The average wage of a Pharmacy Technician varies according to location and their specific job situation. The average pharmacy technician salary was last reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2008, and at that time, pharmacy technicians were averaging about $28,000 per year. The upper portion of earners earned closer to (or over) $40,000, though. This wide range in earnings can be partially explained by geographic distribution. Pharmacy Techs in cities and more populous areas, or on the coasts where wages are generally higher, can generally count on earning in the higher reaches of that range.
If you are interested in becoming a pharmacy technician, you should know that most areas have no specific requirements to hold the job. It is entirely possible to be hired with no experience and qualifications and learn the job while you are working. However, most employers will not be amenable to that. Most employers will want you to have finished at least a short pharmacy tech training course at a community college or a Vo-Tech School, for example. These short courses provide very basic instruction in the proper dispensing and labeling of prescriptions, as well as the familiarizing you with the various types of paperwork necessary to keep your pharmacy in compliance with federal law, as well as with your employer’s specific requirements. The types of pharmacy tech classes that you can find will vary quite widely, from classes that allow you to work in a mock pharmacy, to pharmacy tech classes online that will provide you with the basic knowledge to work the job, but no actual practical experience. You should talk to employers in your area to get a feel for the type of requirements they expect their applicants to have and go from there. If you have a particular employer in mind and they tell you up front that an online class is fine for their needs, you can find a self-paced online class and complete the requirements in your spare time, at night or on weekends while you hold down a full time job if necessary.
If you are interested in finding out more about the career of being a pharmacy technician, including more detailed information about the average pharmacy technician salary and the job outlook for pharmacy techs, you can take a look at this detailed report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More information can be found at: http://medicalcareercounseling.com/ Good Luck with your job search!
