by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 99 U.S. colleges awarded 5,689 degrees and certificates in Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 9% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $21,334 one year after completing, rising to $28,689 after four years.
Do you want to work closely with patients or clients in a home or hospital setting helping them perform basic tasks? This is where a major as a health aide comes in. Health aides, home health aides, and orderlies work with their clients to perform basic life tasks. While orderlies and health aides typically work in a clinic or hospital setting, home health aides primarily work one on one with clients in their homes.
Health aides work under the direction of nurses and perform basic tasks like helping take care of patients who are unable to perform these tasks themselves. This may involve assisting patients to get out of bed, taking care of personal hygiene, cleaning the patient area and changing bedding. Aides may also assist in taking vital signs and reporting these back to the assigned nurse.
Home health aides typically perform many of the same services as a health aide but may extend out of the home by running errands for their client in addition to the in-house tasks. They will also help their clients perform basic housekeeping duties like cleaning, vacuuming and doing laundry.
Some states require aides to become certified, while others only require a high school diploma. Many community and vocational schools offer training to become a health aide. Courses may include housekeeping, record keeping, and safety in addition to basic health and medicine management.
Studying Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies involves the study of Health Aides/attendants/orderlies.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., health aids/attendants/orderlies is a popular field of study, with 5,689 degrees awarded annually. 99 colleges award health aids/attendants/orderlies degrees, an average of 57 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 1,306.
By level, the 5,689 awards include 127 certificates, 8 associate degrees and 527 master’s degrees.
Women earned 91% of health aids/attendants/orderlies degrees and certificates in the latest year (5,181 of 5,689). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are Hispanic or Latino (4,000) and White (918), and international students earned 15.
The most common health aids/attendants/orderlies credential is the master’s degree: 527 of the 5,689 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to health aids/attendants/orderlies call most for Active Listening, Social Perceptiveness and Service Orientation, and for knowledge of English Language, Customer and Personal Service and Psychology, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression and Problem Sensitivity.
In order to be a successful aide, you must have excellent interpersonal skills - you will be working directly with clients or patients and you must be able to effectively communicate with them and make them feel comfortable. You should also have a good set of knowledge about basic housekeeping tasks such as cooking and cleaning. Because aides may be required to lift or assist their clients into sitting or standing positions, they should have good physical stamina. Lastly, aides need to have good attention to detail. You may be responsible for administering or reminding your clients about medications, so you must be able to accurately dose and record when medications were given.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
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How long a health aids/attendants/orderlies degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 127 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 8 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 527 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to health aids/attendants/orderlies, at 33.7%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 33.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 27.0% |
| Some college courses | 12.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 11.6% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 6.0% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 4.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 3.0% |
| Master’s degree | 1.1% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.6% |
| First professional degree | 0.4% |
Source: O*NET Online.
9 occupations are related to Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies, with an average median salary of $39,515; the strongest outlook belongs to Speech-Language Pathology Assistants, at 14.8% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Health Service Worker, Direct Care Worker, Therapy Aide and Speech Therapy Assistant.
The occupation related to health aids/attendants/orderlies with the most projected jobs is Personal Care Aides, at 1,500,120.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Care Aides | 1,500,120 | 1.0% |
| Occupational Therapy Aides | 1,321,923 | 8.6% |
| Speech-Language Pathology Assistants | 866,044 | 14.8% |
| Psychiatric Aides | 845,589 | 3.6% |
| Endoscopy Technicians | 708,506 | 7.8% |
| Home Health Aides | 250,104 | 3.9% |
| Physical Therapist Aides | 209,671 | 7.2% |
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | 191,989 | 3.8% |
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies graduates earn a median $21,334 one year after completing their program, $28,689 after four years and $30,278 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $21,334 |
| 4 years | $28,689 |
| 5 years | $30,278 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to health aids/attendants/orderlies is Healthcare Support Workers, All Other, with a median salary of $53,362.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Healthcare Support Workers, All Other | $53,362 |
| Psychiatric Aides | $51,090 |
| Home Health Aides | $48,603 |
| Speech-Language Pathology Assistants | $48,496 |
| Endoscopy Technicians | $40,643 |
| Physical Therapist Aides | $32,519 |
| Personal Care Aides | $28,777 |
| Nursing Assistants | $27,058 |
Health Aids/Attendants/Orderlies includes 6 concentrations that together award 5,689 degrees a year; by graduates, the largest are Home Health Aide/Home Attendant (4,307), Medication Aide (780) and Health Aide (368). It has 30 similar majors in the Health Professions field, which together award 1,031,771 degrees a year; the largest are Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (318,053), Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (110,132) and Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (98,474). Browse all Health Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Home Health Aide/Home Attendant | 4,307 |
| Medication Aide | 780 |
| Health Aide | 368 |
| Rehabilitation Aide | 167 |
| Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies, Other | 39 |
| Physical Therapy Technician/Aide | 28 |
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