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What is a senior pharmacist technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
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Senior pharmacy technicians oversee the staff of pharmacy technicians and help run the pharmacy. They offer guidance to junior technicians and provide technical and administrative assistance in the daily activities of the pharmacy operation. They also assist in dispensing prescription pharmaceuticals, and they provide direct customer assistance when needed. Senior pharmacy technicians earn an average salary of $110,000 annually or $53 per hour.

Senior pharmacy technicians are professionals in charge of a pharmacy department. They oversee inventory and data management activities in support of pharmacy operations and provide direct customer assistance to patients. They also receive and process pharmaceutical deliveries from vendors as appropriate and place those deliveries on shelves per established protocol and procedure.

In terms of academic qualifications, senior pharmacy technicians must hold a high school diploma or GED certificate. It may help to garner experience in a similar role and certification as pharmacy technicians, since some employers prefer candidates with these qualifications.

ScoreSenior Pharmacist TechnicianUS Average
Salary
5.4

Avg. Salary $68,845

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.5

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 10.11%

Black or African American 8.65%

Hispanic or Latino 14.49%

Unknown 5.72%

White 60.23%

Gender

female 70.38%

male 29.62%

Age - 36
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 36
Stress level
8.5

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
6.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.0

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Senior pharmacist technician career paths

Key steps to become a senior pharmacist technician

  1. Explore senior pharmacist technician education requirements

    Most common senior pharmacist technician degrees

    Bachelor's

    42.8 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

    High School Diploma

    12.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific senior pharmacist technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients21.96%
    Customer Service12.74%
    Math5.89%
    Patient Care4.86%
    Direct Supervision3.88%
  3. Complete relevant senior pharmacist technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior pharmacist technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior pharmacist technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior pharmacist technician resumes.
  4. Obtain the necessary licensing

    Becoming a licensed senior pharmacist technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed senior pharmacist technician in most of states. 38 states require senior pharmacist technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.
    StateEducationExamLicense url
    Alabama--Licensed Pharmacist Technician
    AlaskaDegree requiredThird-party exam requiredPharmacist
    ArkansasDegree requiredBoth state and third-party exams requiredPharmacist
    CaliforniaDegree requiredBoth state and third-party exams requiredPharmacist, Registered
    ConnecticutDegree requiredState exam requiredPharmacist
  5. Gain additional senior pharmacist technician certifications

    Senior pharmacist technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific senior pharmacist technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for senior pharmacist technicians include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Board Certified Nuclear Pharmacist (BCNP).

    More About Certifications
  6. Research senior pharmacist technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage assigned pharmacy workstations and tasks while supporting team members in promptly, safely and accurately filling patient prescriptions.
    • Call doctors to confirm DEA numbers and NPI numbers.
    • Contribute to helping the RX budget stay within a certain range.
    • Ensure that patient's allergies, therapies and current medications are updated regularly.
  7. Get senior pharmacist technician experience

  8. Prepare your senior pharmacist technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior pharmacist technician resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior pharmacist technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable senior pharmacist technician resume templates

    Build a professional senior pharmacist technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your senior pharmacist technician resume.
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
    Senior Pharmacist Technician Resume
  9. Apply for senior pharmacist technician jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a senior pharmacist technician job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first senior pharmacist technician job

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Average senior pharmacist technician salary

The average senior pharmacist technician salary in the United States is $68,845 per year or $33 per hour. Senior pharmacist technician salaries range between $37,000 and $126,000 per year.

Average senior pharmacist technician salary
$68,845 Yearly
$33.10 hourly

What am I worth?

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Senior pharmacist technician reviews

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1.0
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

This salary range is based off a pharmacist which is a doctorate degree, not a senior pharmacist technician. They range between $15 to $25 per hour which is closer to $30k to $40k.

Cons

This article is misleading and needs to be corrected.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Clean environment

Cons

Very low salary, stressful conditions and working with crazy pharmacists


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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