# Pharmacy Aides

US SOC code 31-9095. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/31-9095

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **39,530** US pharmacy aides, with median pay of **$37,680** a year. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/IPUHN446110W010000000) of **65,000** from 1990, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for pharmacy aides: Automated dispensing and electronic insurance verification, 2000 to 2020.

Figures: Official statistic (latest count and pay); Researched context (earliest figure).

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to change -0.7% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9095&ioType=o) (Official statistic).

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35.

## Pharmacy Aides employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1875
- Latest US employment: 39,530 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [2]
- Latest US median pay: $37,680 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [3]
- Outlook: -0.7% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [13]

### All 24 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1990 | 65,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis / BLS [1] |
| 2003 | 61,170 | $18,380 | BLS OEWS May 2003 [2] |
| 2004 | 47,720 | $18,420 | BLS OEWS May 2004 [2] |
| 2005 | 46,610 | $18,900 | BLS OEWS May 2005 [2] |
| 2006 | 47,810 | $19,440 | BLS OEWS May 2006 [2] |
| 2007 | 49,630 | $19,530 | BLS OEWS May 2007 [2] |
| 2008 | 53,190 | $20,100 | BLS OEWS May 2008 [2] |
| 2009 | 52,230 | $20,800 | BLS OEWS May 2009 [2] |
| 2010 | 49,580 | $21,430 | BLS OEWS May 2010 [2] |
| 2011 | 45,130 | $21,970 | BLS OEWS May 2011 [2] |
| 2012 | 42,600 | $21,860 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [2] |
| 2013 | 42,250 | $22,580 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [2] |
| 2014 | 41,240 | $23,200 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [2] |
| 2015 | 38,040 | $24,450 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [2] |
| 2016 | 36,660 | $25,240 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [2] |
| 2017 | 35,960 | $26,120 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [2] |
| 2018 | 36,970 | $26,450 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [2] |
| 2019 | 37,280 | $27,850 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [2] |
| 2020 | 38,900 | $29,280 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [2] |
| 2021 | 43,560 | $29,930 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [2] |
| 2022 | 43,230 | $33,270 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [2] |
| 2023 | 43,830 | $36,200 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [2] |
| 2024 | 41,100 | $37,000 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [2] |
| 2025 | 39,530 | $37,680 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [2] |

## Sources (66)

### Employment series

1. [FRED / BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages — Pharmacies and Drug Stores (NAICS 446110) employment history](https://fred.stlouisfed.org/data/IPUHN446110W010000000), Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis / BLS
2. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

3. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2003](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm03nat.zip), [2004](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm04nat.zip), [2005](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm05nat.zip), [2006](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm06nat.zip), [2007](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm07nat.zip), [2008](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm08nat.zip), [2009](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm09nat.zip), [2010](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm10nat.zip), [2011](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm11nat.zip), [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

4. [Pharmacy Times — "Soda Fountains and Their Pharmacist Inventors" (history of soda fountain in the American drugstore)](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/soda-fountains--their-pharmacist-inventors), Pharmacy Times
5. [National Inventors Hall of Fame — "NIHF Inductee James Ritty Invented the Mechanical Cash Register" (NCR cash register history)](https://www.invent.org/inductees/james-ritty), National Inventors Hall of Fame
6. [History of Pharmacy Technicians — Career Trend (ASHP 1975 training guidelines for pharmacy support personnel)](https://careertrend.com/facts-5945653-history-pharmacy-technicians.html), Career Trend
7. [DPE AFL-CIO — "Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians: Facts and Figures" (pharmacy workforce structure history)](https://www.dpeaflcio.org/factsheets/pharmacists-and-pharmacy-technicians-facts-and-figures), Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
8. [PTCB — History of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (1992 Scope of Pharmacy Practice Project; 1995 PTCB founding)](https://ptcb.org/history/), Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
9. [Pharmacy Times — "PTCB Celebrates Twenty Years of Technician Certification and Education" (1995 PTCB founding and aide/technician distinction)](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/ptcb-celebrates-twenty-years-of-technician-certification-and-education), Pharmacy Times
10. [ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist — "Evolution of Robotic Dispensing" (ScriptPro debuted first robotic dispensing system at NACDS 1997 convention; company origins mid-1990s)](https://www.computertalk.com/evolution-of-robotic-dispensing/), ComputerTalk for the Pharmacist
11. [Supply Chain Dive — "Walgreens expands use of automated pharmacy fulfillment centers" (2022, nine micro-fulfillment centers)](https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/walgreens-opens-ninth-micro-fulfillment-center-automating-operations/639957/), Supply Chain Dive
12. [CNBC — "Walgreens doubles down on prescription-filling robots to cut costs, free up pharmacists amid turnaround" (2025)](https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/11/walgreens-doubles-down-on-robots-to-fill-prescriptions-amid-turnaround.html), CNBC

### Forecasts and exposure studies

13. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 31-9095 Pharmacy aides (2025: 39.2 thousand; 2035: 39.0 thousand; -0.7%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9095&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics

### Historical notes

14. [ScriptSave WellRx — "The History of American Pharmacies" (Walgreen Co. founding and chain expansion)](https://www.wellrx.com/news/the-history-of-american-pharmacies/), ScriptSave WellRx
15. [Soda Fountains and History — Lawrence Journal-World (history of soda fountain prevalence in 1931 US drug stores)](https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2006/aug/27/soda_fountain_history/), Lawrence Journal-World
16. [Towards a Greater Professional Standing: Evolution of Pharmacy Practice and Education, 1920-2020 (PMC6789879)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6789879/), American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education / PMC
17. [History of Pharmacy Technicians — Career Trend (ASHP 1975 training guidelines, first formal aide/technician distinction)](https://careertrend.com/facts-5945653-history-pharmacy-technicians.html), Career Trend
18. [PTCB — History of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (founded 1995 by four pharmacy organizations)](https://ptcb.org/history/), Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
19. [Supply Chain Dive — "Walgreens expands use of automated pharmacy fulfillment centers" (2022, nine micro-fulfillment centers, 3,000 stores supported)](https://www.supplychaindive.com/news/walgreens-opens-ninth-micro-fulfillment-center-automating-operations/639957/), Supply Chain Dive

### Predecessors & successors

20. [Pharmacy Times — "Soda Fountains and Their Pharmacist Inventors" (drugstore clerk role in the soda fountain era)](https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/soda-fountains--their-pharmacist-inventors), Pharmacy Times

### Present-day analysis

- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-05-21
- [O\*NET 30.3 — US Department of Labor](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), accessed 2026-05-21

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.