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.
Most important skills
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Monitoring
Key knowledge
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- English Language
- Transportation
- Education and Training
- Psychology
- Telecommunications
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Carry messages or documents between departments.
- Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains.
- 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.
- Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
- Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms.
- Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds.
- Transport portable medical equipment or medical supplies between rooms or departments.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Social.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (89.3% of respondents)
- Related experience
- None (58%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (63.9%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Orderlies is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Very high | Higher on contact with others than 93% of occupations compared | 95% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Moderate | Lower on dealing with the public than 51% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 72% of occupations compared | 72% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 56% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Some freedom” |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 77% of occupations compared | 68% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very high | Higher on conflict situations than 91% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very high | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 95% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 85% of occupations compared | 54% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: very high
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very high
- Consequence of error: very high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 3.85%
- Contact with others most of the time: 1.49%
- Constant contact with others: 94.66%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 21.46%
- Fairly important: 10.29%
- Important: 13.83%
- Very important: 16.38%
- Extremely important: 38.04%
n = 30, Incumbent 07/2016
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 3.85%
- Fairly important: 3.83%
- Important: 1.49%
- Very important: 19.08%
- Extremely important: 71.75%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0.91%
- Very little freedom: 9.08%
- Limited freedom: 6.11%
- Some freedom: 49.76%
- A lot of freedom: 34.14%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
Time pressure
- Never: 7.57%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0.91%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 20.75%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 2.58%
- Every day: 68.19%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
Conflict situations
- Never: 12.84%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 10.14%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 21.12%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 3.5%
- Every day: 52.4%
n = 30, Incumbent 07/2016
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 7.96%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 13.72%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 43.85%
- Every day: 34.47%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 10.01%
- Fairly serious: 16.13%
- Serious: 7.26%
- Very serious: 12.49%
- Extremely serious: 54.11%
n = 31, Incumbent 07/2016
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O*NET-SOC 31-1132.00 · SOC 31-1132 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8