Orderlies
SOC 31-1132 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $51,184per year
- Projected openings
- 7,770
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Service Orientation
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Coordination
- Critical Thinking
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Rafael MD (Marin County) | $82,151 | 40 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $70,303 | 340 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $65,717 | 510 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $61,798 | 630 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $58,235 | 340 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $52,933 | 1,130 |
| North Coast Region (Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties) | $52,162 | 30 |
| Chico MSA (Butte County) | $51,226 | 80 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $49,931 | 2,280 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $49,344 | 550 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $49,301 | 1,050 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $48,748 | 100 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $46,547 | 90 |
| Fresno MSA (Fresno and Madera Counties) | $37,065 | 320 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $40,634
- A quarter earn under
- $48,108
- Half earn under
- $51,184
- Three quarters earn under
- $64,606
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $75,885
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing Assistants | $48,836 | 172,680 | +10.3% |
| Physical Therapist Aides | $39,301 | 12,050 | +20.3% |
| Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians | $36,941 | 1,770 | +7.1% |
| Surgical Technologists | $83,586 | 8,420 | +11.6% |
| Psychiatric Aides | $48,703 | 5,580 | +5.3% |
| Medical Assistants | $50,918 | 175,850 | +22.7% |