Pharmacy Aide Jobs
Training and Education Jobs and Salaries
The work of pharmacy aides is closely related to that of pharmacy technicians, cashiers, and stock clerks and order fillers. Pharmacy aides hold about 50,000 jobsand about 82 percent work in retail pharmacies, most of which were in drug stores but some of which were in grocery stores, department stores, or mass retailers. About seven percent of pharmacy aides work in hospitals.
Employment of pharmacy aides is expected to decline rapidly from 2006 to 2016 however, job prospects, should be good. Demand for pharmacy aides will fall as pharmacy technicians become increasingly responsible for answering phones, stocking shelves, operating cash registers, and performing other administrative tasks. In addition, with increased training, many pharmacy aides will become pharmacy technicians, which will result in further declines in pharmacy aide jobs.
Employment of pharmacy aides is expected to decline rapidly, decreasing by 11 percent over the 2006 to 2016 period. Despite declining employment, job opportunities for full-time and part-time work are expected to be good. The frequent need to replace workers who leave the occupation will create opportunities for interested applicants.
Aides with related work experience in pharmacies, or as cashiers or stock clerks in other retail settings, should have the best opportunities. Median hourly earnings of wage and salary pharmacy aides are around $9.50. The middle fifty percent earn between $8.00 and $12.00 while the lowest ten percent earn less than $7.50, and the highest ten percent earn more than $15.00.
Median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of pharmacy aides are as follows: pharmacy aides working in general medical and surgical hospitals are paid over $12.00 per hour, those working in grocery stores make around $10.00 per hour, and aides who work in pharmacies and drug stores make about $9.00 per hour. For information on employment opportunities as a pharmacy aide, please contact local employers or local offices of the State employment service.