pharmacy technician salary

May God richly bless you for this piece of information you have given me.

thank you, who knows you my see me in atl this fall working for kaiser after I retire from my current job in the airlines

lollllllll.well its possible.bt if i may ask which of the airlines do you work with?and i have another question,if i finally get my certification(ptcb)is it going to be recognised in all states or a particular states ,because i know Georgia might be acting funny.
thnks

tunde madamidola in Atlanta, Georgia said: lollllllll.well its possible.bt if i may ask which of the airlines do you work with?and i have another question,if i finally get my certification(ptcb)is it going to be recognised in all states or a particular states ,because i know Georgia might be acting funny.
thnks

PTCB national cert is good for all US states.

america west, now if you are nationally certifed you know the test that takes almost 3 hours to complete, well every state accectps that however some states may what you to be state certifed as well such as south carolina and that may create some problems, so in closing some states may want you to be nationally certified, state certified, and state registerd

I am a 35yrs old staying home mother of two and thinking of going back to school to be a pharmacy tech once my youngest start pre-school. I live in Bay area Calif and have been a full time mom for the last 5yrs. I probably only have few courses left, maybe a full semester,for my AA degree in business at a community college but I want something that would guaranty me a career and a reasonable salary. do you think I should go for this, pharmacy tech!

I think,living in the bay area, you will make a great salary for being a pharmacy tech between $18 to 27 hr.

I'm in a pharmacy tech program now and finish in June. Does anyone have any idea of any good companies or hospitals to work at in the Chicago area that pay well??

Thanks

Leona in Union City, California said: I am a 35yrs old staying home mother of two and thinking of going back to school to be a pharmacy tech once my youngest start pre-school. I live in Bay area Calif and have been a full time mom for the last 5yrs. I probably only have few courses left, maybe a full semester,for my AA degree in business at a community college but I want something that would guaranty me a career and a reasonable salary. do you think I should go for this, pharmacy tech!

no.

GERRY in Sacramento, California said: I think,living in the bay area, you will make a great salary for being a pharmacy tech between $18 to 27 hr.

I have CA license but I can't find jobs. Can you help me how to find any jobs in pharmacy with salary greater than $10 is fine for me? Thank you so much

I've been out of the field for a while, but I was offered 40K to work at the children's hospital here in Dallas. I made 30+ in Austin as a lead tech in their children's hospital with just a few years experience. From what I hear, hospitals pay better than retail.

I am about to take a pharm tech 1 course. i was told it is an uder paid position by my sister and cousin, both cert & diploma. the college i'm attending (( says )) they will have a job waiting 4 me. salary.com here in milw wi, is ok but thats on paper, kind of iffy should i proceed into this feild. open to any advice. thanx..

Carl W. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin said: I am about to take a pharm tech 1 course. i was told it is an uder paid position by my sister and cousin, both cert & diploma. the college i'm attending (( says )) they will have a job waiting 4 me. salary.com here in milw wi, is ok but thats on paper, kind of iffy should i proceed into this feild. open to any advice. thanx..

I do not think any school can gurantee you a job...but they
will tell you what you want to hear..their paychecks are riding
on that you will attend the school...so many people come out of school
every single day with no job...I am sure if their counselor told them they would not have a job when they are done, would they have attended? Someone gives these students ideas of having a job when they are done...
are you going to be a good tech when you are done? or will you be slow as a turtle and terrible tech? they do not go into all of these possibilies and realalites with you, but they do take the time to
show you a chart of what you "could make" as a pharmacy tech...they
are not going to show you the unemployment chart for past students still
looking for work...

I want to move to San Francisco from Wisconsin. Can anyone tell me about the California certification process. I currently have my national certification from PTCB. Will this help in San Francisco?

i am just getting into this program and i want to move to georgia what is the pay for phar techs there in the hospital and do any of the hospitals require past retail experience.

