Orderlies vs Personal Care Aides: $38K vs $36K Median Pay

Orderlies vs Personal Care Aides: what changes?

Consider Orderlies if you want to transport patients to areas such as operating rooms or x-ray rooms using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. Consider Personal Care Aides if you would rather provide personalized assistance to individuals with disabilities or illness who require help with personal care and activities of daily living support (e. Entry credentials differ: Orderlies, high school diploma or equivalent; Personal Care Aides, specialty requirements need verification.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Orderlies and Personal Care Aides. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

The labor-market benchmark for Personal Care Aides covers the broader BLS group Home health and personal care aides (31-1120). It does not isolate this specialty.

Compare the practical differences

Orderlies

National median pay (2025): $38,290
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 7,200

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Orderlies brief

Personal Care Aides

National median pay (2025): $35,800
Route into the job: specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty
Prior related experience: Prior experience requirements need verification for this occupation.
Training and licensing: Verify the specialty's training, licensing, and full preparation time with an accredited program or employer.
Work to investigate: Prepare and maintain records of client progress and services performed, reporting changes in client condition to manager or supervisor.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 760,500

Know before you choose

Exposure to illness or infection is a recurring part of the work context, even when safety procedures are followed.

See the full Personal Care Aides brief

How the national numbers differ

Personal Care Aides has the edge on annual openings

Personal Care Aides is at 760,500 annual openings, compared with 7,200 annual openings for Orderlies.

Personal Care Aides has the edge on projected growth

Personal Care Aides is at 18.1% projected growth, compared with 4% projected growth for Orderlies.

Orderlies has the edge on median pay

Orderlies is at $38,290, compared with $35,800 for Personal Care Aides.

48.3/ 100

Orderlies

67.7/ 100

Personal Care Aides

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence