Healthcare Support · SOC 31-1132
Orderlies lift and transport patients — physically demanding work that requires human presence and defies current robotics.
Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
Timeline: Transport robots exist in some hospitals but cannot handle complex patient transfers or cluttered hallways; meaningful displacement is unlikely before 2035.
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$57,950 median pay
Healthcare Support
Healthcare Support
$41,590 median pay
$46,050 median pay
$39,530 median pay
AI job-risk card
Orderlies is resilient on AIFear. Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
AIFear.com
Our AI Fear Score for Orderlies is 11/100 (Resilient). Hands-on, interpersonal or high-stakes work AI struggles to replace.
11 out of 100, based on an AI-model review of this occupation's O*NET tasks against what current AI can actually do.
Most exposed: Routing emergency call signals, Responding to non-physical emergency alerts. Harder to automate: Lifting and transferring patients safely, Transporting patients via wheelchair or stretcher, Cleaning and maintaining medical equipment, Moving medical supplies between departments.
Lean into Safe patient handling techniques, Infection control and sanitation, Medical equipment maintenance basics, Emergency response protocols. Consider roles such as Nursing assistant or Emergency medical technician (EMT) or Sterile processing technician.
Tasks, skills and AI-exposure for this role were reviewed by an AI model against its O*NET task profile (curated roles use published research anchors). Pay and employment, where shown, are U.S. BLS OEWS (May 2024) figures. This is an estimate, not a prediction about any individual's job. Compare all occupations.