Pharmacy Technician CareerA pharmacy technician career is an excellent choice for the person wanting a relatively profitable career with minimal initial education time. Typical base salary for a pharmacy technician is in the $12 to $13 range as of 2004. Most pharmacy technician careers are carried out in retail stores, although about 2 of 10 technicians are employed in hospital settings.
In the United States about 258,000 pharmacy technician career jobs were identified during the 2004 calendar year. The job outlook appears positive through at least the year 2014. Several factors contribute to the continuing growth of the job outlook for pharmacy technicians. As the population ages and becomes more medicated, more pharmacies are hiring more people and doing more work. Although some States have limited the number of pharmacy technician career people who can legally work under one pharmacist, pharmacy technicians are being asked to do more of the work that pharmacists used to do.
Especially for certified pharmacy technicians, opportunities for salary increases abound. A pharmacy technician career requires a person to be able to be on their feet most of the day. They may be required to lift heavy boxes and will work the same hours that a pharmacist works with nights, weekends and shift work common.
Good people skills are essential and ability to communicate as well. A math/science background is helpful in performing the duties of the job. Since a pharmacy technician must work as part of the professional team, an ability to get along with other members of the team is vital. |
