How To Increase Your Pharmacy Tech Salary

With the economy in a slump, people in all fields are wondering how to manage their careers and increase annual salaries. While job opportunities in the health care industry are expected to continue growing, further education and training can give employees a competitive edge. For pharmacy tech positions, completing a Pharmacy Technician Certification could make the difference when it comes to getting hired for a new position, earning a promotion, or negotiating a higher pharmacy tech salary. Education is also vital for those who plan to expand their pharmacy careers; earning a Pharmacy Degree is the first step toward becoming a pharmacist.

Researching Pharmacy Tech Wages

Modern pharmacists must counsel patients on drug administration as well as any possible reactions or interactions with other medications. With pharmacists busier than ever, it falls to pharmacy techs to keep pharmacies running smoothly and safely. Demand for this challenging career is up, and with it, demand for accurate information on pharmacy tech wages. Using PayScale's pharmacy tech salary survey data, you can research pharmacy tech wages based on location, experience, and many other factors that typically affect the average salary for a pharmacy technician.

A pharmacy tech's wages depend a great deal on employment setting. The Pharmacy Tech Salary by Employer Type chart shows that pharmacy techs who are contract employees have the highest average salary. Next on the list for competitive pharmacy tech wages are hospital, non-profit and government positions. For a pharmacy technician, the most likely source of employment is going to be a pharmacy in a drugstore or other retail store where a pharmacy tech salary will vary. Compare Pharmacy Tech Wages by Industry to scope out which retail setting offers the highest average salary for a pharmacy technician. If you're looking for a sunny locale with high pharmacy tech wages, Southern California might be the place to go; measuring Average Salary for a Pharmacy Technician by City shows that Los Angeles and San Diego are far in the lead for high pharmacy tech salaries.

Average Salary for a Pharmacy Technician

Certified Pharmacy Technician Andrew Christian knows the ins and outs of the trade: he's spent the last three years climbing the pharmacy tech ladder. Read his first-hand account of the life of a pharmacy technician, as well as pharmacy tech salary tips from the field, in "Average Salary for a Pharmacy Technician" over in the Salary Stories blog.