How to hire a pharmacist technician trainee

How to hire a pharmacist technician trainee, step by step

Here's a step-by-step pharmacist technician trainee hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a pharmacist technician trainee job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmacist technician trainee
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a pharmacist technician trainee do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the pharmacist technician trainee you need to hire. Certain pharmacist technician trainee roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect pharmacist technician trainee also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of pharmacist technician trainees and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Pharmacist Technician Trainee	Description	Hourly rate
   Pharmacist Technician Trainee	Pharmacy technicians help pharmacists dispense prescription medication to customers or health professionals.	$11-50
   Laboratory Aide	A laboratory aide is primarily responsible for maintaining the cleanliness and order in laboratories, all while performing support tasks for scientists. Their duties revolve around arranging specimens and samples, transporting materials from one laboratory to another, preparing apparatuses and machines, and storing them accordingly... Show more	$9-18
   Pharmacy Internship	When it comes to a pharmacy internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to observe pharmacy operations and develop efficient communication skills as most of the tasks will revolve around customer service, such as providing instructions on when to take medications and what could be the side effects. Moreover, working as a pharmacist requires excellent attention to detail, ensuring that all customers receive the correct type and amount according to their prescriptions... Show more	$21-66

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • HIPAA
   • Phone Calls
   • Quality Customer Service
   • Math
   • Compassion
   • Basic Math
   • Insurance Claims
   • IV
   • Direct Supervision
   • Computer System
   • Medication Orders
   • Pharmacy Inventory
   • State Laws

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assigned pharmacy workstations and tasks while supporting team members in promptly, safely and accurately filling patient prescriptions.
   • Master Sig codes and math skills require to accurately input prescriptions.
   • Restock Pyxis machines, emergency crash carts, and patient cart medications.
   • Perform chemotherapy calculations and prepare chemotherapy drugs.
   • Maintain confidentiality and adhere to strict HIPAA guidelines.
   • Fill medication in Pyxis machines on each individual floor

   More pharmacist technician trainee duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the pharmacist technician trainee job description is a good way to get more applicants. A pharmacist technician trainee salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a pharmacist technician trainee in Arkansas may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level pharmacist technician trainee. Additionally, a pharmacist technician trainee with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average pharmacist technician trainee salary

   $50,647yearly

   $24.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level pharmacist technician trainee salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average pharmacist technician trainee salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Connecticut	$68,252	$33
   2	Massachusetts	$64,391	$31
   3	Pennsylvania	$63,947	$31
   4	New York	$63,695	$31
   5	Maryland	$63,067	$30
   6	New Hampshire	$62,372	$30
   7	Virginia	$61,209	$29
   8	Oregon	$59,922	$29
   9	Arizona	$59,895	$29
   10	Utah	$59,568	$29
   11	Washington	$58,759	$28
   12	Maine	$57,751	$28
   13	Ohio	$54,713	$26
   14	Texas	$50,122	$24
   15	Illinois	$40,630	$20
   16	Iowa	$37,623	$18

   Average pharmacist technician trainee salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$115,221	$55.39	185
   2	CVS Health	$104,305	$50.15	11,113
   3	Berkshire Medical Center	$94,900	$45.63	4
   4	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$68,001	$32.69	68
   5	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	$66,806	$32.12	5
   6	Roswell Park	$61,653	$29.64
   7	University of Maryland Medical System	$60,235	$28.96	42
   8	Nantucket Cottage Hospital	$59,730	$28.72
   9	Southern Ohio Medical Center	$58,335	$28.05	11
   10	Moffitt Cancer Center	$50,772	$24.41	15
   11	Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc.	$49,378	$23.74	11
   12	B. Braun Medical	$46,552	$22.38
   13	Kaiser Permanente	$45,156	$21.71	170
   14	Baylor Scott & White Health	$45,055	$21.66	83
   15	University of Iowa Center for Advancement	$44,456	$21.37	31
   16	Specialty Rx, Inc	$43,632	$20.98	1
   17	University of Michigan	$43,471	$20.90	10
   18	Mercy Health	$42,428	$20.40	41
   19	University of Pennsylvania	$41,529	$19.97	2
   20	University of Texas System	$41,204	$19.81	29

4. Writing a pharmacist technician trainee job description

   A good pharmacist technician trainee job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a pharmacist technician trainee job description:

   Pharmacist technician trainee job description example

   Pharmacy Technician\Technician in Training
   
   Contribute to our mission to improve Health and Wellness in your community.
   
   Become a Rite Aid Pharmacy Technician today!
   
   As a Pharmacy Technician in Training, you receive free training with our exclusive Rite Aid Pharmacy Technician Training & Certification Program. Your purpose is to successfully complete the program and continue working as a Rite Aid Pharmacy Technician.
   
   Click here to check out our Pharmacy Technician Video!
   
   Why you will THRIVE here:
   
   You love to help people.
   You care about the Health and Wellness of your community.
   You have an innate need to find answers where they aren't obvious.
   You have a way of making people feel comfortable.
   You enjoy an organized environment.
   You always remember details.
   Your email and phone etiquette are top-notch.
   
   Day-in-the-Life of a Pharmacy Technician in-Training:
   

   • Enter prescription information including but not limited to: patient searches, prescriber searches, drug selection, prescription interpretation, insurance billing, and basic documentation.
   • Accept customer and prescription information required to process new and refill prescriptions, including refill authorization from doctor offices.
   • Retrieve medication from inventory.
   • Create prescription labels and put them on prescription containers.
   • Place medication into prescription containers.
   • Complete paperwork related to filling prescriptions and input customer and prescription data into the computer.
   • Assist with maintaining the Pharmacy department by keeping it clean and in order.
   • Assist in inventory management processes including order review, inventory returns, restocking shelves, and physical inventory preparation.
   • Administer Rite Aid programs including FlavoRx, Living More, etc.

   
   Taking care of patients is not a 9-5 job. Our Pharmacy Technicians come into this role knowing that they will be working weekdays, weekends, evening shifts, and some holidays. Because we work as a team, we all work together to be reasonably flexible to make all of our schedules work. It is because of the friendly, team-oriented, and welcoming attitude of our Pharmacy Technicians that make Rite Aid the pharmacy of choice for our customers and patients and for our employees.
   
   Qualifications:
   
   H.S. Diploma or General Education Degree (GED) required.
   
   What's in it for you?
   
   In an effort to improve and sustain the health and wellness of our employees, we offer competitive health plans, generous paid time off, 401K matching, and career growth opportunities! From the moment you join our team, we provide an environment that inspires and motivates you to work here and reach your full potential. We support personal growth and celebrate achievements. We dedicate ourselves to creating an experience for all our associates that is easy, exciting, and engaging.
   
   Apply to become a Rite Aid Pharmacy Technician/Technician Trainee and thrive with us today!
   
   183396640

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find pharmacist technician trainees for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your pharmacist technician trainee job on Zippia to find and attract quality pharmacist technician trainee candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with pharmacist technician trainee candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new pharmacist technician trainee

   Once you've decided on a perfect pharmacist technician trainee candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new pharmacist technician trainee first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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