Orderlies
What Orderlies Do
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. Psychiatric orderlies are included in Psychiatric Aides.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 3.1/5
- English Languageimportance 3.0/5
- Transportationimportance 2.5/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.4/5
- Psychologyimportance 2.4/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 2.2/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Contact With Others4.9/5
- Physical Proximity4.9/5
- Exposed to Disease or Infections4.9/5
- Telephone Conversations4.8/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.6/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Passenger Attendants95% skill match
- Physical Therapist Aides95% skill match
- Phlebotomists95% skill match
- Flight Attendants94% skill match
- Correctional Officers and Jailers94% skill match
- Nursing Assistants94% skill match
- Baggage Porters and Bellhops93% skill match
- Parking Enforcement Workers93% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.4/5
- Service Orientationimportance 3.4/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.5/5
- Negotiationimportance 2.4/5
- Persuasionimportance 2.3/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.3/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- GE Healthcare Centricity EMR
- Medical record charting software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Cooperation
- Empathy
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- SocialMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where orderlies make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Florence, SC4.62× national avg
- 2Macon-Bibb County, GA3.54× national avg
- 3Evansville, IN3.41× national avg
- 4Trenton-Princeton, NJ3.33× national avg
- 5Mayaguez, PR3.20× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Physical Therapist AidesLateral Move
- Nursing AssistantsAdvancement
- Psychiatric AidesLateral Move
- Flight AttendantsCareer Change