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Board Certified Badass

TL;DR - Obtaining additional certifications leads to higher earnings and greater job satisfaction.

The Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) states certifications enable “pharmacists to differentiate and affirm their knowledge and skills to provide more comprehensive patient care”. This month’s newsletter hopes to highlight the most common certifications and their differences in compensation and job satisfaction. By understanding these difference, pharmacists are empowered to make informed decisions regarding their career.

Pharmacist Compensation compiled data from 1,087 full time pharmacists to analyze differences among certifications. The majority of participants (853) indicated they did not have any certification. The remaining pharmacists were categorized based on whether they had one certification (184 participants) or multiple certifications (50).

Of the 234 pharmacists with certifications, most (61.5%) of them work in a hospital setting, followed by ambulatory care (12.4%).

Regarding compensation and job satisfaction, a clear trend emerged. Pharmacists without certifications reported the lowest median annual wages ($140,000) and job satisfaction (6.58 out of 10). Conversely, those with multiple certifications reported the highest median annual wages ($155,000) and job satisfaction (7.14).

Pharmacist Compensation explored the trend deeper by looking at specific certifications. The table below highlights the most common certifications reported. The most common (51.3%) was a Pharmacotherapy Specialty Certification (BCPS). This aligned with the latest BPS Annual Report.

In summary, the data suggests obtaining additional certifications leads to higher earnings and greater job satisfaction. Be strategic about certifications that align with your career goals. It could be a key to unlocking higher earning and better job satisfaction.

_{Pharmacist Compensation provided the data displayed in the above charts. Join thousands of pharmacists and take the anonymous survey. All participants receive access to an interactive dashboard that can be filtered by Job Title, Company, Area of Pharmacy, and more.}

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