My advice to you is to contact kaiser in the atlanta area, the pay the best and I hear that they are a good company to work for as a matter of fact I will being joining them later this fall in either atlanta or the virginina, maryland area

thanks alot i am so confused about alot of things but i know that if you want anything bad enough you should be willing to go through whatever to get it. i think alot of people think that it is always going to be so easy but that's just the half of it, when you make a choice to do something you have to stick with it no matter what if you want it. i have my health and accident insurance license and i get up everyday to go on leads to talk to people with part d presciption plans and i think that this filed i am getting into would be great for me i could tell then my opinion on what drug plans are the best and have a better knowledge of the drugs that they take so to all of you that are confused and about to give up don't take someone else word go for it and remember if you don't push for yourself no one else will God bless you all and keep going no matter what.

hold on a minute, are you trying to be a pharmacy tech or pharmacist because if i'm not wrong in readind your respond it sounded like you said that you could recommend medicine for people to take and if you did and you are a tech that is called counseling and by the way it is illegal for techs to counsel you could be find or loose your certification

i said on my insurance job i could tell them what plans would cover all their drugs the best, get it right i understand i am bot a pharacmist, i can't consel patients, but on my other job i would have a better knowledge of the types of medicine the use that's all

rjc said: hold on a minute, are you trying to be a pharmacy tech or pharmacist because if i'm not wrong in readind your respond it sounded like you said that you could recommend medicine for people to take and if you did and you are a tech that is called counseling and by the way it is illegal for techs to counsel you could be find or loose your certification

so did you understand me???

I used to work in an Insurance company like amanda as a Pharm Tech. Letting the patients know what is covered on their formulary isn't counseling them. The insurance companies give us formulary alternatives which means a list of meds that are covered by their insurance companies as an alternative to what may have been prescribed, but is NOT covered. It may have been the MD's #1 choice of med, not necessarily meaning the patients particular insurance covers it and if not will cost them $$ and they usually can't afford it. If the MD is pretty informed he/she will prescribe what is covered under that particular insurance by following the same type of formulary list that insurance companies contracted with certain MD offices will provide to their office. I used to hate telling patients that a lot of times, their meds weren't covered by their insurance, that's why I got out of that field. Didn't feel like I was helping anybody.
But back to the subject, it isn't considered counseling patients, if it was all of the tech's licenses would've been revoked a long time ago.

thank you who ever you are, that's all i was saying. i work in the medicare field right now and alot of these people don't even know the diffrence between tier 1 and tier2 and genric and perferred brand drugs all i was saying to the last response was that it would help me to help them understand their drugs better and with picking better plans for them, that's all, that dude took it to a whole other level, i ain't dumb at all, but thank you for speaking out on my behalf, thanks

No problem, I know how you feel, my last job was the exact same thing you do, working with Medicare Part D plans and prior authorizations. Some people just seem to forget there are other aspects in being a Pharmacy Tech whether it be in retail, hospital, insurance etc. Those in the Insurance business- they train them on what kind of questions can be answered at Tech level by law and what is appropriate for only the Pharmacist to answer. The agents are also monitored by Quality Assurance and everything you say may be recorded, so we know better then to ''counsel'' patients illegally and risk our jobs.

msa in Los Angeles, California said: I used to work in an Insurance company like amanda as a Pharm Tech. Letting the patients know what is covered on their formulary isn't counseling them. The insurance companies give us formulary alternatives which means a list of meds that are covered by their insurance companies as an alternative to what may have been prescribed, but is NOT covered. It may have been the MD's #1 choice of med, not necessarily meaning the patients particular insurance covers it and if not will cost them $$ and they usually can't afford it. If the MD is pretty informed he/she will prescribe what is covered under that particular insurance by following the same type of formulary list that insurance companies contracted with certain MD offices will provide to their office. I used to hate telling patients that a lot of times, their meds weren't covered by their insurance, that's why I got out of that field. Didn't feel like I was helping anybody.
But back to the subject, it isn't considered counseling patients, if it was all of the tech's licenses would've been revoked a long time ago.

