Have you ever considered a career as a pharmacy technician? If you have ever considered being a pharmacy technician, but are wondering is a pharmacy technician is a good job for you. Worry not.
In this article, you will learn about the role of a pharmacy technician, career growth projections, the pharmacy technician’s income, and more. This article will also answer your question, is a pharmacy technician a good job choice for you?
What Is a Pharmacy Technician?
Pharmacy technicians are also known as pharmacy assistants. Pharmacy technicians are people who work in pharmacies to help pharmacists do their job. They help pharmacists serve customers on a daily basis.
A pharmacy technician’s duties include interacting with customers, filling prescriptions, labelling medications, and contacting customers to notify them when their prescriptions are ready. They also assist the pharmacist in counting, mixing, measuring, and labelling dosages of medications.
Where Do Most Pharmacy Technicians Work?
Generally, a pharmacy technician’s career path is diverse and has many advancement opportunities. Pharmacy technicians have the opportunity to start as a technician and branch out into different fields. They can earn speciality certifications to advance in their career.
Here is a list of the most common work environments for pharmacy technicians:
- General merchandise stores.
- Pharmacies.
- Drug stores.
- Hospitals.
- Beverages and food stores.
- Compounding.
- Pharmaceutical Sales.
- Management.
Much of the time pharmacy technicians will work on weekends and night shifts as some pharmacies remain open at all hours of the day. Pharmacy technicians have the opportunity to work both full-time and part-time. You can choose a full-time or part-time pharmacy technician job depending on what is convenient for you.
If you have been wondering if a pharmacy technician a good job, read more to know the answer to your question.
Is Pharmacy Technician a Good Job
Pharmacy technicians rank in the 17th position in the Best Health Care Support Jobs.
As employers prefer pharmacy technicians who are PTCB certified, the number of pharmacy technicians getting PTCB certifications keeps increasing every year.
Considering the increase in the senior population, the growth in the industry will continue to pave the way for a lot of job opportunities for pharmacy technicians. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth of 5% from 2021 to 2031.
| Occupational Title | Employment (2021) | Projected Employment (2031) | Change Between 2021- 2031(Percentage) | Change Between 2021- 2031(Numeric) |
| Pharmacy Technicians | 447,300 | 469,700 | 5 | 22,400 |
Every year, an average of 43,500 job openings are projected for pharmacy technicians despite the limited employment growth. Most of these job openings are from the requirement to replace employees who transfer to a different occupation or those who retire and exit the workforce.
Locally, the demand for pharmacy technicians is likely to grow considering many factors such as an increase in higher rates of chronic illnesses, pharmaceutical research, an increase in flu shots, etc.
When considering pharmacy technician as your career option, you might have questions like ‘Is pharmacy technician a good job?’ and ‘How much will you get paid as a pharmacy technician?’. Continue reading to learn more about a pharmacy technician’s salary.
Pharmacy Technician Salary
When we consider a career, the most important factor that we take into account is the salary we can make in that career. Pharmacy technician is a career that is in high demand and is projected to grow over the next few years.
The average salary a pharmacy technician makes is approximately $17.66 per hour, as of 2021. The pay might vary depending on the candidate’s experience, qualifications, location, and education in the industry.
As of 2021, the average annual salary of pharmacy technicians was $36,740. The lowest 10% earned less than $28,740 and the highest 10% earned more than $47,580.
The average annual salary as of 2021 for pharmacy technicians who worked in the top industries are as follows:
| INDUSTRY | ANNUAL SALARY |
| Beverages and food stores | $36,090 |
| Drug stores and pharmacies | $35,940 |
| State, local, and private hospitals | $38,270 |
The annual salary will increase as you gain experience and advance in your career as a pharmacy technician. Specialization certificates related to pharmacy technicians also help in advancing to higher positions in the industry.
How to Get a Job as a Pharmacy Technician?
Getting a job as a pharmacy technician is as equally important as planning a career as a pharmacy technician. Here are some tips to help you get a job as a pharmacy technician.
- As a fresher, it is always a good choice to start your career by applying for internships. Contact someone you know in the industry or a school to check for internship opportunities for pharmacy technicians.
- Look for internship opportunities as early as possible to avoid delays.
- Contact your school for job opportunities for pharmacy technicians. You can also check your school’s job portals to learn about any pharmacy technician job vacancies.
- Contact nearby hospitals to learn about the job and any internship opportunities available.
- Check with local grocery stores, pharmacies, and drug stores for internship opportunities and job vacancies.
It is equally important to update your resume, as well as practice and improve your interview skills, even while looking for a job.
Wrapping Up
Considering a career in the field of a pharmacy technician is always a good choice. The industry is stable and is projected to have employment growth by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because the senior population in the nation is increasing, the demand for pharmacy technicians is expected to increase.
Choosing to work in the healthcare industry is one of the best career choice you can ever make. Pharmacy technician is a good job as it is projected to have increasing demand in the upcoming years.
If you are passionate about becoming a pharmacy technician, you can start by preparing for the PTCB exam, using our free practice test PTCB. You can also use our PTCB guides to help you prepare for the certification exams.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does a pharmacy technician do?
The role of the pharmacy technician is to assist the pharmacist to do their daily task. They help pharmacists serve customers on a daily basis. Pharmacy technicians assist pharmacists who are licensed to prepare medications for patients. The other duties include labeling medications, interacting with customers, filling prescriptions, and contacting customers to notify them when their prescriptions are ready.
How long does it take to become a pharmacy technician?
Generally, the duration of pharmacy technician training programs varies from a few months to 1 year depending on the training program and the school. Once you have completed the training program, you must apply for the certification and clear the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) exam.
What is another term for a pharmacy technician?
Pharmacy technicians are also known as pharmacy aides or pharmacy assistants.
How much do pharmacy assistants earn?
As of May 2021, the average salary pharmacy technicians make is approximately $17.66 per hour and the average annual salary of pharmacy technicians was $36,740. The pay might vary depending on the candidate’s experience, location, qualifications, and education in the industry.
What can I do after becoming a pharmacy technician?
Once you have received your pharmacy technician certification, you can start your career as an entry-level pharmacy technician. You can gain experience and advance in your career path by acquiring the required knowledge and skills. Other options to advance your pharmacy technician career include specializing in certain fields related to pharmacy technician.
What skills are needed to be a pharmacy technician?
Some of the skills needed to be a pharmacy technician are as follows:
- Managerial and organizational skills.
- Good verbal and written communication skills.
- Good ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
- Good computer skills.
- Excellent mathematical skills.
- Excellent problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Is being a pharmacy technician worth it?
The Pharmacy Technician is a stable career path. The demand for pharmacy technicians is high and is also expected to have good employment growth over the next few years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a growth of 5% from 2021 to 2031.
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