Salaries Offered to Pharmacy Technicians

Pharmacy technicians are people trained in pharmacy handling. They have all the skills necessary to handle a
pharmacy but do not have the educational qualifications to become a pharmacist. They workwith pharmacists and customers, handling prescriptions, patient records, and medication. A pharmacy technician fills out prescriptions by weighing, counting, and measuring medications as required.

Most pharmacy technicians spend their time behind the counter of a pharmacy, standing through the day to meet customer's requirements. Often, they are also expected to carry-in or move heavy boxes, ladders, and other containers that are delivered to the pharmacy. A pharmacy technician can be a single employee in a small pharmacy or part of a team of technicians in larger pharmacies.

Pharmacy technicians are often expected to maintain odd-hours, especially if the pharmacy is a 24-hour one. They might also be required to work night shifts and weekends. Their duties can vary depending on the pharmacy and range from simple medication dispensing and customer interaction to answer phone calls and operating the cash counter.

A pharmacy technician's salary mostly depends on his experience and qualifications. Many technicians do not have any formal qualification and have learnt the pharmacy trade on-the-job under a pharmacist. Such pharmacists generally receive lower salaries than those with a formal diploma or certificate in pharmacy handling.

The overall work experience of a pharmacy technician is also an important deciding criterion in his salary. Pharmacy technician salary for new or trainee level technicians usually ranges around $25,000 per annum for the first couple of years of work.

Once they have learnt the trade and have gathered some experience, they can expect a hike to around $30,000 per annum.

This can increase steadily with experience and a 10-year experienced pharmacy technician's salary can be as high as $40,000 annually. The average annual starting salary for pharmacy technicians as listed by the American Medical Association is $19,000.

If we consider the pharmacy technician salary in terms of hourly wages, then you can expect to draw anything between $10 and $17 per hour. Those in the initial stages of their career usually draw between $9 and $11 per hour, while technicians with several years of experience under their belt can expect and demand up to $17 per hour.

Pharmacy technician salary is also dependent on the type and size of pharmacy they are employed with. Pharmacies attached with big clinics or hospitals often have better pay scales than neighborhood pharmacies. Small, single-person pharmacies cannot afford to match the pay rates of these bigger institutions.

Technicians who are certified can expect higher salary scales, though it might not be much higher than the rates mentioned above. An increase in pharmacy technician salary usually happens once a year and then too, the decision is totally based on the discretion of the pharmacist.

It is true that many pharmacy technician jobs can be limited in what they can offer in the way of career advancement options unless the technician also has good educational qualifications or are willing to enroll in higher programs such as that for becoming a pharmacist.

The maximum promotion a pharmacy technician can expect in his career is to a supervisor position at the pharmacy. A supervisory position is possible if the pharmacist is employed with a multi-technician pharmacy and has accrued as much as seven years experience.

The yearly pharmacy technician salary for a supervisor can be between $40,000 and $50,000 depending on the pharmacy and your ability on the job.