Pharmacists
Machines can already do 43% of this job's tasks. By 2035 that rises to 63%. The job changes before it disappears.
Share of the work machines can do
Worldwide baseline, 2026 to 2050
Pharmacists in 2026: the short answer
- Today: machines can do 43% of this job's tasks, and AI use is already seen in 9% of them.
- Forecast: machines can do half of its tasks by 2031, and 63% by 2035, according to the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit.
- Size: 321,970 people do this job in the United States, on a median pay of $140,910 a year.
- Contact with people: it scores 84% for contact with people.
- Also called: Clinical Pharmacist, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist (CPS), Community Pharmacist, Hospital Pharmacist.
Updated by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit. These are worldwide baseline figures; the Workforce Starburst shows them for your country. Go deeper: How ready am I? or an executive briefing.
How the work changes, task by task
The tasks that take up most of the day, with the share of each that machines can do in 2026 (dark) and 2035 (pink). Worldwide baseline.
| Task | Share of the day | Machines can do | 2026 to 2035 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Review prescriptions to assure accuracy, to ascertain the needed ingredients, and to evaluate their suitability | 22% | 63% to 81% | |
| Provide information and advice regarding drug interactions, side effects, dosage, and proper medication storage | 12% | 69% to 74% | |
| Compound and dispense medications as prescribed by doctors and dentists, by calculating, weighing, measuring, and mixing ingredients, or oversee these activities | 11% | 27% to 64% | |
| Manage pharmacy operations, hiring or supervising staff, performing administrative duties, or buying or selling non-pharmaceutical merchandise | 9% | 16% to 33% | |
| 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 | 7% | 29% to 48% | |
| 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 | 5% | 63% to 81% | |
| Provide specialized services to help patients manage conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, smoking cessation, or high blood pressure | 4% | 9% to 27% | |
| Analyze prescribing trends to monitor patient compliance and to prevent excessive usage or harmful interactions | 4% | 54% to 76% |
The skills this job runs on
The skills pharmacists use most, most used first.
Safer jobs nearby
Jobs with a similar skill shape where machines can do less of the work by 2035.
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurses58% of tasks by 2035 · US median $97,550
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- Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education52% of tasks by 2035 · US median $63,970
- Nurse Practitioners57% of tasks by 2035 · US median $132,300
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Questions
When will machines do half of the tasks of Pharmacists?
Machines can do half of its tasks by 2031. That is the worldwide baseline from the 311 Workforce Starburst, before adjusting for country.
Will AI take the job of pharmacists?
Machines can do 43% of the tasks of pharmacists today and 63% by 2035. The job changes before it disappears: the routine tasks move first.
Sources and citing
Tasks and their share of the day: O*NET 31.0, occupation 29-1051.00 (US Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0). Pay and jobs: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. AI use today: Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY). Scoring and forecast: the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit; after 2035 the figures extend each trend, with lower confidence. Foresight, not advice.
Cite as: 311 Institute (2026). Pharmacists: the outlook to 2050. 311 Workforce Starburst. https://www.311institute.com/jobs/pharmacists/