How Much Does a Pharmacy Assistant Make?

How Much Does a Pharmacy Assistant Make? thumbnail
Pharmacy assistants can advance to become pharmacy technicians with experience or additional education.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the need for pharmacy technicians and pharmacy aides, also called pharmacy assistants, is expected to increase 25 percent from 2008 to 2018. Pharmacy assistants perform clerical, customer service and pharmacy duties.

  1. Function

    • Pharmacy assistants perform different functions depending on where they work. For instance, assistants who work in retail pharmacies perform duties such as answering telephone calls and helping customers. Pharmacy assistants who work in hospitals stock shelves and deliver medication to patients. Assistants---no matter where they work---don't prepare medication under the supervision of pharmacists.

    Earnings

    • According to the BLS, in 2009 the median salary for pharmacy assistants was $22,330 a year. Assistants in the medical and surgical hospitals make the most money---$29,700 a year---according to the BLS.

    Considerations

    • There are no formal post-secondary education requirements for pharmacy assistants. However, experience in customer service is useful when applying for pharmacy assistant positions. All newly hired assistants receive on-the-job training.

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References

  • Photo Credit take one a day image by Keith Frith from Fotolia.com

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