Pharmacy Technicians
Prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. May measure, mix, count out, label, and record amounts and dosages of medications according to prescription orders.
BLS SOC 29-2052 · O*NET-SOC 29-2052.00 · BLS 2025–2035 · O*NET 31.0
Median annual wage, 2025
$45,750
Projected change, 2025–2035
6.4%
2025–2035 annual average openings
44,700
AI exposure
High
Editorial analysis
The pharmacy is becoming more automated behind the counter
Pharmacy technicians already work alongside automation in many settings. Prescription processing, inventory management, counting, packaging, dispensing machinery, insurance checks, and refill workflows can all be supported by increasingly sophisticated software and robotics.
AI extends that trend by helping prioritize work, detect unusual patterns, interpret incoming information, and reduce repetitive administrative steps.
Accuracy changes the automation equation
Pharmacy is not a setting where a 95-percent-correct workflow is automatically good enough. The medication, patient, strength, quantity, instructions, and handling requirements have to be right. Automation therefore tends to create new verification and exception-handling responsibilities even as it removes manual steps.
- High-volume dispensing can become increasingly automated.
- Inventory and refill processes can require less manual intervention.
- Technicians may spend more time resolving insurance, inventory, patient, and workflow exceptions.
- Sterile preparation, specialized pharmacy work, controlled processes, and patient-facing support may offer more durable skill paths.
Labor-market picture
Two measures, different questions
These measures offer two different ways to understand the occupation: BLS projections show how national employment may change over time, while relative AI exposure highlights where tasks may intersect with AI-related capabilities. Read them with the work profile and your local context to decide what deserves closer investigation.
Employment
- Employment, 2025
- 471,200 jobs
- Projected employment, 2035
- 501,300 jobs
- Projected change, 2025–2035
- 30,100 jobs (6.4%)
Relative AI exposure
BLS category: High. This is a relative task-exposure classification, not a forecast of employment change, automation, wages, or worker replacement.
Relative AI exposure · High
Work profile
Representative tasks
These task statements come from O*NET 31.0. They are source facts, not labels assigned by the AI exposure measure.
- Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.
- Enter prescription information into computer databases.
- Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.
- Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs.
- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.
- Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.
Skills that matter
Skills in the source profile
Importance uses O*NET's 1–5 scale. Level uses its 0–7 scale. Select a skill to see its source definition and reported values.
Technology and tools
These technology records come from O*NET and show software or tools reported in the occupation profile. They describe work context, not a required checklist for every employer.
- Internet browser software
- Billing and invoicing software
- Medical software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Label making software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Electronic mail software
Preparation
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
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Source provenance
Labor-market and exposure facts: bls-ep-2025-35. Work profile: onet-31.0. Verify release details on the Sources page.