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.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Pharmacy Aides is licensed or registered in 2 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 1 professional certification to Pharmacy Aides. 1 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round pharmacy aides ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $44,900 with a high school diploma or GED, $43,700 with some college or an associate's degree and $44,700 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of pharmacy aides work in Retail Trade (73%) and Health Care and Social Assistance (23%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most pharmacy aides are Health and Personal Care Retailers (69% of the jobs counted, median pay $36,770), Food and Beverage Retailers (9% of the jobs counted, median pay $35,810), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals (6% of the jobs counted, median pay $43,730), General Merchandise Retailers (5% of the jobs counted, median pay $59,970) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Outpatient Care Centers ($71,660), General Merchandise Retailers ($59,970), General Medical and Surgical Hospitals ($43,730). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For pharmacy aides, employers reported 166.7 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 10 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Healthcare support", which includes this career, 8.7% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $884 for union members and $777 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to pharmacy aides.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Service", which includes this career, 52% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 51% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 70% had paid sick leave, 60% paid vacation and 59% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to pharmacy aides, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $27.17 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Service" in June 2026 ($19.59 in wages and salaries and $7.58 in benefits, 27.9% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for pharmacy aides are: telephone conversations (100%), work with or contribute to a work group or team (98%), contact with others (97%), deal with external customers or the public in general (92%), indoors, environmentally controlled (92%), coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities (89%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (59% of 23 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (45% of 23 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to pharmacy aides in the work done and the skills used: Pharmacy Technicians, Cashiers, Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Medical Assistants, Stockers and Order Fillers, Receptionists and Information Clerks, Opticians, Dispensing, Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Compare pharmacy aides with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →