Orderlies Salary
Orderlies in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI make a median of $42,840 a year, or about $20.59 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $47K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.94), that's roughly $44,192 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,338/month, about 45.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $43K get you in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Milwaukee-Waukesha’s Regional Price Parity (96.94). 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.
About orderlies
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What this looks like in Milwaukee-Waukesha
Milwaukee-Waukesha sits well above the national pay line for orderlies, local pay runs about 12% higher than the U.S. median of $38K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,338/month, which is 45.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 96.94) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for orderlies in metros near Milwaukee-Waukesha, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Green Bay | $36K | $39K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $40K | $38K |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $36K | $36K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $48K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI
Entry-level orderlies (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $43K. Top earners bring in $47K or more, a $9K 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 with published data
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 Milwaukee-Waukesha numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a orderly afford a 2BR apartment alone in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $43K, rent takes 45.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,338/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for orderlies in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new orderlies typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,313/month. At HUD’s $1,338/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Local pay is 12% above the national median — $43K here vs. $38K nationally.
How does Milwaukee-Waukesha compare to the national average for orderlies?
Milwaukee-Waukesha pays $43K median vs. the U.S. average of $38K — that’s +12%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.94), the purchasing-power equivalent is $44K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do orderlies make in Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI?
The median is $42,840 a year, that works out to about $21 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,550, and experienced orderlies can clear $47,230. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $43K enough to live in Milwaukee-Waukesha?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,936/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,338/month, which eats 45.6% 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 Milwaukee-Waukesha?
Milwaukee-Waukesha has a Regional Price Parity of 96.94 (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 $44,192 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.