I don't know that a pharm tech can work in a insurance company. Can you help me to find such jobs?

Try Windsor health plans THEY HAVE A PHARNACY DEPARTMENT IN EVERY MEDICARE PLAN OUT THERE, IF WE THE AGENTS HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT A CERTAIN DRUG WE CALL THE PHARMACY DEPARTMENT AND THEY GET US THE INFO WE NEED FOR OUR MEMBER, THERE OFFICE IS IN BRENTWOOD, TENN THERE NUMBER IS 1-800-811-8482 THAT IS THERE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER WHEN YOU REACH THEM ASK FOR THE PHARMACY DEPARTMENT AND WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM ASK THEM HOW YOU WOULD GO ABOUT GETTING ON WITH THEM THAT ALL I KNOW TO TELL YOU GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS YOU

I will be taking the ptcb exam in May. What area do I review the most to pass the test. Thanks.

My former PT instructor had a PTCB Study Group on Yahoo.com, Yahoo Groups.
Try signing on Yahoo.com and search Jeanetta's PTCB Study Group, she posted some great tutorials focusing on areas you need to study for the PTCB exam.

Yes, Pharmacy Techs can work in Insurance companies, I do see you are from the Bay Area, you can search some common Health Insurance companies in your area, and regular job websites like Careerbuilder.com, etc, and search for job openings. I was placed at my previous employer through a Healthcare staffing agency called Adecco Health. Agencies usually place candidates in an office environment. I don't know if you are interested in the call center type of position, that's what I used to do and it can be very stressful, but some people like it, just depends on what kind of temperament you have. One good thing is you get decent hours and no weekends, but occasional overtime, especially at the beginning of the year, and occasional weekends as needed.

I love my co-workers, we all work our asses off usually 2 Pharmachy techs and a cashier and the Pharmacist, for up to 2000 scripts a week, at 11/hr is getting national certified worth while?

AMEN!!! I also make $8.00 an hour, but I also work in a small town pharmacy. I would like to make more obviously which is why I searched this. In ohio apperntly we can just take the test for like $339 and are not required to go to school. However most of the people I work with are also not certified. I think in my town it would be hard to get into a hospital pharmacy..any suggestions?in Mobile, Alabama"]Wow, so I guess this means that I may be getting underpaid big time. I am not yet certified (still waiting on my scores on October 12th) and having been making $8.00/hr since starting here at Kmart in May 2007. So the hospital allows you to get overtime? That's definitely what I need since in retail they don't allow you to get a single hour over 40.

yea you can get a lot more in a hospital and your experience will help some so keep going and you will be just fine it's amazing but just when you feel like given up, great things start to happen!

Ok...here's my 2 cents from a pharmacist's perspective. I have worked as a pharmacy manager for specialty as well as retail pharmacies. I recently moved from California to Texas. My techs out there in the specialty stores are getting paid almost 27 dollars per hour on the average, because they have to deal with insurances, cancer and transplant patients etc..very tough work. In Texas, l am at a chain where the average pay is like $10 dollars. The #1 reason l see why most students who graduated from tech school do not get called back is because of the resume! They are all exactly the same, only the names are changed..and l mean word for word! "I am seeking a position in a dynamic company where l can utilize my skills" or something like that. There is no personality to it. Deviate from the norm and see what happens..trust me, l have hired techs for over 20 years and the ones that stand out are the ones that get hired. I want "people smart" people with personalities, not one of the herd. The number 2 reason that l've seen is the pay you want (which the companies always ask you on the app form), most people sell themselves short and ask for too little..like $7.00 an hour! Try leaving it blank, they can tell you how much they pay...once you get hired at a low pay, your raise will always be small which will make you resentful, especially when you find out how much others make. Most of my techs have been people who had no prior experience, I always introduce prospective hires to the old techs and watch the interaction because l need a team player..Hope this helps

