I'm a pharmacy intern (currently in pharmacy school) and i used to work as a tech. Starting pay isn't great in retail pharmacies, but it isn't always minimum wage. I started at $10.05/hr with Walmart. Like you said pay does get better in hospitals, but still don't expect to be making $20/hr. When it comes to certification, what you need to do will vary state to state. In Indiana, you can start without your tech license and your employer can get you a tech in training license until you are able to take the exam for the actual tech license. You will be more competitive for jobs if you are PTCB certified going in though, and personally I'd recommend you do it. The test is pretty easy, and costs like $125 to take. I studied for it using the Mosby's PCTB guide (on amazon.com) and breezed though the test, it's not a big deal. You should know that working in retail requires a certain personality. Customers will yell at you on a daily basis, you will be expected to multitask, and it is very fast-paced (at least at the stores I've worked in). You will need to be able to handle stress well. On the plus side, the day flies by because you are so busy.