Even at the worst of the recent economic turmoil, the healthcare industry remained the fastest growing industry in the United States. The US Department of Labor estimates that from 2008 to 2018, the healthcare industry will create 3 million new jobs. One of the most promising and stable career in healthcare is that of pharmacy technician because of its excellent and competitive pay. Incidentally, the starting pharmacy technician salary is about $19,000 annually. If you have a previous job, you might think that salary is too low for you, but have no fear, because you don’t have to stay there too long. You can have a higher salary and there are ways to achieve that.
The annual median pharmacy technician salary is $28,940 a year or $13.92 per hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report. The starting salary for those that are hired in entry-level positions are $19,270 a year. Don’t worry though because there are ways to increase that starting salary. Gaining experience on the job is one way of increasing pharmacy technician salary. The starting hourly rate for pharmacy technicians is around $8.30 but in one to four years, this should increase to about $11.89 an hour and being a senior pharmacy technician after 20 years or more, you should be earning $18 an hour.
To ensure you climb up the salary ladder faster, you have to take control of your own career. To achieve your target of receiving higher pharmacy technician salary, it takes planning and mapping things out to know what you should so. You can do this by signing-up and finishing the pertinent trainings necessary for your career growth. Your employer will have an easier time in deciding the amount of your salary increase if he sees that you’ve gained additional skills and developed leadership qualities. You should also strive to be promoted to a supervisory position with higher pharmacy technician salary and one way for you to be promoted faster is if you have the qualifications.
Evaluate your opportunities for career growth; this is done by observing the pharmacy that you’re working for. One advantage of a pharmacy technician career is the excellent career advancement opportunities it provides, and the pharmacy you’re working for should provide those opportunities. If you feel you’re stuck in a dead-end job, change to a different work setting, or even work in a different State if you feel that is what’s needed. Most pharmacy technicians work in retail pharmacy setting, but they can also work in general hospitals, specialty hospitals, for the government, and other industries. If you have an opportunity, you can move to a different State where they pay higher salaries.
As what was previously discussed, there are several ways that you can do in order to receive a higher pharmacy technician salary. Just so that we will not forget them, the things hat will help you earn higher salary is your formal training and certification, and working in places and pharmacy settings that offer higher salaries. In the natural course of things, you will have higher salary as you gain more experience, and maybe get promoted, too. However, at the end of the day, your employer will appraise your pharmacy technician salary based on your quality of work, your work discipline, and how hard you work.
