Pharmacy Aides Salary
The median pay for a pharmacy aides in Columbus, GA-AL is $29,300/year ($14.09/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $21K at the entry level to $37K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.3), which stretches that salary to about $32,811 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,088/month, about 52.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $29K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (89.3). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About pharmacy aides
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What this looks like in Columbus
Pay for pharmacy aides in Columbus runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,088/month, which is 53.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.3 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 11% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for pharmacy aidess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for pharmacy aides in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $39K | $39K |
| Augusta-Richmond County | $35K | $38K |
| Savannah | $32K | $34K |
| Albany | $28K | $32K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, GA-AL
Entry-level pharmacy aides (10th percentile) start around $21K. Mid-career wages sit at $29K. Top earners bring in $37K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Pharmacy Aides pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Pharmacy Aides salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $60K | +59% | 120 |
| Utah | $52K | +37% | 250 |
| Hawaii | $46K | +23% | 110 |
| Washington | $45K | +20% | 1,990 |
| Arizona | $43K | +15% | 810 |
| California | $42K | +12% | 8,440 |
| Oregon | $40K | +7% | 450 |
| Pennsylvania | $39K | +5% | 1,210 |
| Nevada | $39K | +4% | 410 |
| Texas | $39K | +3% | 2,900 |
| Delaware | $39K | +2% | 130 |
| Maine | $38K | +1% | 150 |
| New York | $38K | +1% | 2,360 |
| Rhode Island | $38K | +1% | N/A |
| Missouri | $38K | +0% | 650 |
| Idaho | $38K | +0% | 110 |
| Colorado | $38K | -0% | 370 |
| Ohio | $38K | -0% | 690 |
| Minnesota | $37K | -1% | 550 |
| Massachusetts | $37K | -1% | 340 |
| New Hampshire | $37K | -1% | 50 |
| Vermont | $37K | -1% | 90 |
| Montana | $37K | -1% | 210 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -2% | 60 |
| Illinois | $37K | -2% | 1,180 |
| Arkansas | $37K | -2% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | -3% | 550 |
| New Jersey | $37K | -3% | 1,020 |
| New Mexico | $36K | -3% | 180 |
| Virginia | $36K | -3% | 510 |
| Connecticut | $36K | -4% | 490 |
| Alabama | $36K | -4% | 460 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -4% | 360 |
| South Dakota | $36K | -4% | 150 |
| Michigan | $36K | -4% | 880 |
| Indiana | $36K | -5% | 610 |
| North Carolina | $36K | -6% | 1,180 |
| Maryland | $35K | -7% | 420 |
| Florida | $35K | -7% | 1,590 |
| Georgia | $35K | -8% | 1,410 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -8% | 600 |
| Louisiana | $33K | -11% | 730 |
| Iowa | $33K | -12% | 1,070 |
| Kansas | $32K | -15% | 470 |
| Nebraska | $32K | -16% | 400 |
| Oklahoma | $30K | -19% | 700 |
| Tennessee | $30K | -20% | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $28K | -25% | 660 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track pharmacy aides salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Columbus numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a pharmacy aide afford a 2BR apartment alone in Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $29K, rent takes 53.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,088/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $600/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for pharmacy aides in Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new pharmacy aides typically earn — is $21K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,287/month. At HUD’s $1,088/month FMR, rent would take 85% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is pharmacy aide a high-paying job in Columbus?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $29K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 11% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for pharmacy aides?
Columbus pays $29K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.3), the purchasing-power equivalent is $33K — below the national median.
How much do pharmacy aides make in Columbus, GA-AL?
The median is $29,300 a year, that works out to about $14 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $21,450, and experienced pharmacy aides can clear $37,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $29K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,035/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,088/month, which eats 53.5% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a pharmacy aides salary go in Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 89.3 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median pharmacy aides salary is worth about $32,811 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do pharmacy aides get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.