All careers › Pharmacy Aides
Pharmacy assistant: pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $29,820lowest 10% earn less
- $34,98025th percentile
- $37,680median
- $43,64075th percentile
- $56,010top 10% earn more
Pharmacy aides, also reported by workers as pharmacy assistants[1], had a median pay of $37,680 a year in May 2025[2], below the $50,980 median for all occupations[3]. BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education[4].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -0.7%[6]
- Openings per year
- 5,100[7]
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent[4]
How much do pharmacy assistants make?
BLS calls the job pharmacy aides. The median wage was $37,680 a year, or $18.12 an hour, in May 2025[2]. Half earned more than that and half earned less[2]. The average was $40,450 a year, or $19.45 an hour[8].
The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,820 a year, and the lowest-paid 25% earned less than $34,980[5]. The 75th percentile was $43,640 and the 90th percentile was $56,010[5]. Hourly, those boundaries were $14.34, $16.82, $20.98 and $26.93[9]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10].
The median for all US occupations was $50,980[3], so the median for this job is lower[2][3].
These figures cover workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not count nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits to employers[11]. About 39,530 people held such jobs[12].
Pay by state and city
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $59,960[13]. Utah followed at $51,600, then Hawaii at $46,250[13]. Mississippi had the lowest listed median at $28,380[13].
California had the most jobs at 8,440, then Texas at 2,900, New York at 2,360, Washington at 1,990 and Florida at 1,590[14].
Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Salt Lake City-Murray, UT had the highest median at $51,850[15]. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA followed at $47,450, then San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $46,830[15]. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area had the most jobs, 4,010, with a median of $39,770[16].
Show median pay in 47 states and DC
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia[13] | $59,960 | 120 |
| Utah | $51,600 | 250 |
| Hawaii | $46,250 | 110 |
| Washington | $45,110 | 1,990 |
| Arizona | $43,360 | 810 |
| California | $42,200 | 8,440 |
| Oregon | $40,250 | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,470 | 1,210 |
| Nevada | $39,080 | 410 |
| Texas | $38,630 | 2,900 |
| Delaware | $38,500 | 130 |
| Maine | $38,060 | 150 |
| New York | $38,040 | 2,360 |
| Rhode Island | $38,020 | n/a |
| Missouri | $37,820 | 650 |
| Idaho | $37,690 | 110 |
| Colorado | $37,580 | 370 |
| Ohio | $37,500 | 690 |
| Minnesota | $37,430 | 550 |
| Massachusetts | $37,390 | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $37,350 | 50 |
| Vermont | $37,310 | 90 |
| Montana | $37,140 | 210 |
| Wyoming | $37,030 | 60 |
| Illinois | $37,010 | 1,180 |
| Arkansas | $36,860 | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $36,660 | 550 |
| New Jersey | $36,590 | 1,020 |
| New Mexico | $36,390 | 180 |
| Virginia | $36,390 | 510 |
| Connecticut | $36,350 | 490 |
| Alabama | $36,260 | 460 |
| South Carolina | $36,140 | 360 |
| Michigan | $36,130 | 880 |
| South Dakota | $36,130 | 150 |
| Indiana | $35,890 | 610 |
| North Carolina | $35,530 | 1,180 |
| Maryland | $35,170 | 420 |
| Florida | $35,160 | 1,590 |
| Georgia | $34,630 | 1,410 |
| Kentucky | $34,610 | 600 |
| Louisiana | $33,450 | 730 |
| Iowa | $33,270 | 1,070 |
| Kansas | $32,070 | 470 |
| Nebraska | $31,610 | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $30,360 | 700 |
| Tennessee | $30,170 | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $28,380 | 660 |
How to become a pharmacy assistant
BLS lists these typical entry requirements[4]:
- First: Finish high school or earn an equivalent diploma[4].
- Next: Learn the job through short-term on-the-job training[4].
BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as needed[4]. O*NET puts the job in Job Zone 1-2, which it labels very little to some preparation needed[17]. The facts we use do not cover licenses, certifications or how long training lasts.
What pharmacy assistants do
O*NET describes the job as logging drugs that arrive at the pharmacy, storing incoming stock and telling the supervisor what needs restocking[18]. Aides may also run the cash register and take in prescriptions to be filled[18]. Common tasks include:
- Processing medical insurance claims and working out copayments[19].
- Answering phone calls and passing callers to a pharmacist when needed[19].
- Printing prescription labels from a computer[19].
- Ringing up cash or credit sales[19].
- Keeping records of inventory, receipts, purchases and deliveries[19].
- Receiving and storing medications, checking for out-of-date items and alerting the pharmacist when stock runs low[19].
- Taking in prescriptions and gathering the details needed to fill them[19].
- Cleaning equipment and work areas, and doing filing and other clerical work[19].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of pharmacy aides to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 39,200 to 39,000 jobs[6]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[20].
Even so, BLS expects about 5,100 openings a year on average[7]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[7]. Each year, 5.2% of workers leave the labor force and 7.9% move to a different occupation[21].
The projection counts include self-employed workers[6]. The OEWS count of about 39,530 jobs does not[12].
Is it a good fit?
Pay is below the all-occupations median[2][3]. The entry path is short, with a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training[4]. Employment is projected to shrink slightly, yet about 5,100 openings a year are still expected, counting workers who leave or switch jobs[6][7][21]. The task list mixes pharmacy records, phones, cash handling and stock work[19].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a pharmacy assistant make an hour?
- BLS reports pharmacy aides at a median of $18.12 an hour in May 2025, and an average of $19.45[2][8].
- What education do you need to be a pharmacy assistant?
- BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with short-term on-the-job training[4].
- What is the highest paying state for pharmacy assistants?
- The District of Columbia had the highest median at $59,960, then Utah at $51,600[13].
Facts and sources
- O*NET 31-9095.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Certified Pharmacist Assistant, Front Counter Clerk, Pharmacist Assistant, Pharmacy Ancillary, Pharmacy Assistant, Pharmacy Care Rep (Pharmacy Care Representative), Pharmacy Cashier, Pharmacy Clerk. O*NET OnLine
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Pharmacy Aides in the US was $37,680 per year and $18.12 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Pharmacy Aides: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Pharmacy Aides: 10th percentile $29,820, 25th percentile $34,980, 75th percentile $43,640, 90th percentile $56,010. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Pharmacy Aides is projected to decline 0.7% from 2025 to 2035, from about 39,200 to 39,000 jobs (a change of -300). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: about 5,100 openings for Pharmacy Aides are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Pharmacy Aides was $40,450 per year and $19.45 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Pharmacy Aides: 10th percentile $14.34, 25th percentile $16.82, 75th percentile $20.98, 90th percentile $26.93. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 39,530 people were employed as Pharmacy Aides in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Pharmacy Aides in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Pharmacy Aides jobs: California 8,440; Texas 2,900; New York 2,360; Washington 1,990; Florida 1,590. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Pharmacy Aides (areas with at least 100 jobs): Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $51,850; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $47,450; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $46,830; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $45,400; San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $44,810; Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $44,120; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $43,360; Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $42,640. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Pharmacy Aides jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 4,010 (median $39,770); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 2,050 (median $38,550); Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 1,270 (median $45,400); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 1,070 (median $37,010); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 760 (median $37,400); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 700 (median $43,360). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 31-9095.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Pharmacy Aides. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Pharmacy Aides. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Pharmacy Aides: 5.2% of workers leave the labor force each year and 7.9% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.