Orderlies vs Nursing Assistants
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Orderlies and Nursing Assistants on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Orderlies | Nursing Assistants |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $37,700 | $39,530 |
| Employment | 53,020 | 1,388,430 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | About average (+3.3%) | About average (+2.3%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 7,800 | 204,100 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 0th pct | Low · 5th pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | — | — |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | — | — |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Customer and Personal Service, Oral Comprehension, Trunk Strength, Social Perceptiveness, Service Orientation, Oral Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Static Strength, Speech Recognition, Near Vision, Active Listening, Public Safety and Security, Extent Flexibility, Speech Clarity, Speaking, Manual Dexterity, Stamina, English Language, Coordination, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Finger Dexterity, Critical Thinking, Written Comprehension, Written Expression, Information Ordering, Category Flexibility, Writing, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Reading Comprehension.
Specific to Orderlies
- Explosive Strength
- Dynamic Strength
- Gross Body Equilibrium
- Gross Body Coordination
- Multilimb Coordination
- Far Vision
- Control Precision
- Transportation
Specific to Nursing Assistants
- Administration and Management
- Medicine and Dentistry
- Education and Training
- Therapy and Counseling
- Psychology
- Active Learning
- Time Management
- Selective Attention
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Medical software .
Specific to Orderlies
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Orderlies or Nursing Assistants — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Orderlies vs Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians
- Orderlies vs Physical Therapist Aides
- Orderlies vs Home Health Aides
- Orderlies vs Surgical Assistants
- Orderlies vs Surgical Technologists
- Orderlies vs Medical Assistants
- Orderlies vs Psychiatric Aides
- Orderlies vs Medical Equipment Preparers
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Orderlies vs Nursing Assistants." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/orderlies-vs-nursing-assistants
Singulariki. (2026). Orderlies vs Nursing Assistants. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/orderlies-vs-nursing-assistants
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title = {Orderlies vs Nursing Assistants},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/orderlies-vs-nursing-assistants}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.