Pharmacists
Also called: Clinical Pharmacist, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS), Hospital Pharmacist, Registered PharmacistDispense drugs prescribed by physicians and other health practitioners and provide information to patients about medications and their use. May advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions, and side effects of medications.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 11 of its 21 tasks, yet jobs are projected to grow 5.2% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 0.9% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.1 hires for every 10 job openings in retail trade, which employs about 51% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.1 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $134,630 | $127,250 to $151,700 | 5,400 |
| Alaska | $167,310 | $158,000 to $173,600 | 560 |
| Arizona | $146,930 | $133,600 to $161,970 | 6,900 |
| Arkansas | $136,060 | $130,260 to $154,540 | 2,900 |
| California | $164,610 | $138,360 to $197,860 | 34,030 |
| Colorado | $156,030 | $136,750 to $169,120 | 4,560 |
| Connecticut | $141,290 | $130,280 to $157,600 | 3,490 |
| Delaware | $152,880 | $135,320 to $165,170 | 790 |
| District of Columbia | $153,400 | $132,840 to $165,710 | 850 |
| Florida | $135,970 | $125,370 to $154,470 | 21,540 |
| Georgia | $137,120 | $126,520 to $158,880 | 10,530 |
| Guam | $129,090 | $101,590 to $136,660 | 70 |
| Hawaii | $163,220 | $133,900 to $171,510 | 1,190 |
| Idaho | $144,900 | $131,830 to $160,240 | 1,790 |
| Illinois | $139,080 | $126,270 to $162,280 | 12,070 |
| Indiana | $144,290 | $129,580 to $159,930 | 6,430 |
| Iowa | $138,860 | $127,840 to $157,880 | 3,230 |
| Kansas | $137,800 | $126,670 to $159,380 | 3,500 |
| Kentucky | $136,530 | $128,970 to $158,280 | 5,030 |
| Louisiana | $132,410 | $124,630 to $145,670 | 5,610 |
| Maine | $140,930 | $130,870 to $157,600 | 1,380 |
| Maryland | $138,990 | $130,610 to $158,150 | 5,400 |
| Massachusetts | $138,170 | $133,460 to $155,490 | 7,230 |
| Michigan | $137,860 | $127,940 to $157,610 | 8,780 |
| Minnesota | $159,740 | $135,520 to $169,140 | 6,310 |
| Mississippi | $133,230 | $127,080 to $147,820 | 3,050 |
| Missouri | $137,610 | $127,920 to $158,120 | 6,740 |
| Montana | $142,080 | $130,000 to $158,850 | 1,190 |
| Nebraska | $139,330 | $126,460 to $159,480 | 2,450 |
| Nevada | $140,030 | $127,820 to $158,970 | 2,500 |
| New Hampshire | $143,020 | $133,190 to $160,190 | 1,130 |
| New Jersey | $137,620 | $131,340 to $161,240 | 9,420 |
| New Mexico | $147,000 | $132,560 to $163,540 | 1,730 |
| New York | $142,090 | $129,240 to $163,510 | 19,760 |
| North Carolina | $138,860 | $128,660 to $159,010 | 11,430 |
| North Dakota | $142,040 | $132,560 to $156,370 | 1,070 |
| Ohio | $137,020 | $127,700 to $156,190 | 12,790 |
| Oklahoma | $135,140 | $128,700 to $152,370 | 3,610 |
| Oregon | $165,960 | $144,020 to $182,040 | 3,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $138,160 | $129,990 to $156,970 | 14,090 |
| Puerto Rico | $111,270 | $77,760 to $122,900 | 2,220 |
| Rhode Island | $128,180 | $115,250 to $133,700 | 1,510 |
| South Carolina | $135,700 | $126,790 to $158,210 | 5,320 |
| South Dakota | $146,790 | $131,950 to $155,260 | 1,280 |
| Tennessee | $133,390 | $123,820 to $153,380 | 8,250 |
| Texas | $138,260 | $128,170 to $160,080 | 24,700 |
| Utah | $144,240 | $130,940 to $163,560 | 2,830 |
| Vermont | $136,270 | $128,340 to $162,110 | 530 |
| Virgin Islands | $134,970 | $132,360 to $135,390 | 50 |
| Virginia | $144,060 | $128,230 to $161,600 | 7,980 |
| Washington | $160,610 | $137,890 to $179,480 | 7,350 |
| West Virginia | $133,430 | $124,440 to $154,830 | 2,260 |
| Wisconsin | $148,740 | $131,780 to $167,430 | 5,730 |
| Wyoming | $139,550 | $130,970 to $161,060 | 510 |
Nationally: $140,910. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 11 of its 21 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability. | Not published |
| AI + software | Collaborate with other health care professionals to plan, monitor, review, or evaluate the quality or effectiveness of drugs or drug regimens, providing advice on drug applications or characteristics. | Not published |
| Not much | Work in hospitals or clinics or for Health Management Organizations (HMOs), dispensing prescriptions, serving as a medical team consultant, or specializing in specific drug therapy areas, such as oncology or nuclear pharmacotherapy. | Not published |
| AI alone | Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage. | 0.13% |
| Not much | Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure. | Not published |
See all 21 tasks
| Not much | Assess the identity, strength, or purity of medications. | Not published |
| AI alone | Plan, implement, or maintain procedures for mixing, packaging, or labeling pharmaceuticals, according to policy and legal requirements, to ensure quality, security, and proper disposal. | Not published |
