Post job

What is an operating room orderly and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an operating room orderly. For example, did you know that they make an average of $15.7 an hour? That's $32,646 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 9% and produce 137,800 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreOperating Room OrderlyUS Average
Salary
2.6

Avg. Salary $32,646

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
10.0

Growth rate 9%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
6.4
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.57%

Asian 4.59%

Black or African American 27.26%

Hispanic or Latino 15.35%

Unknown 4.16%

White 48.06%

Gender

female 31.65%

male 68.35%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
8.1

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an operating room orderly

  1. Explore operating room orderly education requirements

    Most common operating room orderly degrees

    Bachelor's

    43.2 %

    Associate

    24.3 %

    High School Diploma

    18.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific operating room orderly skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Patients77.73%
    Recovery Room10.94%
    Patient Care5.92%
    CPR5.41%
  3. Research operating room orderly duties and responsibilities

    • Demonstrate relationship-centered care standards to patients and families.
    • Communicate information effectively between nurses, doctors, and patients.
    • Maintain and set up patient admit and recovery areas-Prepare carts for surgery for operating rooms-Stock designate areas with medical supplies
    • Collect and record data on student progress toward IEP goal completion for special education teacher.
  4. Prepare your operating room orderly resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operating room orderly resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an operating room orderly resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable operating room orderly resume templates

    Build a professional operating room orderly resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your operating room orderly resume.
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
    Operating Room Orderly Resume
  5. Apply for operating room orderly jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for an operating room orderly job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first operating room orderly job

Zippi

Are you an operating room orderly?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average operating room orderly salary

The average operating room orderly salary in the United States is $32,646 per year or $16 per hour. Operating room orderly salaries range between $25,000 and $42,000 per year.

Average operating room orderly salary
$32,646 Yearly
$15.70 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do operating room orderlies rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Operating room orderly reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019
Pros

Being a staff member of Surgical Services

Cons

Communicating with masks in operating rooms


Working as an operating room orderly? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse healthcare support jobs