AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 31-1132.00
Will AI replace Orderlies?
Orderlies: AI does not yet handle any of the role's 22 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 22 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Orderlies, from most to least exposed. None reaches 60, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Disinfect or sterilize equipment or supplies, using germicides or sterilizing equipment. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Respond to emergency situations, such as emergency medical calls, security calls, or fire alarms. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Change soiled linens, such as bed linens, drapes, or cubicle curtains. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Collect and transport infectious or hazardous waste in closed containers for sterilization or disposal, in accordance with applicable law, standards, or policies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Collect soiled linen or trash. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| 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. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Separate collected materials for disposal, recycling, or reuse, in accordance with environmental policies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Turn or reposition bedridden patients, alone or with assistance, to prevent bedsores. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Transport portable medical equipment or medical supplies between rooms or departments. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Position or hold patients in position for surgical preparation. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Stock utility rooms, nonmedical storage rooms, or cleaning carts with supplies. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Transport bodies to the morgue. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Serve or collect food trays. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean and sanitize patient rooms, bathrooms, examination rooms, or other patient areas. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Restrain patients to prevent violence or injury or to assist physicians or nurses to administer treatments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Lift or assist others to lift patients to move them on or off beds, examination tables, surgical tables, or stretchers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Carry messages or documents between departments. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 22 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 22 of 22. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 76% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 76% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 24% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 52,440
- Median annual wage
- $38,290
- Middle half of earners
- $35,570 to $44,560
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +3.3%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Psychiatric Aides 63% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure29
- Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians 59% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure17
- Order Clerks 55% skill overlap, about 16 months to move Exposure43
- Stockers and Order Fillers 55% skill overlap, about 16 months to move Exposure24
- Nursing Assistants 55% skill overlap, about 16 months to move Exposure32
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Orderlies and AI
Will AI replace Orderlies?
Not on current evidence. None of the 22 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation reaches a task exposure of 60, the level at which JobRoute counts a task as handled by AI, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 25 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears.
What is the AI exposure of Orderlies?
25 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 22 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 22 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Orderlies tasks can AI already do?
None reaches 60 yet. The most exposed task is: Transport patients to treatment units, testing units, operating rooms, or other areas, using wheelchairs, stretchers, or moveable beds, at 30 out of 100.
What AI model tier does this role need?
An efficient-tier model or lower covers 76% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 24% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Orderlies, and what do they earn?
52,440 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $38,290 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +3.3% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Orderlies. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/orderlies
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