| Not much | Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare sterile solutions or infusions for use in surgical procedures, emergency rooms, or patients' homes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Maintain records, such as pharmacy files, patient profiles, charge system files, inventories, control records for radioactive nuclei, or registries of poisons, narcotics, or controlled drugs. | Not published |
| Not much | Teach pharmacy students serving as interns in preparation for their graduation or licensure. | Not published |
| AI alone | Refer patients to other health professionals or agencies when appropriate. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Publish educational information for other pharmacists, doctors, or patients. | Not published |
| Not much | Order and purchase pharmaceutical supplies, medical supplies, or drugs, maintaining stock and storing and handling it properly. | Not published |
| AI + software | Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise. | Not published |
| AI alone | Advise customers on the selection of medication brands, medical equipment, or healthcare supplies. | Not published |
| Not much | Offer health promotion or prevention activities, such as training people to use blood pressure devices or diabetes monitors. | Not published |
| AI + software | Update or troubleshoot pharmacy information databases. | Not published |
| AI + software | Assay radiopharmaceuticals, verify rates of disintegration, and calculate the volume required to produce the desired results, to ensure proper dosages. | Not published |
| AI alone | Contact insurance companies to resolve billing issues. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 3 of the 21 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 21 tasks fall under 27 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #20 Present research or technical information
- #24 Assist others to access additional services or resources
- #28 Analyze scientific or applied data using mathematical principles
- and 3 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analyze scientific or applied data using mathematical principles | |||
| Analyze biological or chemical substances or related data | |||
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Present research or technical information | |||
| Assist others to access additional services or resources | |||
| Advise others on products or services | |||
| Purchase goods or services |
Show all 27 activities
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Advise others on healthcare or wellness issues | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Verify personal information | |||
| Execute financial transactions | |||
| Document technical designs, procedures, or activities | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Analyze health or medical data | |||
| Advise patients or clients on medical issues | |||
| Examine financial activities, operations, or systems | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Sell products or services | |||
| Treat injuries, illnesses, or diseases | |||
| Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Prescribe medical treatments or devices |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer48%
- Advice or a recommendation40%
- A document or report3%
- An analysis or summary2%
- A plan or strategy1%
How they worked with Claude
10% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for pharmacists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 23,465 moves out
- 1 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 7%
- 2 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 5%
- 3 Postsecondary Teachers, All Other Very high +2.0% 5%
- 4 Pharmacy Technicians High +6.4% 4%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 29,604 moves in
- 1 Pharmacy Technicians High +6.4% 10%
- 2 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 5%
- 3 First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers High -3.7% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
- 5 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 2% high school
- 11% bachelor's
- 3% professional doctorate
- 78% research doctorate
- 5% post-doctoral training
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 21 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% some college
- 1% associate's
- 22% bachelor's
- 5% master's
- 31% professional degree
- 40% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 3,921 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Pharmacy and Clinical, Hospital, and Managed Care Pharmacy.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
>99.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | >99.5% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 2.3% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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