Orderlies
SOC: 31-1132.00 · Job Zone: 2
Key Takeaways
- ●AI Impact Score: 40/100 — Partial Automation Likely. Partial automation is likely for key tasks in this occupation.
- ●53K workers currently employed.
- ●Mean annual wage: $37,700.
- ●6 of 15 key tasks can already be performed by AI tools today.
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.
Also known as
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AI Impact Analysis
The orderly profession employs 53,020 workers across the United States with a mean annual wage of $37,700, representing a critical support role in healthcare operations. These workers primarily handle patient transport, equipment cleaning, and basic facility maintenance tasks that keep medical facilities running smoothly. With no formal education requirements and operating at Job Zone 2, orderlies serve as an entry point into healthcare careers while performing essential physical and logistical functions.
AI automation is already targeting several key orderly tasks, particularly in documentation and inventory management. Electronic medical record systems like Epic and Cerner now include automated tracking for equipment cleaning schedules and supply inventory, reducing manual documentation work. Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) from companies like Aethon and Swisslog are handling routine transport of laboratory specimens, pharmacy items, and medical supplies in major hospitals. Cleaning protocols are being standardized through IoT sensors and automated scheduling systems that track when equipment needs sterilization or maintenance.
The core human-essential tasks for orderlies center around direct patient care and physical assistance. Tasks requiring social perceptiveness, active listening, and physical support—such as lifting patients, providing mobility assistance, and responding to emergency situations—remain firmly in human control. Patient restraint, turning bedridden patients, and providing emotional support during transport require the human judgment, empathy, and physical dexterity that AI cannot replicate. These interpersonal skills, rated as the highest importance factors for orderlies, create a protective barrier against full automation.
The next 1-3 years will see expanded deployment of automated transport systems and smart inventory management in larger hospitals, reducing routine transport and supply tasks. Within 3-5 years, expect voice-activated documentation systems and predictive maintenance scheduling to further streamline administrative work. However, the physical care components and emergency response duties will remain human-dominated, creating a bifurcated role where orderlies focus more on direct patient interaction while machines handle logistics.
Major health systems like Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic are already piloting automated transport robots and smart scheduling systems. Companies like Diligent Robotics have deployed service robots that handle supply delivery and basic transport tasks, while maintaining human orderlies for patient-facing activities. This hybrid approach preserves employment while improving efficiency, suggesting the profession will evolve rather than disappear.
Task-by-Task AI Analysis
| Task | AI Status |
|---|---|
Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers. Requires physical strength, human judgment for patient safety, and real-time adaptation to patient conditions. | Human Essential 5+ years |
Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. Automated guided vehicles can handle routine transport, but patient interaction and complex navigation require human oversight. | AI Assists 1-2 years |
Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment. Standardized cleaning protocols can be automated with UV disinfection robots and scheduled maintenance systems. | AI Can Do This Now |
Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance. Sensors can track equipment status and schedule cleaning, but physical inspection and repair identification need human assessment. | AI Assists 1-2 years |
Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms. Emergency response requires immediate human judgment, physical intervention, and complex decision-making under pressure. | Human Essential 5+ years |
Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains. Requires manual dexterity, patient interaction, and adaptation to various room configurations. | Human Essential 5+ years |
Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas. UV disinfection robots can supplement cleaning, but detailed sanitization and human-occupied spaces require human workers. | AI Assists 1-2 years |
Collect and transport infectious or hazardous waste in closed containers for sterilization or disposal. Scheduled collection and transport of waste containers can be automated with proper safety protocols. | AI Can Do This 3-5 years |
Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel. Automated tube systems and robots can handle routine specimen transport with barcode tracking. | AI Can Do This Now |
Collect soiled linen or trash. Routine collection tasks can be scheduled and automated with robotic systems. | AI Can Do This 3-5 years |
Provide physical support to patients to assist them to perform daily living activities. Requires empathy, physical adaptation, and real-time assessment of patient capabilities and safety. | Human Essential 5+ years |
Separate collected materials for disposal, recycling, or reuse, in accordance with environmental policies. Computer vision and automated sorting can handle waste separation according to programmed protocols. | AI Can Do This 3-5 years |
Restrain patients to prevent violence or injury or to assist physicians or nurses to administer treatments. Requires human judgment, de-escalation skills, and physical intervention that must adapt to patient behavior. | Human Essential 5+ years |
Carry messages or documents between departments. Electronic communication systems and automated document routing eliminate need for physical message transport. | AI Can Do This Now |
Turn or reposition bedridden patients, alone or with assistance, to prevent bedsores. Requires assessment of patient comfort, medical condition, and careful physical manipulation for safety. | Human Essential 5+ years |
AI Tools Disrupting Orderlies
Key Skills
Key Tasks
- •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.
- •Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel.
- •Collect soiled linen or trash.
- •Provide physical support to patients to assist them to perform daily living activities, such as getting out of bed, bathing, dressing, using the toilet, standing, walking, or exercising.
- •Separate collected materials for disposal, recycling, or reuse, in accordance with environmental policies.
Technology Skills Used
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Salary Range
Career Transition Guidance
Orderlies facing AI disruption have strong pathways into related healthcare support roles that leverage their patient care experience. The most direct transition is to Nursing Assistant (31-1131.00), which builds on existing skills in patient care, medical terminology, and healthcare protocols. This transition typically requires 4-12 weeks of certified nursing assistant (CNA) training and offers higher wages and more job security.
Other viable transitions include Medical Assistant (31-9092.00) roles, which utilize the administrative and patient interaction skills orderlies already possess, plus basic clinical training. Physical Therapist Aides (31-2022.00) and Home Health Aides (31-1121.00) also represent natural progressions that value the hands-on patient care experience. For those interested in emergency services, Ambulance Drivers and Attendants (53-3011.00) can build on the emergency response and patient transport experience.
The key transferable skills include patient interaction, medical equipment familiarity, and understanding of healthcare protocols. Additional training in medical terminology, basic clinical procedures, and electronic health records will be essential. Most transitions require 6 months to 2 years of additional education or certification, but the existing healthcare experience provides a significant foundation for advancement into less automation-vulnerable roles.
Related Occupations
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Orderlies?
AI will not fully replace the 53,020 orderlies in the US, but will automate approximately 40% of their tasks. The core patient care functions requiring social perceptiveness (importance: 3.38/5) and physical assistance remain human-essential, while routine transport and documentation tasks face automation.
What AI tools are used in Orderlies roles?
Current AI tools include electronic medical record systems like GE Healthcare Centricity EMR, automated transport robots like Aethon TUG, UV-C disinfection robots from Xenex, and IoT-enabled equipment monitoring systems that track cleaning schedules and maintenance needs.
What is the salary outlook for Orderlies with AI?
The current mean annual wage of $37,700 for orderlies may see modest increases as roles shift toward higher-value patient care tasks. Workers who develop technical skills to work alongside AI systems will likely command higher wages than the current average.
What skills should Orderlies develop for the AI era?
Focus on developing the human-essential skills that AI cannot replicate: social perceptiveness, active listening, and service orientation. These interpersonal skills rated highest in importance (3.38/5 and 3.12/5) will become increasingly valuable as routine tasks get automated.
How many Orderlies jobs are there in the US?
There are currently 53,020 orderly positions in the United States with no projected employment change data available. The role is expected to evolve rather than disappear, with workers focusing more on direct patient care as automation handles routine tasks.