, OH district make $12/hour, and $2 raise each year after that.

The full time techs start at $9.25/hour and the part time starts at $8.25/hour. Plus you get a $1 raise for passing their tech exam (which is pretty easy, I passed after working there for 3 months). And a $0.20 raise every six months.

It's MUCH easier than working in a hospital if you are good with people. I volunteered in a hospital and worked with the techs there and they got paid more but also did more work and work in a basement. I would get lonely in a basement with only my few co-workers around.
 
I have lived and worked around Cincinnati as a pharmacy tech since 9/2000. Here's some of what my starting pays were and where I'm at now.


9/2000 retail-grocery: 8.30, no experience
9/2002 Hospital (in northern KY) 10.50, non cert, no hospital experience
current:~14.00(+/- 2 cents) plus shift diff when I pick up evening/night shifts, increase on first of year, unsure of new rate due to fact we are in a merger
9/2007 national mail order: 15.08, certified
current:15.68, increases in April
 
I work at a hospital inpatient pharmacy in South Dakota. I make just about $11 with no experience and am getting ready to take my tech certification. I will get a 5% raise then. The pay is not so great but we recieve free medical insurance so that really helps balance the lower hourly pay. I love the atmosphere and responsibilities.
 
SHC1984 said:
WHAT??? I am in Charlotte NC Walgreens and they start tech out with 9.75 and certified tech with 11!! what city are you in?
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I'm in Cary, NC Raleigh East/West Market
 
Firetyphoon1 said:
how big/often are the raises?
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I have been with Walgreens since Jan 22, 2008, so almost a year. I started at 9.50, then got certified in August 2008 and the rate went up to 11.00, then after the yearly "market adjustmet" in September 2008 the rate went to 11.25. I do not know if I will get a raise after 1 year. Starting tech pay with no certification after the 2008 adjustment is 10.00 (11.25 w/cert.). Interns make in the 14.00 to 18.00 range depending on year and senior techs probably get an extra 1.00/hr or so, but I do not know the exact figure.
 
wolfpackhal said:
I have been with Walgreens since Jan 22, 2008, so almost a year. I started at 9.50, then got certified in August 2008 and the rate went up to 11.00, then after the "market adjustmet" in September 2008 the rate went to 11.25. I do not know if I will get a raise after 1 year. Starting tech pay with no certification after the 2008 adjustment is 10.00 (11.25 w/cert.). Interns make in the 14.00 to 18.00 range depending on year and senior techs probably get an extra 1.00/hr or so.
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Ok well im in greensboro, and im just 18 taking classes to become certified, now that means i might just make 11.25 or do i need a bit experience as you did before you were certified in aug, btw what do interns do thats so different with more pay? im new at all this btw you might be able to help me with my other threads perhaps,
 
Firetyphoon1 said:
Ok well im in greensboro, and im just 18 taking classes to become certified, now that means i might just make 11.25 or do i need a bit experience as you did before you were certified in aug, btw what do interns do thats so different with more pay? im new at all this btw you might be able to help me with my other threads perhaps,
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If you are certified you will start at the certified rate of 11.25 (experience or not) assuming that is the rate in Greensboro. The interns don't really do anything the techs can't or don't do. They are allowed to counsel and can do transfers/take phoned Rx's, etc. (although certified techs can do that in NC too). Perhaps Walgreens pays interns more because they are in school and should have more knowledge of the pharmacy and maybe because they want to "butter them up" into working for their company.
 
wolfpackhal said:
If you are certified you will start at the certified rate of 11.25 (experience or not) assuming that is the rate in Greensboro. The interns don't really do anything the techs can't or don't do. They are allowed to counsel and can do transfers/take phoned Rx's, etc. (although certified techs can do that in NC too). Perhaps Walgreens pays interns more because they are in school and should have more knowledge of the pharmacy and maybe because they want to "butter them up" into working for their company.
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Oh nice, walgreens would be a place to consider then?? I am doing my clinical hours soon, at walgreens and I am thinking of working there when i become certified, so what stage of the process would the interns be? like already accepted to a pharmacy school?
 
Firetyphoon1 said:
Oh nice, walgreens would be a place to consider then?? I am doing my clinical hours soon, at walgreens and I am thinking of working there when i become certified, so what stage of the process would the interns be? like already accepted to a pharmacy school?
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I am accepted into pharmacy school and will be starting in the fall and I am not getting any intern benefits yet. The interns are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year pharmacy students already in school for their PharmD.
 
wolfpackhal said:
I am accepted into pharmacy school and will be starting in the fall and I am not getting any intern benefits yet. The interns are 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year pharmacy students already in school for their PharmD.
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Nice grats, i've got a long road ahead of me, which way did you go to get in a BS? or just applied?
 
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