Occupations · Healthcare Support
Pharmacy Aides
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 31-9095.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 101% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $38,550 | 4,660 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $37,150 | 2,340 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,240 | 1,070 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $36,750 | 990 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA | $73,870 | 960 |
| San Juan-Carolina-Caguas, PR | $28,210 | 830 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,030 | 800 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $37,700 | 700 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $50,940 | 700 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $34,750 | 650 |
| San Diego-Carlsbad, CA | $39,000 | 590 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $38,280 | 590 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.
- Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
- Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
- Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.
- Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
- Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
- Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.
- Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.
- Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2014-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2014-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 3
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| pharmacy assistant | 3213.1 | exact |
| pharmacy technician | 3213.2 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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