thanks Mr or Mrs KemKem!You have really paved the way for an incoming tech like me..I will try always adhere to your advice...But i will like to ask concerning the issue of "techs with diploma awaiting to get certified"...-How valuable is it to get a job with a diploma pending the time one gets certified,or one should get certified and get everything ready,so as to get a good paying job?2.If i may ask do you know of any facility that pays good in Atlanta?3.And lastly,i dont know if i should ask this...but anyways...what is the payrate like for a 2yrs experienced pharm tech or probably if you have a diploma + the certification with no experience...
Looking forward to your response.

thanks

I'm not sure what it's like in Atlanta, but here in Texas, you can always get a job at a chain drug store like CVS or Walgreens, there is such a shortage, even if you have a diploma pending. There is a training time where you are "shadow" other techs and perform the functions with supervision. Your pay is slightly lower, and then once you get certified, your pay is adjusted. The key is getting in to the company in the first place. I know in my company, you fill out your application on a black phone thing, then the computer evaluates you based on your answers, then it sends the papers over to the pharmacist with the rating..green for go..red for no etc..Then we make the selection from the bunch, which is where standing out comes in. You can't gain more valuable experience than in retail, so start there. I currently work with 2 techs who we got from the front store. We noticed their attitude dealing with customers, always pleasant, so when we had openings, we transferred them into the pharmacy as clerks and they then went on to get their tech licenses and higher pay. So, start with a chain, then you can always leave for a higher paying job once you gain the experience. You share my sister's name..good luck!

Denisha W. in Brooklyn, New York said: I am a recently CPhT from New York. I plan on moving to California near San Diego area( closer to naval air base in Coronando, Ca). I was just curious on the pay and jobs out there. I will also like to know how the transition of being a CPhT from New York to California works. please email me at dsnagg86@hotmail.com or DaEyeCandy0623@yahoo.com

Thank You Very Much

I live in San Diego. In regard to salary it varies widely from minimom wage to over 20+ dollars an hour. You didn't say Where you work Inpatient or Outpatient. The hospitals almost all the time pay better than retail unless you have loads or retail expierence expect 12-13 dollars an hour from Rite Aid, Walgreens etc. Hospitals pay 15-16 an hour to start here and have tremendous benefits that aren't part of your hourly salary. I.E. vacation time is approx 7.4 hours for all employees per pay period on a bi-weekly pay schedule. thats about 192.2 hours a year of paid time off. not including 2.31 hours of extended sick leave per pay period. Then there is the medical and dental coverage. My advice to you and anyone reading this is to get a job in the Hospital and stay there or work for a retail pharmacy thats part of the hospital like sharp-rees stealy here in san diego. Some hospitals have pension plans in addition to a 401k or 403b. If you cant get a job in the hospital VOLUNTEER. Make sure they put you in the pharmacy. Even if you only show up once a month I can tell you that when a slot opens you stand a better chance sometimes than with some unknown face that has more expierence, I know I volunteered at the hospital i started at. They literally get several hundreds of applications in the pharmacy for techs. we also have alot of tech schools here cranking them out. There are more techs than jobs. What that means is you have to do something above and beyond at times, like i mentioned volunteer, call the lead tech or whomever hires them.

falisha in Moultrie, Georgia said: I have graduated last december from Pharmacy Technology Diploma, and Certified Pharmacy Technician. But unable to get a job in this field. I tried everywhere and i get the same answers i don't have any experience. i went to school for a 11/2yr. and next month makes 1yr

Have you considered volunteering in the Pharmacy? Thats how i got in.

