---

Medication Aide

A program that prepares individuals to administer prescribed medications; observe and report patient reactions and side effects; and perform related emergency and recording duties under the supervision of nurses and/or physicians. Includes instruction in basic anatomy and physiology, common medications and their effects, taking vital signs, oxygen administration, medication administration and application, record-keeping, and patient observation.

What Medication Aide Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Medication Aide emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medication Aide graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Medication Aide emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Medication Aide program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Medication Aide careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medication Aide graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.5 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medication Aide professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
ELR Software eLr Extra Language Resources	Medical software	—
Signal analysis software	Analytical or scientific software	—
Adobe Audition	Music or sound editing software	—
Biofeedback software	Medical software	—
Propeller Multimedia React2	Medical software	—
Learning Fundamentals Speech Visualization	Medical software	—
KayPENTAX Multi-Speech	Medical software	—
Micro Video Video Voice Speech Training System	Medical software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medication Aide graduates include:

• Speech Therapy Assistant
• Speech Correction Assistant
• Language Assistant
• Speech Paraeducator
• Speech Pathology Intern
• Speech-Language Pathologists Assistant (SLPA)
• SLPA (Speech Language Pathologist Assistant)
• Speech and Language Assistant
• SLPA (Speech and Language Pathology Assistant)
• Speech Pathologist Assistant
• School SLPA (School Speech-Language Pathologist Assistant)
• Certified Pathology Assistant
• Communication Assistant
• Speech-Language Assistant
• Speech Pathology Assistant

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medication Aide graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	36.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	25.1%
Postsecondary certificate	14.3%
Bachelor’s degree	12.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.5%
Master’s degree	2.6%
Some college courses	1.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medication Aide?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 92.3% of Medication Aide degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	668	92.3%
Men	56	7.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medication Aide graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	435	60.1%
Asian	6	0.8%
Hispanic or Latino	126	17.4%
Black or African American	84	11.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	30	4.1%
Race Unknown	36	5.0%
International Students	1	0.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medication Aide Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Medication Aide graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$21,334
4 years	$27,226
5 years	$29,985

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $29,985 — roughly 41% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Medication Aide Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Medication Aide graduates earn a median of $27,226 four years after completion — about 28% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Medical Insurance Specialist/Medical Biller	11,963
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services, Other	4,065
Health and Medical Administrative Services, Other	3,168
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies	3,143
Home Health Aide/Home Attendant	1,704
Radiologist Assistant	1,513
Medical/Health Management and Clinical Assistant/Specialist	1,195
Health Aide	488
Speech-Language Pathology Assistant	363
Health Unit Coordinator/Ward Clerk	166
Rehabilitation Aide	158
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies, Other	49

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.