Pharmacy Technicians
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 29-2052.00
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.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.074
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.30
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Show 17 hidden tasks21 rated tasks · 11 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (52.4%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % | APIRaw / share % |
|---|---|---|
Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.29-2052.00 | 0.014090.3 | 0.010762.7 |
Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records.29-2052.00 | 0.00159.7 | 0.004124.1 |
Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery. | —0 | 0.002313.3 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate.O*NET Task ID 1939 | 1.0 |
Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests.O*NET Task ID 1941 | 1.0 |
Price and file prescriptions that have been filled.O*NET Task ID 1944 | 1.0 |
Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer.O*NET Task ID 1955 | 1.0 |
Price stock and mark items for sale.O*NET Task ID 1957 | 1.0 |
Enter prescription information into computer databases.O*NET Task ID 23924 | 1.0 |
Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information.O*NET Task ID 1943 | 0.5 |
Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients.O*NET Task ID 1946 | 0.5 |
Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer.O*NET Task ID 1947 | 0.5 |
Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records.O*NET Task ID 1952 | 0.5 |
Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages.O*NET Task ID 18545 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (21)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Receive written prescription or refill requests and verify that information is complete and accurate. | Core |
| Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs. | Core |
| Answer telephones, responding to questions or requests. | Core |
| Assist customers by answering simple questions, locating items, or referring them to the pharmacist for medication information. | Core |
| Price and file prescriptions that have been filled. | Core |
| Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods. | Core |
| Establish or maintain patient profiles, including lists of medications taken by individual patients. | Core |
| Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer. | Core |
| Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions. | Core |
| Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers. | Core |
| Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels. | Core |
| Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages. | Core |
| Enter prescription information into computer databases. | Core |
| Transfer medication from vials to the appropriate number of sterile, disposable syringes, using aseptic techniques. | Supplemental |
| Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers. | Supplemental |
| Prepare and process medical insurance claim forms and records. | Supplemental |
| Compute charges for medication or equipment dispensed to hospital patients and enter data in computer. | Supplemental |
| Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery. | Supplemental |
| Price stock and mark items for sale. | Supplemental |
| Maintain and merchandise home healthcare products or services. | Supplemental |
| Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication. | Supplemental |
0.62/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Maintain proper storage and security conditions for drugs. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Price and file prescriptions that have been filled. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Clean and help maintain equipment or work areas and sterilize glassware, according to prescribed methods. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Order, label, and count stock of medications, chemicals, or supplies and enter inventory data into computer. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Mix pharmaceutical preparations, according to written prescriptions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate cash registers to accept payment from customers. | E2 structured facilities |
| Prepack bulk medicines, fill bottles with prescribed medications, and type and affix labels. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Receive and store incoming supplies, verify quantities against invoices, check for outdated medications in current inventory, and inform supervisors of stock needs and shortages. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Transfer medication from vials to the appropriate number of sterile, disposable syringes, using aseptic techniques. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Supply and monitor robotic machines that dispense medicine into containers and label the containers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Deliver medications or pharmaceutical supplies to patients, nursing stations, or surgery. | E2 structured facilities |
| Price stock and mark items for sale. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Maintain and merchandise home healthcare products or services. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Restock intravenous (IV) supplies and add measured drugs or nutrients to IV solutions under sterile conditions to prepare IV packs for various uses, such as chemotherapy medication. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 471K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 501K
- Change (2025–35)
- +6.4%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $45,750
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37231 | 약국 전산 관리원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3213Pharmaceutical Technicians and Assistants
The definition, tasks and examples below are the ILO's description of that unit group, not of this occupation.
Pharmaceutical technicians and assistants perform a variety of tasks associated with dispensing medicinal products under the guidance of a pharmacist or other health professional.
Tasks
- (a) preparing medications and other pharmaceutical compounds under the guidance of a pharmacist or other health professional;
- (b) dispensing medicines and drugs to clients and giving written and oral instructions on their use, as prescribed by medical doctors, veterinarians or other health professionals;
- (c) receiving prescriptions or refill requests from health professionals and verifying that information is complete and accurate according to medical record-keeping standards;
- (d) maintaining proper storage and security conditions for drugs;
- (e) filling and labelling containers with prescribed medications;
- (f) assisting clients by answering questions, locating items or referring them to a pharmacist for medication information;
- (g) pricing and filing prescriptions that have been filled and establish and maintaining patient records, including lists of medications taken by individual patients;
- (h) ordering, labelling, and counting stock of medications, chemicals and supplies, and entering inventory data into records-keeping systems;
- (i) cleaning and preparing equipment and containers used to prepare and dispense medicines and pharmaceutical compounds.
Example occupations
Dispensing technician · Pharmaceutical assistant · Pharmaceutical technician
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- pharmacy technicianESCO 3213.2Same scope
Pharmacy technicians, under the supervision of a pharmacist, check incoming goods, control stock, handle and store pharmaceuticals properly. Where permitted by national rules, they dispense medication and provide advice on their appropriate use.
- medical goods specialised sellerESCO 5223.7.24Overlapping, not the same
Medical goods specialised sellers dispense medicinal drugs and provide advice.
- pharmacistESCO 2262.1Overlapping, not the same
Pharmacists prepare, dispense, and provide prescriptions for, over the counter medication. They offer clinical information on medicines, report suspected adverse reactions, and provide personalised support to patients. Pharmacists formulate and test medications in laboratories, and store, preserve, and distribute them.
- pharmacy assistantESCO 3213.1Overlapping, not the same
Pharmacy assistants perform general duties, such as stock management, serving at the cash desk, or performing administrative duties. They deal with the inventory within the pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| J1307 | Préparateur / Préparatrice en pharmacie | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 5621 | Técnicos auxiliares de farmacia | Same scopeprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 81822 | Berufe in der pharmazeutisch-technischen Assistenz - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Same scope |
| 62412 | Berufe im Verkauf von drogerie- und apothekenüblichen Waren - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 124 | 薬剤師 | Related, not a match |
| 379 | その他の保健医療サービス職業従事者 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources