salary of Pharmacy tech

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When i was a clerk I was paid 10.25/hr. no prior experiance.
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If you work in Northen California (not sure for Southern Cal) and for Kaiser the clerk wage is about $16 bucks. However, they have union dues also. Congrats on the new job. Im sure any experience will help.
 
ageldred said:
I only make $8...but I am just doing it for the experience. I had no tech experience before. She could have told me min wage and I would have accepted. I have another job that pays more, so that helps.
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Same here im in this for the experience too so that once im certified as a pharm tech i can get a job easier...... it's really hard to get a job as a pharm tech without experience here in Southern California.......
 
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ipinjoy said:
If you work in Northen California (not sure for Southern Cal) and for Kaiser the clerk wage is about $16 bucks. However, they have union dues also. Congrats on the new job. Im sure any experience will help.
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thanks ipinjoy, is it true that it is better to work in a Kaiser to get experience than in other retail stores? I heard several stories about that but Im not very sure but there's no job openning at Kaiser near my house anyways :(
 
thanks everyone for your replies..... :)
 
tdkneo said:
Really? where are you located?
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I'm located in san diego, but actually most of my friends who also work at clerks at other pharmacies do not get paid very much...
 
Maeby said:
I'm located in san diego, but actually most of my friends who also work at clerks at other pharmacies do not get paid very much...
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Me too, im in San Diego tooo.....what part are you located?
 
tdkneo said:
thanks ipinjoy, is it true that it is better to work in a Kaiser to get experience than in other retail stores? I heard several stories about that but Im not very sure but there's no job openning at Kaiser near my house anyways :(
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I really dont know if Kaiser is the best place to work. Ive only worked there and not any where else, so my opinion would be pretty biased. So far, I like it. =)
 
tdkneo said:
i recently got a job as a pharmacy clerk starting at $9/hr., is this a good, and what's everyone starting salary like........
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Are you a Pharmacist or a Pharm.Tech.Do you have any experience in the retail or ambulatory.I'ts quite low,but i'ts ok.
 
tdkneo said:
i recently got a job as a pharmacy clerk starting at $9/hr., is this a good, and what's everyone starting salary like........
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I started at $7.50 and 2 years later I still made $7.50/hour :( .
 
That is high for a clerk position. You should definitely take it. My friend worked at Sav-On pharmacy as a clerk (Pomona area) and he only made $7.90 - $8.00 per hour. I'm not sure but I think the raise is about 50 cents per year at Sav-On. This really stinks comparing to the stress and other craps clerks have to deal with. Though most people (like my friend) did it just to gain an experience and a LOR.
 
tdkneo said:
Really? where are you located?
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I was located in La jolla. I no longer work at a pharmacy. But I do agree with the previous post, and I do think that anything above 8 is good. I found out later, that I even made more than one of the techs....When I was first offered the job by a recruiter, I was told that they would most likely pay me minimum wage. I probably would have taken it anyways, since I really only did it for the experiance and LOR, like everyone else....
 
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$9 is actually on the upper levels of pay. Longs Drugs was going to pay me around $7.50 to $8.
 
Maeby said:
I was located in La jolla. I no longer work at a pharmacy. But I do agree with the previous post, and I do think that anything above 8 is good. I found out later, that I even made more than one of the techs....When I was first offered the job by a recruiter, I was told that they would most likely pay me minimum wage. I probably would have taken it anyways, since I really only did it for the experiance and LOR, like everyone else....
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same here, im just working for experience and LOR, i guess this slightly better pay is a bonus :D
 
Inkabellous said:
That is high for a clerk position. You should definitely take it. My friend worked at Sav-On pharmacy as a clerk (Pomona area) and he only made $7.90 - $8.00 per hour. I'm not sure but I think the raise is about 50 cents per year at Sav-On. This really stinks comparing to the stress and other craps clerks have to deal with. Though most people (like my friend) did it just to gain an experience and a LOR.
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Pharmacy clerk and pharmacy tech, which one is more stressful. Both jobs seem to require the same amount of work, the only difference is that pharm tech have more control and can do more things than the regular clerk. What do you guys think?
 
$9/hour is a really good starting salary for a pharm cashier.

Employees usually start out around $7.50 at our local Longs, Rite Aids, and Walgreens.
 
I'm a pharm cashier at Rite Aid and my starting wage was $8.55, but like the other poster wrote, I would have accepted minimum wage because I am just doing it for the experience.
 
Whats the difference between a pharmacy clerk and pharmacy tech? and more importantly, what do you have to do to become a tech? (certification involved?)
 
:confused:Any idea how much does a pharmacy technician receive in a hospital pharmacy setting?
 
mystiquecoco said:
:confused:Any idea how much does a pharmacy technician receive in a hospital pharmacy setting?
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I'm pushing $16/hr but that is very low for a California resident. The hospital the next city over pays their technicians around $25/hr
 
$25 an hour?? I might as well just be a technician. That is a lot of money.
 
I'm just starting as a Pharm Tech in a hospital pharmacy and I'm getting $12/hr. This is my first job in a pharmacy after getting my license a few months ago so this is the base pay...

