Orderlies
Health ScienceO*NET 31-1132.00United States
Transport patients to areas such as operating rooms or x-ray rooms using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. May maintain stocks of supplies or clean and transport equipment.
- Median annual earnings
- $38,288
- Projected change
- +6.4%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 55.02K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
95.9% of the workforce
Growing to 58.53K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What orderlies do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
- Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance.
- Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment.
- Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
- Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms.
- Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains.
- Carry messages or documents between departments.
- Transport portable medical equipment or medical supplies between rooms or departments.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $32,224
- 25th percentile
- $35,556
- 50th percentile
- $38,288
- 75th percentile
- $44,558
- 90th percentile
- $50,673
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $38,288 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.4%faster than average
202555,020 jobs
2035 projected58,528 jobs
3,508 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 95.9%
- Certificate
- 4.1%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Patient Transporters3,898 postings
- 02Transporters1,432 postings
- 03Orderlies389 postings
- 04Patient Escorts362 postings
- 05Patient Observers297 postings
- 06Pet Sitters281 postings
- 07Radiology Assistants144 postings
- 08Patient Transport Aides139 postings
- 09Patient Companions135 postings
- 10Radiology Aides121 postings
- 11Transportation Aides117 postings
- 12Transport Aides112 postings
- 13Imaging Assistants111 postings
- 14Patient Ambassadors107 postings
- 15Radiology Transporters101 postings
- 16Motor Vehicle Operators95 postings
- 17Care Partners88 postings
- 18Patient Safety Companions88 postings
- 19Emergency Department Managers63 postings
- 20Hospital Porters62 postings
Top employers
- 01HCA Healthcare269 postings
- 02Compass Group211 postings
- 03Trinity Health196 postings
- 04Mercy151 postings
- 05West Virginia University149 postings
- 06University of Pittsburgh Medical Center145 postings
- 07UMass Memorial Health134 postings
- 08Crothall Healthcare125 postings
- 09Sodexo123 postings
- 10AdventHealth115 postings
- 11Advocate Aurora Health114 postings
- 12Cleveland Clinic98 postings
- 13Piedmont Healthcare98 postings
- 14Providence89 postings
- 15CHRISTUS Health86 postings
- 16Northwell Health73 postings
- 17University Of Maryland Medical System70 postings
- 18Corewell Health68 postings
- 19Intermountain Health68 postings
- 20CommonSpirit Health67 postings
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