# Will orderlies be replaced by AI? Updated October 2026 Orderlies score 10 of 100 for AI exposure. 83% of their task time still needs a person. AI speeds up the other 17%. - **17%** AI helps - **83%** Needs a person Low exposure Lower than 97% of the 923 occupations we scored. ## Task by task We graded 22 tasks, listed here from most to least exposed. AI can't do any of them end to end yet. It speeds up 3 and leaves 19 to people. | Task | AI exposure | | --- | --- | | Carry messages or documents between departments. Physical delivery remains, but digital messaging can replace some runs. | 30% AI helps | | Clean equipment, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, or portable medical equipment, documenting needed repairs or maintenance. Cleaning is physical; repair documentation could be drafted by AI. | 22% AI helps | | Answer patient call signals, signal lights, bells, or intercom systems to determine patients' needs. Responding to calls is in person; AI could triage requests. | 22% AI helps | | Transport specimens, laboratory items, or pharmacy items, ensuring proper documentation and delivery to authorized personnel. Physical delivery; AI could assist tracking and documentation. | 18% Needs a person | | Stock or issue medical supplies, such as dressing packs or treatment trays. Physical tray assembly and issue; inventory software helps somewhat. | 15% Needs a person | ## How orderlies compare All occupations (923) Healthcare support (19) **Orderlies score 10**, marked by the dark line. Each dot is a score, darker where more occupations share it. The short marks show the averages, 37 for all occupations and 26 for healthcare support. ## Pay and outlook in the US Median pay $38,290 a year, May 2025 People employed 52,440 in the US, May 2025 Projected change in jobs +4.0% from 2024 to 2034 ## Skills to build - Transfer patients safely between beds and stretchers - Chart each patient transport in medical record charting software - Log equipment repairs in GE Healthcare Centricity EMR - Track par levels for dressing packs in Microsoft Excel - Track specimen handoffs in electronic medical record software - Hold a hospital patient handling and lifting training certificate ## Questions about orderlies and AI Will AI replace orderlies? Partly. About 1 in 10 of an orderly's working hours go to tasks AI can already do, mostly carrying messages between departments and answering call signals. Lifting, moving and positioning patients stay with people because each move needs a person in the room. Which orderly tasks is AI taking over? Messaging and paperwork lead the list. Carrying messages or documents between departments scores 30 on exposure, and digital messaging can replace some runs. Repair notes for wheelchairs and beds score 22, since AI can draft the documentation while staff still clean the equipment. Which orderly tasks stay human? Restraining patients, turning bedridden patients and positioning patients for surgery each score 2 on exposure, the lowest on the list. Each one needs trained hands on a body, so AI has little to contribute at the moment the task happens. How can orderlies stay valuable as AI spreads? Take on the hands-on transfers and keep the records that go with them. Get trained in safe lifting and transfer technique, chart every transport in medical record charting software, and log equipment faults in GE Healthcare Centricity EMR so repairs get scheduled faster. ## Related jobs - [Nursing assistants16 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/nursing-assistants/) - [Surgical technologists15 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/surgical-technologists/) - [Medical assistants32 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/medical-assistants/) - [Medical equipment preparers25 out of 100](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/medical-equipment-preparers/) ## Next steps for orderlies - ### Check your job Your job title is a rough guide. Your actual tasks decide your score. Paste your job description or CV and see which of your tasks AI can do. [Check your job](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/ai-exposure-checker/) [Check your CV](https://www.aigentcy.com/tools/cv-checker/) ### Check which roles in your team AI can take on We map your team's tasks, show what AI can do today and build the automations that pay back first. [Book an AI audit](https://www.aigentcy.com/audit/) ## Related topics - [**Jobs AI can't replace**Cement masons score lowest, at 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-cant-replace/) - [**Jobs most at risk from AI**Proofreaders score highest, at 76.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-most-exposed-to-ai/) - [**High-paying jobs with low AI exposure**Radiologists earn a median $420,860 and score 46.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/high-paying-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Entry-level jobs with low AI exposure**Cement masons need little prior training and score 8.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/entry-level-jobs-low-ai-exposure/) - [**Jobs AI speeds up the most**For natural sciences managers, AI speeds up 96% of task time.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs-ai-speeds-up/) - [**AI and jobs in Malta**15 iGaming roles graded task by task.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/malta/) - [**Skills that keep work human**The skills to build in the jobs AI changes least.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/skills/) - [**Jobs A to Z**Every job we publish, by first letter.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/jobs/) - [**AI exposure by industry**Average scores for 22 occupation groups.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/industries/) - [**Write a CV screening software can read**How applicant tracking systems read a CV, and what to change.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/cv-screening-guide/) - [**AI for businesses**The tasks to automate first in each team and industry.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-for/) - [**How we score AI exposure**The grading, the weights and every source.](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/) Occupation data from the O\*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and modified by Aigentcy. O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Wage, employment and projection data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. EU occupation names from ESCO, European Commission. AI usage signals from the Anthropic Economic Index (CC BY) and Microsoft Research (CC BY 4.0). [Methodology and sources](https://www.aigentcy.com/ai-exposure/methodology/). Scores © Aigentcy. Quote them with a link to the page.