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Looking to enter the field of pharmacy technology? You might be wondering how much you can expect to earn in this career. Here’s a look at what pharmacy techs make a year, on average.
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Introduction
pharmacy technicians are crucial members of the healthcare team, working alongside pharmacists to dispense medications and provide patients with important information about their prescriptions. If you’re thinking of becoming a pharmacy technician you might be wondering how much you can expect to earn in this career.
In this article, we’ll explore the average pharmacy technician salary in the united states and discuss some of the factors that can affect your earnings as a pharmacy tech.
How Much Does a Pharmacy Technician Make?
The average pharmacy technician salary in the United States is $32,700 per year, or $15.69 per hour. This is slightly lower than the national average salary for all occupations, which is $36,200 per year.
However, your actual earnings as a pharmacy technician will depend on a number of factors, including your experience level, job location, and the type of employer you work for. We’ll discuss these factors in more detail below.
What Does a Pharmacy Tech Do?
A pharmacy tech is responsible for filling prescriptions under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist. They may also be responsible for maintaining records, stocking shelves, and collecting payment from customers. Pharmacy techs typically earn an annual salary of $30,000.
Duties of a pharmacy tech
A pharmacy technician is a Allied Health professional that assists a licensed pharmacist in various activities related to dispensing medications and other health care products to patients. They typically work in settings such as community pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and retail stores.
The duties of a pharmacy technician include but are not limited to:
-Read and interpret prescription orders from doctors
-Accurately measure and mix medications according to prescriptions
-Compound or mix medications for patients
-Label and dispense medications and other health care products
-Maintain patient records
-Process insurance claims
-Stock shelves with medications and other health care products
Education and training requirements
The education and training requirements for pharmacy technicians vary by state, but most states require certification. Certification is generally available through pharmacy technician associations or community colleges. Once certified, pharmacy technicians must keep up with continuing education requirements to maintain their certification.
Some pharmacy technicians may choose to specialize in a particular area of pharmacy such as compounding or long-term care. Specialized training is generally available through community colleges or professional organizations.
How Much Does a Pharmacy Tech Make?
The average pharmacy tech makes about $32,700 per year, with a range between $29,000 and $37,000. This is slightly higher than the average for all healthcare support occupations, which is $31,800 per year. Pharmacy technicians typically have an associate’s degree or pharmacy technician certification. They work in hospitals, retail pharmacies, and other settings.
Salary
How much does a pharmacy tech make? That all depends on a number of factors, such as years of experience, geographic location, and type of employer. Read on to learn more about what to expect in terms of salary and job growth for this exciting career.
The median annual salary for pharmacy technicians was $32,700 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The top earners in the field made $46,790, while the bottom 10 percent earned $22,930 or less.
As with most careers, experience is one of the biggest factors affecting pay. pharmacy technicians with 1 to 4 years on the job averaged $29,460 per year in 2016, while those with 5 to 9 years earned an average salary of $34,140. Those with 10 to 19 years in the field averaged $36,990 per year. The highest-paid pharmacy technicians had 20 or more years of experience and averaged $41,610 per year.
Geographic location is another important factor in determining salary potential States with the highest average salaries for pharmacy technicians include Alaska ($43,280), Washington ($39,610), California ($38,750), Hawaii ($38,040), and Massachusetts ($37,280). If you’re looking for a state with a lower cost of living but still good earnings potentials for pharmacy technicians, consider Indiana ($34 210), Nebraska ($33 970), Arkansas ($33 660), West Virginia ($32 880) ,or Kentucky ($32 220).
Type of employer can also have an effect on earnings. The industries that paid the highest average salaries to pharmacy technicians in 2016 were general medical and surgical hospitals ($37 110); pharmacies and drug stores ($36 460); other professional $35 280); grocery stores ($33 320); and management $33040) according to the BLS.
Factors that affect pharmacy tech pay
Even within the same state, there can be big differences in pharmacy tech pay based on a number of factors. Here are some of the key variables that affect how much money pharmacy techs make:
-The type of employer: Pharmacy techs working at hospitals tend to make more than those working at retail pharmacies.
-The region of the country: Pharmacy techs in cities tend to make more than those in rural areas.
-The size of the employer: Techs working for large companies tend to make more than those employed by smaller businesses.
-Experience: As with most jobs, pharmacy techs with more experience tend to earn higher salaries.
-Certification: Pharmacy techs who have earned certification from a professional organization may earn slightly more than those who have not.
Job Outlook for Pharmacy Techs
The job outlook for pharmacy technicians is very positive. Employment of pharmacy technicians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2019 to 2029, much faster than the average for all occupations.4 The demand for technicians will continue as more people age and live longer and need more prescription medications. In addition, as the population grows, there will be an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults who are taking multiple medications for chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and arthritis.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pharmacy technicians make a pretty good salary. They are in high demand and there is a lot of room for growth in this career field. If you want to be a pharmacy technician, you should definitely do some research and find out what the average salary is in your area. You can also look online to see what other people are saying about this career field.
