Orderlies Salary
Orderlies in Memphis, TN-MS-AR make a median of $32,140 a year, or about $15.45 an hour. The range runs from $28K at the entry level to $38K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.18), which stretches that salary to about $34,867 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,274/month, about 55.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $32K get you in Memphis?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Memphis’s Regional Price Parity (92.18). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Memphis
Pay for orderlies in Memphis runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,274/month, which is 54.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for orderliess.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for orderlies in metros near Memphis, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $38K | $40K |
| Chattanooga | $29K | $32K |
| Kingsport-Bristol | $27K | $31K |
| Winston-Salem | $39K | $42K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Memphis, TN-MS-AR
Entry-level orderlies (10th percentile) start around $28K. Mid-career wages sit at $32K. Top earners bring in $38K or more, a $10K spread from bottom to top.
Orderlies pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Orderlies salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $50K | +30% | 4,870 |
| Washington | $49K | +27% | 200 |
| Vermont | $48K | +26% | 70 |
| Hawaii | $47K | +23% | 80 |
| New York | $47K | +22% | 4,680 |
| Oregon | $45K | +18% | 500 |
| Minnesota | $45K | +16% | 430 |
| Delaware | $44K | +14% | 190 |
| Colorado | $44K | +14% | 540 |
| Maine | $43K | +11% | 150 |
| Wisconsin | $41K | +8% | 660 |
| New Hampshire | $41K | +7% | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | +5% | 3,550 |
| Rhode Island | $40K | +4% | 210 |
| Illinois | $39K | +3% | 2,110 |
| Alaska | $39K | +3% | 70 |
| District of Columbia | $39K | +3% | 120 |
| Massachusetts | $39K | +2% | 1,810 |
| North Carolina | $39K | +1% | 1,730 |
| New Jersey | $39K | +1% | 2,640 |
| Idaho | $39K | +1% | 300 |
| Indiana | $39K | +1% | 1,060 |
| North Dakota | $38K | -0% | 70 |
| Maryland | $38K | -0% | 1,580 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -2% | 130 |
| Texas | $38K | -2% | 2,320 |
| Connecticut | $38K | -2% | 980 |
| Wyoming | $37K | -2% | 50 |
| Arizona | $37K | -2% | 1,220 |
| Kansas | $37K | -3% | 200 |
| Ohio | $37K | -3% | 2,360 |
| Virginia | $37K | -3% | 900 |
| Iowa | $37K | -4% | 260 |
| South Carolina | $36K | -5% | 1,430 |
| Michigan | $36K | -5% | 1,700 |
| Georgia | $36K | -6% | 2,410 |
| Nevada | $36K | -6% | 470 |
| Missouri | $36K | -7% | 870 |
| Florida | $35K | -7% | 4,440 |
| Kentucky | $35K | -8% | 710 |
| Oklahoma | $34K | -10% | 370 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -17% | 1,200 |
| West Virginia | $32K | -17% | 250 |
| Arkansas | $32K | -18% | 170 |
| Alabama | $31K | -18% | 400 |
| Mississippi | $30K | -22% | 440 |
| Louisiana | $27K | -29% | 600 |
Showing 1–10 of 47 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track orderlies salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Memphis numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a orderly afford a 2BR apartment alone in Memphis?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $32K, rent takes 54.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,274/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for orderlies in Memphis?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new orderlies typically earn — is $28K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,709/month. At HUD’s $1,274/month FMR, rent would take 75% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is orderly a high-paying job in Memphis?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $32K here vs. $38K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Memphis compare to the national average for orderlies?
Memphis pays $32K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $35K — below the national median.
How much do orderlies make in Memphis, TN-MS-AR?
The median is $32,140 a year, that works out to about $15 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,480, and experienced orderlies can clear $38,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $32K enough to live in Memphis?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,322/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,274/month, which eats 54.9% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a orderlies salary go in Memphis?
Memphis has a Regional Price Parity of 92.18 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median orderlies salary is worth about $34,867 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do orderlies get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.