Pharmacy Assistants vs Medical Assistants
Median pay is about $8k higher for Medical Assistants. The usual entry education is high school for Pharmacy Assistants and postsecondary cert for Medical Assistants.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Pharmacy Assistants | Medical Assistants |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $37,680 | $45,690, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $34,980 | $38,470, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $43,640 | $49,180, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | -0.7% Declining | +13% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 5,100 | 109,700 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | Postsecondary cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 1.2 / 5 | 1.8 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 13th pct | 29th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Pharmacy Assistants
- Active Learning
Only Medical Assistants
- Monitoring
Both lean on active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing.
More comparisons
Compare Pharmacy Assistants with
Compare Medical Assistants with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.