Jobs in pharmacies and drugstores have an average Still needs a human score of 72.2 out of 100 (higher is safer), 1.8 points below the average for all jobs of 74.0 and 25th of 37 among the sectors (1st is least exposed). The largest job here is pharmacy technicians (241,000 workers, 74/100 ↑ safer), and of the jobs more common here than across the economy, insurance claims and policy processing clerks is the most exposed (58/100 ↑ safer).
72.2/100↑ safer
2.7%
15.9%
−2.1%
How the work here could shift
The share of workers in this sector whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Today
4%
of workers in this sector are in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
0% are in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2045
0%
of workers in this sector would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
59% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2060
0%
of workers in this sector would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
94% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
Each job's score moves towards the bottom band (Largely: AI could largely do the job) by the year it could be largely automated, slowly at first and faster later, as adoption usually goes. Each job is run as ten scenarios across its replacement range, so every figure mixes early and late outcomes. The model stops at 2060. How the timeline works
Will AI replace the job?Largely.Mostly.Partly.A little.Nah.
Show the data
| Year | Largely | Mostly | Partly | A little | Nah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today (2026) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2.7% | 93.9% | 3.5% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 1.0% | 13.9% | 84.3% | 0.7% |
| 2035 | 7.4% | 26.7% | 43.7% | 21.9% | 0.4% |
| 2040 | 33.9% | 34.6% | 25.0% | 6.2% | 0.3% |
| 2045 | 59.2% | 33.5% | 0.9% | 6.0% | 0.3% |
| 2050 | 78.0% | 15.6% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.3% |
| 2055 | 93.3% | 0.3% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.3% |
| 2060 | 93.6% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 6.0% | 0.3% |
The largest jobs in pharmacies and drugstores
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pharmacy Technicians | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2041–2060+ | 241,100 |
| 2 | Pharmacists | 71↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2041–2057 | 120,000 |
| 3 | Cashiers | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2060+ | 116,900 |
| 4 | General and Operations Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2051 | 27,400 |
| 5 | Pharmacy Aides | 70↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2044–2060+ | 26,900 |
| 6 | Retail Salespersons | 69↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2054 | 23,000 |
| 7 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 79↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2044–2060+ | 13,900 |
| 8 | Light Truck Drivers | 80↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 11,700 |
| 9 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 10,600 |
| 10 | First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers | 71↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2052 | 7,200 |
Common jobs here that AI can do most of
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customer Service Representatives | 51↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2034–2041 | 10,600 |
| 2 | Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 54↑ saferAI replace? Partly.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2034–2042 | 1,900 |
| 3 | Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 58↑ saferAI replace? Partly. | D | 2035–2045 | 1,700 |
| 4 | Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 60↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 2,800 |
| 5 | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 61↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 1,400 |
| 6 | Billing and Posting Clerks | 62↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 3,000 |
| 7 | Data Entry Keyers | 62↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2048 | 1,500 |
| 8 | Management Analysts | 62↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2046 | 1,000 |
| 9 | Office Clerks, General | 65↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2053 | 5,100 |
| 10 | First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 67↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2035–2047 | 3,200 |
Common jobs here that most need a human
| # | Job | Still needs a human | Evidence | Could be largely automated | Workers in the sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 84↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 2 related jobs | D | 2044–2060+ | 1,100 |
| 2 | Light Truck Drivers | 80↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 11,700 |
| 3 | Driver/Sales Workers | 80↑ saferAI replace? Nah. | D | 2044–2060+ | 5,000 |
| 4 | Registered Nurses | 80↑ saferAI replace? Nah.workers of 5 related jobs | D | 2042–2060+ | 3,600 |
| 5 | Stockers and Order Fillers | 79↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2044–2060+ | 13,900 |
| 6 | Pharmacy Technicians | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2041–2060+ | 241,100 |
| 7 | Cashiers | 74↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2060+ | 116,900 |
| 8 | General and Operations Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2051 | 27,400 |
| 9 | Sales Managers | 72↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2036–2050 | 1,300 |
| 10 | Pharmacists | 71↑ saferAI replace? A little. | D | 2041–2057 | 120,000 |
Related sectors: Retail trade, Hospitals, Ecommerce and online retail, Car dealerships
How this is worked out
- The average weights every job's Still needs a human score by how many people do it in this sector, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' industry employment data. Jobs cover 99.4% of the sector's employment.
- Job scores are national: an accountant in retail scores the same as an accountant anywhere. The sector figure reflects its mix of jobs, not how its employers use AI; the Census figure shows that.