Healthcare Support · Holland code RCS
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.
Also called: Patient Care Assistant (PCA), Patient Care Technician (PCT), Patient Transporter, Transporter, Attendant, Operating Room Assistant, Orderly, Patient Escort.
O*NET 31-1132.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $38,290
- Middle half earn $35,570 to $44,560. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 89% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas.
- Collect and transport infectious or hazardous waste in closed containers for sterilization or disposal, in accordance with applicable law, standards, or policies.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.1 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.8 / 5
- Writing2.6 / 5
- Monitoring2.6 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.5 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.2 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.1 / 5
- English Language3.0 / 5
- Transportation2.5 / 5
- Education and Training2.4 / 5
- Psychology2.4 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic74
- Investigative17
- Artistic0
- Social53
- Enterprising3
- Conventional64
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- clinical perfusion scientist · DE Fachassistent Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik/Fachassistentin Herz-Kreislauf-Funktionsdiagnostik · FR perfusionniste clinique
- emergency ambulance driver · DE Rettungshelfer/Rettungshelferin · FR ambulancier urgentiste/ambulancière urgentiste
- paramedic in emergency responses · DE Notfallsanitäter/Notfallsanitäterin · FR technicien médical des services d’urgence/technicienne médicale des services d’urgence
- anaesthetic technician · DE Anästhesietechnischer Assistent/Anästhesietechnische Assistentin · FR infirmier anesthésiste/infirmière anesthésiste
- respiratory therapy technician · DE Atemtherapietechniker/Atemtherapietechnikerin · FR technicien intervention matériel assistance respiratoire/technicienne intervention matériel assistance respiratoire
- escort · DE Escort · FR escort boy/escort girl
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs (8213)173,900 employed
- Nursing auxiliaries and assistants (6131)337,700 employed
- Medical radiographers (2254)44,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Technicians and associate professionals”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €50,992 |
| Austria | €46,986 |
| Germany | €44,473 |
| Netherlands | €42,448 |
| Ireland | €41,613 |
| Sweden | €41,155 |
| Italy | €34,882 |
| France | €34,816 |
| Spain | €29,757 |
| Portugal | €18,080 |
| Poland | €12,108 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
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