Take a patient to testing
Bring a patient from their room to testing by wheelchair, stretcher or bed, then tell staff they're here.
Career profile
Hospital Orderly
Orderlies move patients around a hospital and set up equipment and spaces for whoever's next.
Take someone to X-ray, then wipe down a wheelchair or restock supplies: physical hospital work, lots of walking, and quick chats with patients.
A day in the life
Transfer a patient with coworkers
Help a patient shift between bed and stretcher with coworkers, using a slide sheet or transfer board.
Wipe down a used wheelchair
Clean a wheelchair after someone finishes with it, and report any broken or faulty gear for repair.
Swap linens and restock supplies
Remove dirty linens, bring clean ones, and restock the supply room or cleaning cart before items run short.
Quick facts
High school + job training
United States
$38,370/year
United States · May 2025
Not displayed
The broader orderly outlook below includes hospitals and other workplaces.
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + job trainingA diploma or equivalent is typical, followed by short on-the-job training.
Pay
$38,370/yearMedian for orderlies in hospitals, May 2025.
Outlook
Not displayedThe broader orderly outlook below includes hospitals and other workplaces.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like moving between places more than sitting at one workstation.
- You can speak calmly with someone who feels uncomfortable or worried.
- You can give repeated cleaning and equipment checks your full attention.
Things to weigh
- Long periods on your feet and moving patients can strain your body.
- Hospital shifts can include nights, weekends and holidays.
Where AI may help
Some hospitals send transport requests to phones and use powered transport equipment to help move patients.
What people still lead
You still help people transfer, notice distress and communicate with clinical staff.
What we can’t predict yet
How much future systems can take over moving patients, beyond dispatching requests and assisting movement, remains uncertain.
Pay in context
Earnings
Use the hospital median as a reference when comparing offers.
Hospital pay
The annual median was $38,370—about $18.45 an hour when divided by 2,080 hours. This is a midpoint, not a starting offer.
The wider spread
Across all orderly workplaces, the lowest-paid 10% earned below $32,240; the highest-paid 10% earned above $50,600. These are not beginner and experienced-worker rates.
Workplace differences
Orderly medians were $38,550 in ambulatory healthcare, $38,370 in hospitals and $35,350 in nursing and residential care.
Broader job prospects
Employment of orderlies across all settings is projected to grow 4.0%, with about 7,200 openings annually during 2025–2035. These figures include workplaces beyond hospitals.
Getting started
Start in hospital transport
- What the route involves
- Apply to transport jobs that accept beginners. Learn patient movement, delivery routines and hospital procedures through on-the-job training.
- What it can lead to
- A route into moving patients for tests, treatment and discharge without previous related work experience.
Bring customer-service experience
- What the route involves
- Build experience helping customers, and complete high school or its equivalent.
- What it can lead to
- Eligibility for some transport jobs requiring customer-service experience; prior healthcare work may be preferred rather than required.
Orderlies work under nursing supervision and do not need an occupational license. Employers may require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or basic life support (BLS) certification.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Learn the hospital's routes, patient identification checks and how to tell staff about arrivals and departures.
Build your range
Become comfortable with different transport equipment and coordinated transfers with coworkers.
Help run the transport team
A lead transporter role can add training new hires and monitoring daily work. Some employers seek prior transport or hospital experience for this step.
Where you can work
Hospital transport department
You travel between wards and testing or treatment areas, coordinating pickups with dispatch and hospital staff. Your workplace changes with each trip.
- Indoors
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Hospital surgical department
Work stays closer to the operating rooms. Cleaning between procedures, moving heavy equipment and preparing room setups shape the pace of your shift.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Sketch a pretend hospital floor with patient rooms, an elevator and an X-ray department. Trace a wheelchair trip and explain the destination to a partner. Notice whether you enjoy combining wayfinding with clear, reassuring conversation.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; do not practice lifting or moving a person.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nursing Assistants and Orderlies. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine. 31-1132.00 — Orderlies. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Mayo Clinic. Transporter — General Service. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Tenet Healthcare. Transporter — Detroit. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Cleveland Clinic. Lead Patient Transporter. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Montage Health. Orderly — Main Operating Room. Accessed 2026-10-03.