Good hours, good pay, and good prospects. What careers have it all? This blog post will summarize the differences between Pharmacy Assistant vs Pharmacy Technician roles, both of which are great career choices for anyone considering going to college.
Both Pharmacy Assistant and Pharmacy Technician positions provide work-life balance through set working hours and job security. Careers in pharmacy settings have a healthy balance between autonomous duties and working with people, as well as a good mix of routine and dynamic tasks. And it gets better—these jobs are in demand in British Columbia, and the education for these positions takes less than a year!
Sprott Shaw College is pleased to announce that, in addition to our Pharmacy Assistant program, we are now offering a Pharmacy Technician program! Enrollment is now open, and classes begin January 26, 2026.
Curious about the differences between these two careers? Keep reading to learn more about the duties, education, skillset, and salary of Pharmacy Assistants vs Pharmacy Technicians.
Pharmacy Assistant vs Pharmacy Technician: Duties
Pharmacy Assistant vs Pharmacy Technician: Education
Pharmacy Assistant vs Pharmacy Technician: Skills & Personality
Pharmacy Assistant vs Pharmacy Technician: Salary & Job Prospects
Jumpstart Your Career with Sprott Shaw College
DUTIES
Pharmacy Assistant
Pharmacy Assistant duties include helping Pharmacists by preparing medication, such as counting tablets and labelling bottles. They also perform administrative tasks like stocking shelves, answering phone calls, processing insurance information, entering information into the pharmacy database, and operating the cash register when it’s time for clients to pay for their medication.
Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technicians are involved in preparing, processing, and dispensing medications. Their duties include maintaining inventories and records, counting and preparing medications, teaching clients how to use medical devices, and sometimes taking on the administrative tasks of a Pharmacy Assistant. Pharmacy Technicians are also responsible for compounding certain medications, although this task is typically fulfilled by Pharmacists.
EDUCATION
Pharmacy Assistant
To become a Pharmacy Assistant, you must have at least a high school diploma and extensive on-the-job training. However, many positions require Pharmacy Assistants to have completed a Pharmacy Assistant program. Although post-secondary education is not mandatory for this role, job prospects and wages are higher for those who have it.
Sprott Shaw’s Pharmacy Assistant program is 8 months (33 weeks) long. The program covers the fundamentals of medical terminology and pharmacology, as well as aseptic techniques, customer service, and much more.
Pharmacy Technician
On the other hand, Pharmacy Technicians must have completed an accredited Pharmacy Technician program in order to be qualified for practice in British Columbia.
After completing their education, Pharmacy Technicians must go through two more crucial steps before they can begin working in BC. Upon graduating from an accredited program, they must complete and pass the Pharmacy Examining Board of Canada (PEBC) Pharmacy Technician Qualifying Examination and the College of Pharmacists of British Columbia (CPBC) license registration process.
Sprott Shaw College’s Pharmacy Technician program is 11 months (49 weeks) long. The program covers all aspects of pharmacy operations and medication dispensing. The courses cover topics such as anatomy and physiology, legislation and regulations, and pharmaceutical calculations. As part of the program, students receive hands-on training in a dedicated healthcare lab, a five-week community pharmacy practicum, and a five-week hospital pharmacy practicum.
SKILLS & PERSONALITY
Pharmacy Assistant
Pharmacy Assistants have superb customer service skills. They are comfortable talking to customers in person and over the phone, and they’re happy to help them find what they need or answer their questions. They’re well organized, and like things done properly and neatly, which is important when managing medication inventory and ensuring items are correctly labelled and stored. In this role, communication skills, people skills, and organizational skills will help you thrive.
Pharmacy Technician
Pharmacy Technicians are also customer-service oriented. They must be comfortable with talking to customers and helping them find what they need and answering their questions. Since they’re also responsible for inventory, Pharmacy Technicians should also be well organized, thorough, and detail oriented. Unlike Pharmacy Assistants, Pharmacy Technicians must also be good with numbers and precision, since they work directly with processing and dispensing medications.
SALARY & JOB PROSPECTS
Pharmacy Assistant
According to WorkBC, Pharmacy Assistants make an average annual wage of over $43,000, and a median hourly wage of $20.75.
From 2024 to 2034 there were projected to be 1,600 job openings for this position across British Columbia, according to the 2024 BC Labour Market Outlook.
Pharmacy Technician
According to WorkBC, Pharmacy Technicians make an average annual wage of over $52,000, and a median hourly wage of $25.
The 2024 BC Labour Market Outlook projected that there would be around 1,400 job openings for Pharmacy Technicians in BC from 2024-2034.
Due to their specialized and more extensive training, Pharmacy Technicians earn considerably more and have better job prospects, since they are also qualified to fulfill the duties of a Pharmacy Assistant.
Jumpstart Your Career with Sprott Shaw College
Whether you choose to become a Pharmacy Assistant or Pharmacy Technician, Sprott Shaw’s programs provide hands-on training and small class sizes, so you can gain the experience and support you need to confidently enter the workforce. We’re here to support you from enrollment to graduation and beyond. Our Admissions Advisors can help you find grant and scholarship opportunities, and our Employment Services Specialists help students and alumni land their dream jobs.
Ready to take the next step? Whether you have more questions about our Pharmacy Assistant and Pharmacy Technician programs, or you’re ready to begin the enrollment process, our Admissions Advisors are here to help you and answer any questions you may have! Click the button below to complete a contact form, and an advisor will get back to you soon.
