Healthcare Practitioners and Technical
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.
Also called: Accredited Pharmacy Technician, Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT), Chemotherapy Pharmacy Technician (Chemo Pharmacy Technician), Compounding Technician, OR Pharmacy Tech (Operating Room Pharmacy Tech), RPhT (Registered Pharmacy Technician)
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $46,890
- $22.55/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 7,370
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +4.3%
- 1,160 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Moderate-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,460 | $39,610 | $46,890 | $61,670 | $75,190 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- 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- Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.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.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Moderate exposure54 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 46
- Language-model AIOE 47
- GPTs-are-GPTs 68
Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)
Pharmacy technicians have moderate AI exposure, and people are already using AI tools in this work to some degree. Tools can help with computer-based tasks like checking request details, entering prescription information, updating patient profiles, and tracking inventory. Handling and securing medications and working with patients and pharmacists still rely on people.
Likely to change
- Entering prescription data into databases
- Checking requests and tracking stock records
Still relies on people
- Safely storing and securing medications
- Working with patients and pharmacists
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
Next steps from here
Related jobs that build on what you already do.
Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses
Your medication knowledge and patient-record skills carry over. This move adds hands-on patient care and a median Boston pay of $82,190, but it needs a postsecondary training program.
- Pay difference
- +$35,300 median
- AI exposure
- Moderate
- MA growth
- +2.9%
- To get started
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Medical Assistants
Accurate records and patient information are central here too. Medical assistants also add vital-sign checks, in a field projected to grow 9.0% in Massachusetts.
- Pay difference
- +$3,850 median
- AI exposure
- Moderate
- MA growth
- +9.0%
- To get started
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Medical Equipment Preparers
Checking for outdated supplies and keeping careful inventory carry over directly. A high school diploma is enough, with on-the-job training, and median Boston pay is $60,840.
- Pay difference
- +$13,950 median
- AI exposure
- Lower
- MA growth
- +8.8%
- To get started
- High school diploma or equivalent
Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
Talk to a career coach
A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.
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