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.
Also called: Certified Pharmacist Assistant, Front Counter Clerk, Pharmacist Assistant, Pharmacy Ancillary, Pharmacy Assistant, Pharmacy Care Rep (Pharmacy Care Representative)
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $38,140
- $18.34/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 210
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- −0.3%
- 50 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- High school diploma or equivalent
- plus Short-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,010 | $37,350 | $38,140 | $38,570 | $43,010 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.
- Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.
- Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.
- Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.
- Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.
- Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.
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 exposure40 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 43
- Language-model AIOE 47
- GPTs-are-GPTs 30
Observed AI use today: Some (Anthropic Economic Index)
Pharmacy aide work has moderate AI exposure, and observed AI use so far is limited. AI tools can help with insurance claims, label printing, and inventory records. Talking with customers, ringing up sales, and sending callers to the pharmacist depend on people. Massachusetts employment is projected to stay about flat, down 0.3% from 2024 to 2034.
Likely to change
- Processing insurance claims and copayments
- Preparing labels and inventory records
Still relies on people
- Helping customers at the counter
- Referring callers to the pharmacist
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
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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
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