How to Determine a Pharmacy Technician Salary

You’re a trained and experienced pharmacist that made thejump to run your ownpharmacy – congratulations! Running a business is hard work and overseeing an independent pharmacy is no exceptionAs you may have already figured out, business ownership is a whole different animal with a lot of new responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is hiring great people.

Hiring is one of your most important tasks as a pharmacy owner, but finding the right talent for your team may be easier said than done. You may need to be patient while searching for qualified pharmacy technicians who will make running your business more fluid and manageable. Because top pharmacy technicians are so important to running a successful pharmacy they are in high demand. The projected growth rate for pharmacy positions is expected to increase by 20% from 2012 to 2022, resulting in 70,000 new jobs. This has to do with the to rising numbers of people (including young adults) diagnosed with chronic diseases and the constant innovation of new pharmaceutical drugs.

A pharmacy technician is not the sole dispenser of medications like a pharmacist. Technicians typically assist in measuring, mixing, counting and labeling dosages of medications. Also, pharmacy technicians usually don’t advise patients about their medications

If you are in search of top-notch, detail-oriented pharmacy technician you will want to offer a competitive salary and other non-monetary benefits. Here is a deeper look at how to determine the appropriate pharmacy technician salary.

Average Pharmacy Technician Salary

The average annual pharmacy technician salary in the United States is $29,320 (source:  Bureau of Labor Statistics). Salaries range from $20,600 on the low end to $43,200 on the high end. Formal pharmacy-specific education is not a requirement for the pharmacy technician position. The salary range for your employees will factor in experience, geographic location and healthcare category.

Compared to similar positions in related fields, pharmacy technicians earn slightly more than a certified nursing assistant ($26,000), veterinary assistant ($25,000), or medical assistant ($30,700). On the other end of the spectrum, a pharmacy technician’s salary is lower than health care positions such as; dental hygienist ($71,500), ultrasound technician ($67,100), or pharmacist ($116,500).

Geographic Location

Pharmacy technician salaries will also vary in different parts of the country. The highest paying states are primarily located on the west coast while the highest employment levels are in the midwest and on the east coast. Eight of the top ten cities paying the highest average technician salaries are in California. Salaries range from $41,00 to $48,000. Smaller towns and states like Washington and Alaska have high demand and also pay some of the highest average pharmacy technician salaries.

Finding the best people for your pharmacy is invaluable to being a successful business owner. Attracting the right people by offering a good salary and comfortable work environment can be key to your success. Paying a little more than the average salary to hire a top-quality recruit with a wealth of experience is worth an extra dollar because hiring the right candidate is a smart business investment that will produce a high ROI.

Do you have an effective hiring strategy in place? Just like all other processes in your business, the hiring and training of new talent requires an effective action plan. Take a look at our free ebook, The Pharmacy Owner’s Guide to an Exceptionally Effective Implementation to help you develop effective strategies for all aspects of your pharmacy.