I should totally move to California!!! :thumbup:
 
Hi
Is there any foreigner who got pharmacy technacian job with H1 visa.Please any one answer or nay advice will be appreciated.I m a foreign pharmacist preparing for fpgee but willing to join as technacian if there is the oppertunity to transfer to H1 visa.

thanks

Srabony
 
how do you guys feel about a bunch of new pharmacy schools opening up each year? Do you feel that once you graduate your salary will be lower because there will be a saturation of pharmacists?
 
I dont think so.. If anything it may be harder to find a job.. but I dont think the shortage will end in the next 4 years.
 
That *thud* *thud* *thud* is the beating of a dead horse. ;)

I'd suggest a small search through the pharmacy forum, I remember two lengthy articles there about the subject.
 
You're right. It's not like we're going to see a great increase in the number of medications available which will increase complexity in managing treatment of various conditions and there definitely won't be more people living longer requiring more medication and care which increase demand for health professions. We're doomed to be making minimum wage. :scared:
 
The pay's not half bad for pushing pills all day. Geez. A 5th grader can do that job.
 
i think it would be better for pharmacy jobs to be competitive. i work w/ a pharmacist who is as lazy as a bum. but b/c of the shortage, he gets hired.

it can only improve the field.
 
eeyore spice said:
:eek:

*also moving to California to double my salary*
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Sorry guys your salary technically doesn't double:

Our housing costs are higher
our gas proces are higher ($4.00 in some aras of southern California!)
our food is more expensive.
our overall state tax is 7.25% on average San Francisco is 7.75% in some of its counties.

parking meters EVERYWHERE!

expensive bus passes and oh yeah, tuition is through the roof, especially if you are from out of state.

the list goes on.
 
Srabony Khan said:
Hi
Is there any foreigner who got pharmacy technacian job with H1 visa.Please any one answer or nay advice will be appreciated.I m a foreign pharmacist preparing for fpgee but willing to join as technacian if there is the oppertunity to transfer to H1 visa.

thanks

Srabony
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There shouldn't be a problem getting a technician job. There are only 2 things you need: (at least in California)

A passport photo
and you have to be fingerprinted at the sherrifs office
 
Jbuprepharm said:
walgreens opens a new store every... what 19 hours or something?? I think the demand will exist for quite some time
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I agree, it's going to get "worse" before it gets "better." Plus, all the new schools should mean it's easier to get in someplace.
 
cystapharm said:
how do you guys feel about a bunch of new pharmacy schools opening up each year? Do you feel that once you graduate your salary will be lower because there will be a saturation of pharmacists?
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Think abt it this way:people are living longer and with global warming and many other illnesses coming up, there is and will be an increase in the need of medications. With this, more people will frequent pharmacies and the need for pharmacists will only increase.And the baby boom generation which are now a majority of the working population will all be due for retirement in the next 10years or so. And then what happens when this population which is where a majority of our now pharmacists fall all retire??
 
CHARMO said:
Think abt it this way:people are living longer and with global warming and many other illnesses coming up, there is and will be an increase in the need of medications. With this, more people will frequent pharmacies and the need for pharmacists will only increase.And the baby boom generation which are now a majority of the working population will all be due for retirement in the next 10years or so. And then what happens when this population which is where a majority of our now pharmacists fall all retire??
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It has been claimed that pharmacists shortage will still exist up till 2020 bcs of all the reasons you guys have mentioned. So there will still be time to pay student loans.
 
Leb said:
It has been claimed that pharmacists shortage will still exist up till 2020 bcs of all the reasons you guys have mentioned. So there will still be time to pay student loans.
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2020:( , that's not too far away for some of us who r yet to still get admission into a pharmacy school
 
mystiquecoco said:
:confused:Any idea how much does a pharmacy technician receive in a hospital pharmacy setting?
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Depends on your experience working in a hospital pharmacy preparing IV soutions and hyperalimentations..etc. Also depends on the hospital.

After getting licensed I volunteered for a couple of weeks and got on board for $12/hr - after one year of experience I recommend a Kaiser Permanente Hospital - as they pay around $18 and up. I am in So Cal.

Retail will start you off at around $10 - $11/hr.
 
I was having a conversation with my cousing who is a recent grad of pharmacy school and i was asking her about paychecks. she said she make only 3500 an month. is this possible?? i thought i would be making that much part time. that is the same as an accountant makes.
here is the breakdown
she works 40 hours a week and make 50 dollars and hour
she says her gross is 8000 but then they take 35 percent for taxes and then she puts 15 percent in her 401 k and then another 15 in her stock options. i can't believe she only makes less than 40 grand aftter its all said an done. i mean i dont understand all u can really afford is like a 350,000 condo at best, i guess i thought it was closer to 80,000 after taxes. my husband works and makes great money, but i was always under the impression that i should go to schooil and have something to fall back on incase things dont work out with my marriage (god forbid) but this is not a job to fall back on. we currently have a beautiful home and i drive a luxury car, but thats just because my husbands salary is so high, i would never be able to have this life style if i was single. thats scary :confused:
 
that's why you should cheat on her husband with a male pharmacist or sell drugs on the side but remember, to watch out for your husband because men are known to be wild beasts when they are horny.
 
I don't know about you, but 3500 a month isn't so bad actually. I guess it depends on your cost of living. Unless you're living in NYC or California, 3500 (even if you're the sole breadwinner) is definitely a pretty penny to live on. Also, I doubt you should worry, since you have your "dermatologist" husband's money to fall back on
 
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