Healthcare support
Pharmacy aide
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.
Median pay
$37,680
Growth to 2035
−1%
little or no change
Openings a year
5,100
Time to qualify*
1 month
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Pharmacy aide
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Exposure to disease
Pharmacy aide: 19% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
- Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
- Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
- Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
- Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.
Also called: Certified Pharmacist Assistant · Front Counter Clerk · Pharmacist Assistant · Pharmacy Ancillary · Pharmacy Assistant · Pharmacy Care Rep (Pharmacy Care Representative) · Pharmacy Cashier · Pharmacy Clerk
Outlook and AI
Pharmacy aides held 39,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 39,000 by 2035 (−1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).
Compare with
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- Pharmacy aide vs. Medical assistant
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