Pharmacy Technicians Salary
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Pharmacy Technicians Salary
Pharmacy technicians salaries start at around $20,000 a year. This will increase with years of experience or location. Different employers also have different starting salaries.
Pharmacy technicians working for the federal government may possibly exceed the average salary by $5,000. Some states do not require certification for pharmacy technicians, but certified technicians will earn a higher salary.
Pharmacy schooling is simple to obtain. It is available online or from many colleges. A pharmacy technician can increase their potential salary significantly by continuing their education. The National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) also provides online continuing education (CE) classes to help members maintain their expertise in this highly technical field.
Pharmacy technician salary increases may depend on keeping up with the latest industry updates. The type of employer has a significant effect on the salary of a pharmacy technician:
- Federal government ~ $24,566 - $43,747
- State and local governments ~ $28,593 - $36,457
- Private companies ~ $21,353 - $38,716
- Hospitals ~ $24,251 - $37,142
- Private practice firms ~ $21,751 - $35,234
- Franchises ~ $23,013 - $34,805
However, except in the case of the Federal government, a higher starting salary does not necessarily reflect the highest possible earnings over the career path of pharmacy technicians. While the highest starting salary may be a state government office, the amount of likely increase with experience, for such locations, is much less than for any other employer.
On the other hand, private companies have the lowest starting salaries, but one of the highest increase levels. Another influence on the salary of pharmacy technicians is location. As with any field, areas with a higher cost of living tend to pay higher wages.
Large metropolitan areas also tend to have higher salaries than other parts of a given state. Although the top of the salary range for a certified pharmacy technician in Ohio is around $30k, the same figure for Columbus is $34k. The city with the highest salary range is Phoenix at $20.8k - $51k, which tops even the Federal government.
Statewide, California has the top median salary at $35.5k. According to the NPTA website, the growth rate for pharmacy technician jobs is 28% and there are 39,000 job openings per year. Certified pharmacy technicians are respected professionals who perform vital services in clean, safe environments.
There is a wide variety of jobs in many industries from small locally owned pharmacies to government labs and the salary possibilities for Certified pharmacy technicians are good.