AI exposure score

Pharmacy Aides

Pharmacy Aides score 38 out of 100, which is moderate exposure to AI. That ranks #439 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 17 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 5 on its own and 5 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 2 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

38/ 100

Moderate

Rank: #439of 923 jobs
US workers: 39,530BLS, May 2025
Median pay: $37,680a year
In real AI use: 2 of 17tasks, April–May 2026

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Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 5 (29%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 5 (29%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 7 (41%)

Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary.AI can speed this up on its own · core task · Seen in real AI use
Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Perform clerical tasks, such as filing, compiling and maintaining prescription records, or composing letters.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Prepare, maintain, and record records of inventories, receipts, purchases, or deliveries, using a variety of computer screen formats.AI can speed this up on its own · supplemental task
Accept prescriptions for filling, gathering and processing necessary information.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Receive, store, and inventory pharmaceutical supplies or medications, check for out-of-date medications, and notify pharmacist when inventory levels are low.AI can speed this up with extra software · core task
Compound, package, and label pharmaceutical products, under direction of pharmacist.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
Provide customers with information about the uses, effects, or interactions of drugs.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
Process medical insurance claims, posting bill amounts and calculating copayments.AI can speed this up with extra software · supplemental task
Greet customers and help them locate merchandise.Little or no AI speed-up · core task · Seen in real AI use
Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Restock storage areas, replenishing items on shelves.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Maintain and clean equipment, work areas, or shelves.Little or no AI speed-up · core task
Deliver medication to treatment areas, living units, residences, or clinics, using various means of transportation.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task
Operate capsule or tablet counting machine that automatically distributes a certain number of capsules or tablets into smaller containers.Little or no AI speed-up · supplemental task

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Questions about pharmacy aides and AI

Will AI replace pharmacy aides?

Unlikely. Most of the work is hard for today's AI to speed up. Pharmacy Aides score 38 out of 100 (moderate exposure), #439 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 10 of the job's 17 tasks, 5 of them on its own, while 7 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which pharmacy aides tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Answer telephone inquiries, referring callers to pharmacist when necessary"; "Prepare prescription labels by typing or operating a computer and printer"; "Calculate anticipated drug usage for a prescribed period".

Which pharmacy aides tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Greet customers and help them locate merchandise"; "Operate cash register to process cash or credit sales"; "Unpack, sort, count, and label incoming merchandise, including items requiring special handling or refrigeration".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 2 of the 17 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as pharmacy aides, and what do they earn?

About 39,530 people in the US, with median pay of $37,680 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.