The median pay for Pharmacy Aides is $37,680 a year ($18.12/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to fall 0.7% through 2035, with about 5,100 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 31-9095
- Healthcare Support
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Pharmacy Aide in four numbers
- Median pay
- $37,680a year, or $18.12/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $30KTop 10% $56K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- -0.7%DecliningBLS EP, 2025–2035This career−0.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career −0.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 5,10039,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202539.2K
- Projected 203539K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 39.2K Projected 2035 39K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school15%
- High school61.2%
- Certificate18.2%
- Some college5.6%
Highest education held by pharmacy aides Segment Value Less than high school 15% High school 61.2% Certificate 18.2% Some college 5.6%
Also advertised as: Certified Pharmacist Assistant, Front Counter Clerk, Pharmacist Assistant, Pharmacy Ancillary, Pharmacy Assistant, Pharmacy Care Rep (Pharmacy Care Representative).
Pay
How much do Pharmacy Aides make?
Every pharmacy aide in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$37,680
Middle half earn $34,980 to $43,640
- 10th
- $29,820
- 25th
- $34,980
- 75th
- $43,640
- 90th
- $56,010
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $29,820 |
| 25th | $34,980 |
| Median | $37,680 |
| 75th | $43,640 |
| 90th | $56,010 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $37,680
- Median hourly wage
- $18.12/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $40,450
- People employed
- 39,530
Versus all US occupations
At $37,680, Pharmacy Aides earn 26% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $13,300 a year.
Versus healthcare support occupations
Inside the Healthcare Support group, where the middle occupation pays $42,260, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $56,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $29,820, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 5% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $59,960, and still leads at $54,558 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Pharmacy Aides the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $59,960 | $54,558 | 120 |
| 2Utah | $51,600 | $52,193 | 250 |
| 3Hawaii | $46,250 | $42,064 | 110 |
| 4Washington | $45,110 | $42,154 | 1,990 |
| 5Arizona | $43,360 | $43,068 | 810 |
| 6California | $42,200 | $38,114 | 8,440 |
| 7Oregon | $40,250 | $38,941 | 450 |
| 8Pennsylvania | $39,470 | $40,452 | 1,210 |
| 9Nevada | $39,080 | $39,088 | 410 |
| 10Texas | $38,630 | $39,801 | 2,900 |
Job outlook
Is Pharmacy Aide a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Declining. -0.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy Aides | −0.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Declining
BLS projects employment of Pharmacy Aides to change -0.7% over 2025–2035, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.5%. That is 300 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 5,100 openings are projected each year, 13.0% of the 39,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Pharmacy Aide
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as pharmacy aides.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)61.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate18.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma15%
- Some College Courses5.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 61.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 18.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 15% |
| Some College Courses | 5.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Pharmacy Aide do?
Record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs. May operate cash register and accept prescriptions for filling.
Day-to-day tasks
- Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
- Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
- Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
- Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
- Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.4
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Active Learning2.9
- Writing2.8
- Monitoring2.8
- Mathematics2.5
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.5 |
| Speaking | 3.4 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 2.9 |
| Writing | 2.8 |
| Monitoring | 2.8 |
| Mathematics | 2.5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Service Orientation3.4
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Coordination3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Complex Problem Solving2.8
- Time Management2.6
- Persuasion2.3
- Systems Analysis2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Service Orientation | 3.4 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 2.6 |
| Persuasion | 2.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Pharmacy Aide?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Pharmacy Aide |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 7 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional6.8
- Enterprising3.8
- Realistic3.8
- Social3.1
- Investigative1.6
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Pharmacy Aide
O*NET related occupations
- Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
- Sales and Related
- Office and Administrative Support
Medical Secretary and Administrative Assistant
$45,930median a year
Most earn $36K to $61K
+4.8%High school - Healthcare Support
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Office and Administrative Support
More healthcare support careers
Median annual pay, with pharmacy aides highlighted
- Occupational Therapy Assistant$72,300
- Physical Therapist Assistant$68,380
- Massage Therapist$58,450
- Dental Assistant$48,070
- Medical Assistant$45,690
- Phlebotomist$45,230
- Nursing Assistant$42,260
- Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker$38,150
- Pharmacy Aide$37,680
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | $72,300 |
| Physical Therapist Assistant | $68,380 |
| Massage Therapist | $58,450 |
| Dental Assistant | $48,070 |
| Medical Assistant | $45,690 |
| Phlebotomist | $45,230 |
| Nursing Assistant | $42,260 |
| Veterinary Assistant and Laboratory Animal Caretaker | $38,150 |
| Pharmacy Aide | $37,680 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Pharmacy Aide appears on
Questions
Pharmacy Aide: frequently asked questions
How much do Pharmacy Aides make?
Pharmacy Aides earn a median of $37,680 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 26% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $18.12/hr. The middle half earn between $34,980 and $43,640. The top 10% earn $56,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Pharmacy Aide?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Pharmacy Aides. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 61.2% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Pharmacy Aide a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 0.7% over 2025–2035, a loss of 300 jobs (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 5,100 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Pharmacy Aide do?
Record drugs delivered to the pharmacy, store incoming merchandise, and inform the supervisor of stock needs. A core O*NET task: maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Pharmacy Aides the most?
The highest state medians for Pharmacy Aides are District of Columbia ($59,960), Utah ($51,600), Hawaii ($46,250) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Pharmacy Aide?
O*NET scores Pharmacy Aides highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISFJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.