Pharmacy Technician and Certified Pharmacy Tech salary differences?
Asked by Anthony T
I'm 18 and I'm getting a job at CVS as a Pharmacy Tech. I guess they pay for me to get certified and then I get paid more. How much do you think I'll get paid starting out, and how much after I get certified?

Best Answer:
I got a job at CVS in November 2008 with $7.65 and hour, but they promised me that once I got certified I'd get $8. Well that time came and I asked for the raise and guess what their excuse was. The economy is in the shitter.Well duh its been like that well before they hired me. But even $8 sucks. I should have gonna to walgreens. They wouldn't hire me because I told them I was going to school the following year. They wanted someone full time and permanent. Guess I can't complain. I heard Riteaid hires uncertified techs at 7.15 an hour. I have to agree, either way they're gonna work the crap out of you. Best advise get a job with the most hours, most pay, and close. ~ the obvious. But dont settle for less! Doesn't have to be pharmacy tech. Once you turn twenty you should be making atleast 10 - 12 an hour what ever it is you do.

I've heard that CVS does not pay well at even for certified techs. I think you should get certified anyway because it open new doors for you to work in other places like hospital pharmacies that pay much more than retail pharmacies.
Answered by excelnow

I did the same thing a couple of years ago and I can tell you from experience that the pay isn't that much different. Usually start out at 8.00/hr. CVS doesn't pay their techs very well anyway but if they pay for school go ahead and do it. Then you can find a job somewhere that pays well like Walgreen's or a hospital. There was a four dollar an hour pay difference between CVS and Walgreens across the street where I worked. My pay only went up one dollar when I got certified for CVS.
Answered by JB