Liz Nguyen in San Jose, California said: I have CA license but I can't find jobs. Can you help me how to find any jobs in pharmacy with salary greater than $10 is fine for me? Thank you so much

volunteer Liz nguyen! If you can't find a job that pays volunteer in the Pharmacy and get noticed! Being professional and having a desire to learn will take you far in any field.

ok that's cool and all but i doubt that each company bases it off the resume, meaning that;s just a piece of paper, i have a friend that just got a job in miss making 19 an hour in a hospital and her resume was just like everybody elses. but she has a great out look on life and she loves people and works hard. but don't get me wrong i see where you are coming from but just don't base it off the resume some people try to sell themselves and jazz it up and when you get them you end up with nothing special at all, it's about the person not the paper!!!

that's good advise but keep looking it will come

Thank you for that motivation Chuck. I recently decided to humble myself a bit and sign up to be a volunteer at a local hospital that I have been wanting to work for, for a long time and I never get a call back for an interview. Any suggestions while I am voluteering? I don't want to say the only reason I am volunteering is to ''get a job here'' because it says on the application that of course volunteering does not guarantee a job. I haven't had any luck with getting a job after I quit my last job in an Insurance company. I don't really want to go back into that field. I have some experience as a hospital tech, but can't seem to get a job offer at a hospital (I've interviewed at 2 in the past 4 months). Any feedback or if any others also got hired while volunteering. Thanks!

gerald in Sacramento, California said: I work as a pharm tech in northern california. i make $42000 a year and my hospital is the lowest paying in Sacramento.I am in inpatient pharmacy tech we are generaly
paid more than retail.I have in the past made up to $72000
a year 2003,2004,2005. because of overtime.[Edited by Host] Contact info deleted

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I am presently taking the pharmacy tech course to become certified. Are there books available that explain the certification set up and perhaps offer a practice test? Also, are scientific calculators allowed during the testing in CA?
I would appreciate your help!

2Jazzy in Mobile, Alabama said: Wow, so I guess this means that I may be getting underpaid big time. I am not yet certified (still waiting on my scores on October 12th) and having been making $8.00/hr since starting here at Kmart in May 2007. So the hospital allows you to get overtime? That's definitely what I need since in retail they don't allow you to get a single hour over 40.

depends what state you live in. The cost of living is way high in california

I just got hired to a brand new store, I'm starting at $9/hour. The store isn't open yet and training is going on right now for every single employee (over 400 people). I'm not quite to my pharmacy training yet, I'm waiting on the manager to call me and give me a schedule for that. I do not have prior experience, am not certified either. I believe that the major reasons I got the job were: 1)I'm a pre-pharmacy student and am only wanting this job to help me gain experience and some contacts with pharmacists. 2)I didn't have a bad attitude, I know the managers were looking for someone who was friendly and had a good attitude. I feel I'll be able to manage the customers just fine and perhaps the other applicants were not as personable. 3)There were 4 tech spots being hired for and 8 people applied. So my competition wasn't huge to begin with. :)

I'm really excited about my job, it's more than a job to me. It's truly a stepping stone to my future as a pharmacist. Pharmacy is a competitive field, whether you are the pharmacist, the tech or the clerk... it's all competitive. I believe companies prefer people with experience over those without it. I don't think completing a tech program counts as experience. It's excellent, for sure! But likely won't raise your odds of getting a job as much as on the job training will.

Those of you looking for a job... keep on it. Don't give up. If you really want this job then take a good look at what might be keeping you from getting a job. Then figure out what to do differently. In the meanwhile get put on the list to volunteer at a hospital pharmacy. This will help you!

Good luck everyone!

Falisha kinsey in Ashburn, Georgia said: me too i'm in debt due to going to school, buying books, drivng back and forth to school, then to work, then internships and then paying for the certification test passed it then graduation stuff, actualy graduating get my Pharmacy Technology Diploma, Certified Pharmacy Technician but no job been out of school next month make 1 year. I wish i never went to school now i paying for it. I work a lower paying job, never get any call backs for interviews, always get picked over before i even get looked at. but what realy pissed me off is they hire people right off the street no education, no experience, no certifiecation, no nothing but i get the run around about a job that i'm qualified in.

