What is a Pharmacy Aide?
Pharmacy Aide Definition 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.
Life As a Pharmacy Aide: What Do They Do?
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
- Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.
- Provide customers with information about the uses, effects, or interactions of drugs.
- Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
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Pharmacy Aide Required Skills
When polled, Pharmacy Aides say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Types of Pharmacy Aide Jobs
- Pharmacy Clerk
- Prescription Clerk
- Certified Pharmacist Assistant
- Front Counter Clerk
- Pharmacy Assistant
Is There Going to be Demand for Pharmacy Aides?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 36,900 jobs in the United States for Pharmacy Aide. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Pharmacy Aide. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 4,700 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Pharmacy Aide are Alaska, Arizona, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Oklahoma, or Wisconsin. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Average Pharmacy Aides Salary
The typical yearly salary for Pharmacy Aides is somewhere between $19,370 and $44,450.

Pharmacy Aides who work in Alaska, Colorado, or Arizona, make the highest salaries.
How much do Pharmacy Aides make in each U.S. state?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $21,700 |
Alaska | $45,850 |
Arizona | $38,500 |
Arkansas | $25,330 |
California | $33,730 |
Colorado | $39,840 |
Connecticut | $31,460 |
Delaware | $29,990 |
Florida | $29,420 |
Georgia | $28,000 |
Hawaii | $34,180 |
Idaho | $29,780 |
Illinois | $29,760 |
Indiana | $24,470 |
Iowa | $26,260 |
Kansas | $23,630 |
Kentucky | $23,740 |
Louisiana | $24,400 |
Maine | $26,800 |
Maryland | $30,130 |
Massachusetts | $35,630 |
Michigan | $27,690 |
Minnesota | $28,190 |
Mississippi | $27,060 |
Missouri | $27,260 |
Montana | $29,580 |
Nebraska | $27,950 |
Nevada | $27,980 |
New Hampshire | $27,180 |
New Jersey | $25,490 |
New Mexico | $29,970 |
New York | $31,450 |
North Carolina | $24,760 |
North Dakota | $30,940 |
Ohio | $28,090 |
Oklahoma | $24,400 |
Oregon | $32,990 |
Pennsylvania | $24,660 |
Rhode Island | $31,150 |
South Carolina | $24,940 |
South Dakota | $24,390 |
Tennessee | $25,200 |
Texas | $25,910 |
Utah | $36,120 |
Vermont | $24,320 |
Virginia | $24,020 |
Washington | $32,990 |
West Virginia | $23,360 |
Wisconsin | $24,140 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Pharmacy Aides
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Pharmacy Aides may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Word processing software
- Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software
- Database software
Becoming a Pharmacy Aide
What education is needed to be a Pharmacy Aide?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Pharmacy Aides Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Similar Careers
Career changers with experience as a Pharmacy Aide sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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