Should i ask for more money? 1st pharmacist job offer

[CRAZYxPHARMACST]

I will graduate in May 2023 and got an offer from Walgreens today for an annual salary of $132,300 (around 63.50/hour). The offer seems pretty competitive as a new grad and slightly higher than other offerings to my area that were extended to classmates. I am wondering if I should still ask to negotiate to a higher pay, perhaps up to $65/hour or closer to $135K? As a new pharmacist I am not sure how much room there is to negotiate but anything to help pay off my loans faster would be nice. I will have around 200K in loans. I was also going to see about asking for some type of sign on bonus that could help go to student loans if I can not go up any more on salary. Any advice for me on what and how to ask the district recruiter?

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[sozetone]

Take the 132K and run with it. Those are old wages from 2000s. I am actually skeptical about the whole thing. These guys affered me 43.50 /hr back in 2020 with 10 years managment experience. I told em thanks for the offer. Maybe times are reversing. ?

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

Maybe times are reversing.

Things shifted pretty quickly in the last couple years. My old employer has bumped starting pay by ~$7/hr over the last 3 years and offers a 10k student loan payment as a sign on bonus to every new grad.

OP's offer is still higher than what they're starting at though.

 

[sozetone]

Things shifted pretty quickly in the last couple years. My old employer has bumped starting pay by ~$7/hr over the last 3 years and offers a 10k student loan payment as a sign on bonus to every new grad.

OP's offer is still higher than what they're starting at though.

yeah but that is NOT true about a pharmacist shortage. Its because most pharms no better than to work retail. So it's a technicality. And the cost of moving is so high, they cant jerk you around and make you move accross country for 28 hours at 43$/hr flex schduling anymore. inflation and economy are killing that whole racket.

 

[CRAZYxPHARMACST]

Yeah I live in San Antonio and we have H-E-B grocery where most retail pharmacists transfer too after other retail experience. Walgreens and CVS have been losing all of their good pharmacists to H-E-B so WAG recently upped their pay model in this region for pharmacists and technicians. I was shocked at my initial offer. I actually tried to get into H-E-B as a pharmacists myself but its super competitive. Maybe in a few years with experience under my belt. Just accepted the original offer today!

 

[WorthlessOxygen]

yeah but that is NOT true about a pharmacist shortage. Its because most pharms no better than to work retail. So it's a technicality. And the cost of moving is so high, they cant jerk you around and make you move accross country for 28 hours at 43$/hr flex schduling anymore. inflation and economy are killing that whole racket.

I don't disagree with any of this. I don't really know what point you're trying to make though.

 

[DH1987]

Not sure what your cost of living is, but I worked at Wag for 6 years and only made $60.55/hr when I left about 5 months ago. And they wouldn't budge when I asked for higher pay. So it sounds really good to me...though I feel very ripped off right now.

 

[RN2RPh]

I will graduate in May 2023 and got an offer from Walgreens today for an annual salary of $132,300 (around 63.50/hour). The offer seems pretty competitive as a new grad and slightly higher than other offerings to my area that were extended to classmates. I am wondering if I should still ask to negotiate to a higher pay, perhaps up to $65/hour or closer to $135K? As a new pharmacist I am not sure how much room there is to negotiate but anything to help pay off my loans faster would be nice. I will have around 200K in loans. I was also going to see about asking for some type of sign on bonus that could help go to student loans if I can not go up any more on salary. Any advice for me on what and how to ask the district recruiter?

Do you have any other offer? What are the starting pay for new grad from other competitors ?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Unless you have a better offer elsewhere, you take it- you have no leverage as a new grad

 

[CRAZYxPHARMACST]

Do you have any other offer? What are the starting pay for new grad from other competitors ?

CVS offered $109K for $60/hour at 35 hours/week

 

[RN2RPh]

CVS offered $109K for $60/hour at 35 hours/week

Well too bad, if CVS offered you $65 then you could ask Walgreens to match hehe Instead of focusing on the pay rate only, ask the hiring manager about other perks or benefits such as how many PTO or holiday they provide; if you are a floater then ask how big is your floating area? (Walgreens flew me to work a few times) Do they pay for mileage or Time to drive? Do they guarantee a certain amount of hours per pay period?

 

[projektreverb]

Well too bad, if CVS offered you $65 then you could ask Walgreens to match hehe Instead of focusing on the pay rate only, ask the hiring manager about other perks or benefits such as how many PTO or holiday they provide; if you are a floater then ask how big is your floating area? (Walgreens flew me to work a few times) Do they pay for mileage or Time to drive? Do they guarantee a certain amount of hours per pay period?

Hold on, not to sidetrack from the thread but did you say Walgreens FLEW you to work? Can you expand on this? I’m really curious.

 

[RN2RPh]

Hold on, not to sidetrack from the thread but did you say Walgreens FLEW you to work? Can you expand on this? I’m really curious.

Yup, my scheduler covers 5-6 districts and a lot of them are rural area. So if they put me at a store 4-5 hrs away from my location, they give me the option to fly; or if I have to drive thru some kind of mountain pass to get to a rural store, they prefer to fly me during winter time. I think the shortest flight I took was like 150 miles.

 

[PharmDtoB816]

I will graduate in May 2023 and got an offer from Walgreens today for an annual salary of $132,300 (around 63.50/hour). The offer seems pretty competitive as a new grad and slightly higher than other offerings to my area that were extended to classmates. I am wondering if I should still ask to negotiate to a higher pay, perhaps up to $65/hour or closer to $135K? As a new pharmacist I am not sure how much room there is to negotiate but anything to help pay off my loans faster would be nice. I will have around 200K in loans. I was also going to see about asking for some type of sign on bonus that could help go to student loans if I can not go up any more on salary. Any advice for me on what and how to ask the district recruiter?

Same- 22 grad, first offer $63, second offer from another chain 2 month later they asked what are you looking for and I said “ at least 65”, got it right away. North East. Classmate got $70 at a big grocery store with pharmacy in it, but it was his second offer within first year as well

 

[nickw2401]

5 years at my current hospital and I make 135K staffing. I live in a mid-sized city where is super low cost of living.

 

[nickw2401]

meanwhile travel RN's are making $100 an hour with a 2 year degree

 

[metforminpharmd]

Back in 2020, CVS offered me $55/ hour in California. I said hell nah! For CA COL, you need at least $62-67 to survive.

 

[nickw2401]

I always wonder how pharmacists in places like NYC and San Fran get by. Sure they make a little more but nowhere near the amount to offset the cost of living.

 

[projektreverb]

I always wonder how pharmacists in places like NYC and San Fran get by. Sure they make a little more but nowhere near the amount to offset the cost of living.

I know someone who works with me personally. We were in the same graduating class and I recommended them for the job (recent hire). If I base their salary of the listing my company put out, they are making about 7% less than me, even at the maximum salary. I’m assuming no negotiation happened and they just took the maximum.

Their partner works in IT and they live in downtown San Francisco. I can’t imagine their household income being terribly far apart from mine as this persons partner works a similar level IT job as my spouse. I don’t know how they get by in that area