I don't know the process in the US but in Canada retail pharmacies do take people w/o any certification or pharmacy background. Starting salary is always min. wage. When you take the phrm. course you will have 2-3 mths. in-field training. You pick a retail pharmacy and a hospital pharmacy. Do good training there and hopefully you will get hired. That is also considered experience. Put that on your resume, see what happens. Im currently working in a retail pharmacy to get experience then probably apply in a hosp. good luck!

gerald in Roseville, California said: Try to work at an inpatient hospital,preferably a larger one. I do inpatient IV,s Chemo and unit dose.

Gerald,

I am just finishing my training and need to do and externship. The school I am graduating from is slow on placint its students. I want to do exactly what you are doing. Does your place of business have an externship program?

Madelyn Jones in Roseville, California said: Gerald,

I am just finishing my training and need to do and externship. The school I am graduating from is slow on placint its students. I want to do exactly what you are doing. Does your place of business have an externship program?

Try UC Davis Medical Center or their vetrinarian hospital on the campus we have several phatrm techs who work mixing drugs ivs, and chemos for animals.Horses,dogs ect.

I had an interviewed at Kroger yesterday for a Pharmacy Tech position and I was told that I would be starting at $7.15/hr (minimum wage) and every 6 months I would get a $.05/hr raise. That just seems to go against everything I have read here. I felt very insulted to think that they would consider this kind of work to be of the same level as their bag clerks. Any thoughts, or ideas where they may pay more. I am scheduled to sit for the CPHT exam in June, but was told that would only earn me an additional $.25/hr. Very disappointing. I am in lower Michigan.

Suze K in Clarkston, Michigan said: I had an interviewed at Kroger yesterday for a Pharmacy Tech position and I was told that I would be starting at $7.15/hr (minimum wage) and every 6 months I would get a $.05/hr raise. That just seems to go against everything I have read here. I felt very insulted to think that they would consider this kind of work to be of the same level as their bag clerks. Any thoughts, or ideas where they may pay more. I am scheduled to sit for the CPHT exam in June, but was told that would only earn me an additional $.25/hr. Very disappointing. I am in lower Michigan.

My goodness, that is just wrong. I don't blame you for feeling insulted. I would be too! Hope that you find something better!

Since I'm here I might as well share. I make 7.80/hr and work between 30-32 hrs a week. I love what I do and I love my co-workers (minus one), but I do wish I had more hours and better pay! Everywhere I go, I hear that pharmacy technician is a growing career. If that's right, then why is the pay so crappy?

Suze K in Clarkston, Michigan said: I had an interviewed at Kroger yesterday for a Pharmacy Tech position and I was told that I would be starting at $7.15/hr (minimum wage) and every 6 months I would get a $.05/hr raise. That just seems to go against everything I have read here. I felt very insulted to think that they would consider this kind of work to be of the same level as their bag clerks. Any thoughts, or ideas where they may pay more. I am scheduled to sit for the CPHT exam in June, but was told that would only earn me an additional $.25/hr. Very disappointing. I am in lower Michigan.

Low wages from grocery store chains along with no experiance is not
uncommon for them to pay so low...choke the pride, take the job,
and chalk it up later to work experiance, and before you leave
there with their work experiance, thank them, as you will be
going to a higher paying job.

Ari in Winchester, Kentucky said: Since I'm here I might as well share. I make 7.80/hr and work between 30-32 hrs a week. I love what I do and I love my co-workers (minus one), but I do wish I had more hours and better pay! Everywhere I go, I hear that pharmacy technician is a growing career. If that's right, then why is the pay so crappy?

PT is a growing career, but that does not mean its the best career. :)
you have to think for a moment, PT's are a dime a dozen...for what you are making, I would guess you have been a PT for less then a year...
another problem could be location, and location. Lack of exp, location, and retail sometimes equals low wages. Do you work for a grocery chain by chance?