What They Do: Nursing assistants help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities.
Work Environment: Nursing assistants and orderlies work in nursing and residential care facilities and in hospitals. They are frequently physically active and may need to help lift or move patients.
How to Become One: Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program and must pass their state’s competency exam to become certified. Orderlies generally have at least a high school diploma.
Salary: The median annual wage for nursing assistants is $29,660. The median annual wage for orderlies is $28,980.
Job Outlook: Overall employment of nursing assistants and orderlies is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations. As the baby-boom population ages, nursing assistants and orderlies will be needed to assist and care for elderly patients.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of nursing assistants and orderlies with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a nursing assistant or orderly with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
The Certified Nursing Assistant performs direct patient care under the direct supervision of a Registered Nurse or his/her licensed designee. The nursing assistant performs a variety of ...
Maxim Healthcare is looking to hire a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) (or nurse aide, orderlies, patient care technician, home health aide) to provide assistance to patients with daily living tasks ...
A. Education - High school diploma or GED required. - Certification as a Nursing Assistant required. - At least 18 years of age. - Certification in CPR, AED and First Aide B. Direct Previous ...
State Tested Nurse Aides Wanted! Locally owned and operated since 1967, Marion Manor is proud to serve individuals within Marion County and surrounding communities. Marion Manor, is looking for ...
Maxim Healthcare is looking to hire a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) (or nurse aide , orderlies, patient care technician, home health aide ) to provide assistance to patients with daily living tasks ...
Maxim Healthcare is looking to hire a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) (or nurse aide , orderlies, patient care technician, home health aide ) to provide assistance to patients with daily living tasks ...
Nursing assistants, sometimes called nursing aides, help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas.
Nursing assistants provide basic care and help with activities of daily living. They typically do the following:
Some nursing assistants also may dispense medication, depending on their training level and the state in which they work.
In nursing homes and residential care facilities, nursing assistants are often the principal caregivers. They have more contact with residents than other members of the staff. Nursing assistants often develop close relationships with their patients because some residents stay in a nursing home for months or years.
Orderlies typically do the following:
Nursing assistants and orderlies work as part of a healthcare team under the supervision of licensed practical or licensed vocational nurses and registered nurses.
Nursing assistants hold about 1.5 million jobs. The largest employers of nursing assistants are as follows:
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | 38% |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 27% |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | 11% |
| Home healthcare services | 5% |
| Government | 4% |
Orderlies hold about 51,000 jobs. The largest employers of orderlies are as follows:
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 79% |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | 6% |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 6% |
| Government | 2% |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | 1% |
The work of nursing assistants and orderlies can be strenuous. They spend much of their time on their feet as they take care of many patients or residents.
Because they frequently lift people and do other physically demanding tasks, nursing assistants and orderlies have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average. They are typically trained in how to properly lift and move patients, which can reduce the risk of injuries.
Most nursing assistants and orderlies work full time. Because nursing homes and hospitals provide care at all hours, nursing assistants and orderlies may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Get the education you need: Find schools for Nursing Assistants and Orderlies near you!
Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program and must pass their state's competency exam. Orderlies generally have at least a high school diploma.
Nursing assistants must complete a state-approved education program in which they learn the basic principles of nursing and complete supervised clinical work. These programs are found in high schools, community colleges, vocational and technical schools, hospitals, and nursing homes.
In addition, nursing assistants typically complete a brief period of on-the-job training to learn about their specific employer's policies and procedures.
Orderlies typically have at least a high school diploma and receive a short period of on-the-job training.
After completing a state-approved education program, nursing assistants take a competency exam. Passing this exam allows them to use state-specific titles. In some states, a nursing assistant or aide is called a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), but titles vary from state to state.
Nursing assistants who have passed the competency exam are placed on a state registry. They must be on the state registry to work in a nursing home.
Some states have other requirements as well, such as continuing education and a criminal background check. Check with state boards of nursing or health for more information.
In some states, nursing assistants can earn additional credentials, such as becoming a Certified Medication Assistant (CMA). As a CMA, they can give medications.
Orderlies do not need a license, however, many jobs require a basic life support (BLS) certification, which shows they are trained to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
Communication skills. Nursing assistants and orderlies must communicate effectively to address patients' or residents' concerns. They also need to relay important information to other healthcare workers.
Compassion. Nursing assistants and orderlies assist and care for the sick, injured, and elderly. Doing so requires a compassionate and empathetic attitude.
Patience. The routine tasks of cleaning, feeding, and bathing patients or residents can be stressful. Nursing assistants and orderlies must have patience to complete these tasks.
Physical stamina. Nursing assistants and orderlies spend much of their time on their feet. They should be comfortable performing physical tasks, such as lifting or moving patients.
The median annual wage for nursing assistants is $29,660. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,960, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $40,620.
The median annual wage for orderlies is $28,980. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $21,590, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $42,860.
The median annual wages for nursing assistants in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Government | $35,500 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $31,120 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $28,910 |
| Home healthcare services | $28,600 |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | $28,590 |
The median annual wages for orderlies in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Ambulatory healthcare services | $31,950 |
| Government | $30,740 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $29,050 |
| Continuing care retirement communities and assisted living facilities for the elderly | $28,350 |
| Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) | $24,300 |
Most nursing assistants and orderlies work full time. Because nursing homes and hospitals provide care at all hours, nursing aides and orderlies may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Employment of nursing assistants is projected to grow 9 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment of orderlies is projected to grow 5 percent over the next ten years, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
As the baby-boom population ages, nursing assistants and orderlies will be needed to assist and care for elderly patients in long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Older people are more likely than younger people to have disorders such as dementia, or to live with chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. More nursing assistants will be needed to care for patients with these conditions.
Demand for nursing assistants may be constrained by the fact that many nursing homes rely on government funding. Cuts to programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, may affect patients' ability to pay for nursing home care. In addition, patient preferences and shifts in federal and state funding are increasing the demand for home and community-based long-term care, which should lead to increased opportunities for nursing assistants working in home health and community rehabilitation services.
See all nursing jobs.
The low pay and high emotional and physical demands cause many workers to leave the occupation, and they will have to be replaced. This creates opportunities for jobseekers.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2018 | Projected Employment, 2028 | Change, 2018-28 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Nursing assistants and orderlies | 1,564,200 | 1,702,000 | 9 | 137,800 |
| Nursing assistants | 1,513,200 | 1,648,600 | 9 | 135,400 |
| Orderlies | 51,000 | 53,400 | 5 | 2,400 |
For more information about nursing assistants and orderlies, visit
National Network of Career Nursing Assistants
For more information about state requirements, visit
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.