How much does a orderlie make?

The median pay is $18.41 per hour — roughly $38,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.50/hr (10th percentile) to $24.33/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a orderlie?

The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

What does a orderlie actually do all day?

Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers. Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment.

Healthcare Support

Orderlies

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.

What it pays
Orderlies earn a median of $18.41/hr — about $38,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.50/hr; the top 10% earn $24.33/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)

What you'd actually do

Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment.
Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance.
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.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).

The feel of the work

You're around people constantly; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of orderlies are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and people-focused.

Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.

Related careers

Quick questions

How much does a orderlie make?: The median pay is $18.41 per hour — roughly $38,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.50/hr (10th percentile) to $24.33/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Do you need a degree to be a orderlie?: The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
What does a orderlie actually do all day?: Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers. Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment.

Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.

Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.