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Pharmacist technician vs technician

The differences between pharmacist technicians and technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a technician has an average salary of $38,045, which is higher than the $36,090 average annual salary of a pharmacist technician.

The top three skills for a pharmacist technician include patients, math and direct supervision. The most important skills for a technician are patients, customer service, and patient care.

Pharmacist technician vs technician overview

Pharmacist TechnicianTechnician
Yearly salary$36,090$38,045
Hourly rate$17.35$18.29
Growth rate5%1%
Number of jobs73,800596,842
Job satisfaction12
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Average age3840
Years of experience-2

What does a pharmacist technician do?

Pharmacist technicians assist pharmacists in their daily activities. They receive prescription medicine order requests of customers, validate the prescription, prepare the medicines, properly label medicine bottles, and hand them off to customers. They also answer customer inquiries and attend to customer concerns. Pharmacist technicians also manage the pharmacy's inventory and ensure that all records are up to date. They are also authorized to create purchase requisition requests for medicines that are running low and need to be refilled, but these requests should still be authorized by a doctor.

What does a technician do?

Technicians are skilled professionals who primarily work with technology in different industries. They are knowledgeable about the technical aspects of the various items they work with. They are usually working with electricity or with technological advancements. Technicians may be assigned to do the construction of equipment or materials related to their field of study. They may also be assigned to conduct diagnostics and other maintenance activities to ensure that the equipment works properly. Technicians may also be required to conduct basic repairs in case of problems. It is important that technicians have good analytical skills and decision-making skills.

Pharmacist technician vs technician salary

Pharmacist technicians and technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Pharmacist TechnicianTechnician
Average salary$36,090$38,045
Salary rangeBetween $26,000 And $48,000Between $24,000 And $58,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CASan Jose, CA
Highest paying stateAlaskaHawaii
Best paying companyValley Presbyterian HospitalMicrosoft
Best paying industryHealth CareTelecommunication

Differences between pharmacist technician and technician education

There are a few differences between a pharmacist technician and a technician in terms of educational background:

Pharmacist TechnicianTechnician
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 35%Bachelor's Degree, 32%
Most common majorPharmacyBusiness
Most common college--

Pharmacist technician vs technician demographics

Here are the differences between pharmacist technicians' and technicians' demographics:

Pharmacist TechnicianTechnician
Average age3840
Gender ratioMale, 24.9% Female, 75.1%Male, 75.2% Female, 24.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 10.1% White, 60.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.4% Asian, 4.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage5%2%

Differences between pharmacist technician and technician duties and responsibilities

Pharmacist technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the OPTIFILL (automation) operations and maintenance of equipment, including the PYXIS medication dispensing machine.
  • Manage assigned pharmacy workstations and tasks while supporting team members in promptly, safely and accurately filling patient prescriptions.
  • Manage inventory; process physician orders; prepare chemotherapy and intravenous medications; support departments in distribution and preparation of medications.
  • Consult with patients as an (CPhT) on their medical usages via written prescription by authorize medical personnel.
  • Compound TPN's (total peripheral nutrition), chemotherapy, iv admixture, antibiotics, and other pharmacy medications.
  • Record customer information into Rx computer system.
  • Show more

Technician example responsibilities.

  • Achieve multiple ASE certifications within first year of employment.
  • Implement and manage UHF radio base stations, repeaters, and command network, effectively linking all regional headquarters.
  • Manage telecommunications installation and repair for hospital Nortel network.
  • Maintain numerous automate scripts to assist in managing Linux systems.
  • Manage, troubleshot and repair multiple wireless technologies including fiber optic transmission switches.
  • Install peripherals including printers, fax machines, scanners, and smartphones.
  • Show more

Pharmacist technician vs technician skills

Common pharmacist technician skills
  • Patients, 32%
  • Math, 12%
  • Direct Supervision, 5%
  • HIPAA, 4%
  • Collective Bargaining, 4%
  • Telephone Calls, 4%
Common technician skills
  • Patients, 16%
  • Customer Service, 14%
  • Patient Care, 8%
  • Hand Tools, 6%
  • Diagnosis, 5%
  • Preventative Maintenance, 4%

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