NOC 33103: Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants
What pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants do
Pharmacy technical assistants perform technical tasks related to preparing medications under a pharmacist's supervision. They also assist in filling prescriptions and managing patient files. Pharmacy assistants perform clerical functions and assists pharmacists and pharmacy technicians with drug dispensing tasks. Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants are employed in retail and hospital pharmacies, long-term care facilities and by pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Assess prescriptions for completeness
- Enter clients' information and prescription details in databases
- Help pharmacists and other pharmacy staff with preparing, packaging and labelling of pharmaceutical products
- Assist in maintaining inventories of medications and pharmaceutical products
- Compound oral solutions, ointments and creams
- May process medical billing information
- May price and stock items on shelves.
Job titles under NOC 33103
9 job titles are classified here, including pharmacy aide, pharmacy assistant, pharmacy technical assistant.
- dispensary assistant
- drugstore dispensing assistant
- drugstore side room attendant
- pharmacy aide
- pharmacy assistant
- pharmacy helper
- pharmacy side room attendant
- pharmacy supply assistant
- pharmacy technical assistant
Employment requirements
- Pharmacy technical assistants usually require completion of up to two-years of a Pharmacy Technical Assistance vocational program.
- Pharmacy assistants usually require completion of a Pharmacy Assistant college program, ranging from six to twelve months or completion of secondary school and several months of on-the-job training.
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $16.00/hr | $20.00/hr | $26.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $19.50/hr | $26.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $16.10/hr | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $17.85/hr | $21.77/hr | $29.15/hr |
Calgary AB | $17.71/hr | $22.20/hr | $26.34/hr |
Edmonton AB | $17.72/hr | $20.53/hr | $25.88/hr |
Ottawa ON | $17.60/hr | $19.50/hr | $26.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $17.00/hr | $24.65/hr | $27.89/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $16.10/hr | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $17.60/hr | $20.50/hr | $25.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $17.60/hr | $21.63/hr | $26.00/hr |
London ON | $17.60/hr | $20.75/hr | $24.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $16.95/hr | $19.57/hr | $23.40/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $19.53/hr | $22.53/hr | $26.68/hr |
Saskatoon Saskatoon–Biggar region, SK | $15.35/hr | $19.00/hr | $22.00/hr |
Regina Regina–Moose Mountain region, SK | $16.58/hr | $21.35/hr | $25.72/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Newfoundland and Labrador | $16.00/hr | $19.50/hr | $30.00/hr |
Nova Scotia | $16.50/hr | $18.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $19.90/hr | $26.00/hr |
Quebec | $16.10/hr | $21.00/hr | $28.00/hr |
Ontario | $17.60/hr | $19.50/hr | $26.00/hr |
Manitoba | $17.00/hr | $22.50/hr | $27.62/hr |
Saskatchewan | $15.35/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.00/hr |
Alberta | $15.05/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.60/hr |
British Columbia | $17.85/hr | $20.00/hr | $26.95/hr |
Using NOC 33103 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 9 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Pharmacy clerk (NOC 64100)
- Pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants?
Pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants are NOC 2021 unit group 33103. Example job titles in this group include pharmacy aide, pharmacy assistant, pharmacy technical assistant.
What TEER is NOC 33103?
NOC 33103 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do pharmacy technical assistants and pharmacy assistants earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $20.00/hr, about $39,000 a year full-time, with a range of $16.00/hr to $26.00/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.