Regional Queensland
Regional recruitment specialist for Queensland employers, from Cairns to Toowoomba and Mount Isa. See how hard each region is to hire in, and how we help.
Patient services assistant recruitment for regional hospitals
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help public and private hospitals and health services across regional Australia hire patient services assistants, also called wardspersons or hospital orderlies, from people new to hospital work to experienced staff who know theatres, emergency and the wards. Reliability, physical capability and the way a candidate treats patients matter in every search we run.
Patient services assistant hiring at a glance
Hospital orderlies are a sizeable workforce, and the wider group they belong to has a high regional share of job ads.
- people worked as hospital orderlies
- 14,900
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation; 40% were women.1
- of hospital orderlies worked full-time
- 57%
- In 2021, the latest count for this occupation.1
- of job ads for nursing support and personal care workers were regional
- 49%
- 728 of 1,499 ads with a location, three months to September 2026, against 29% of all job ads; orderlies are counted within this wider group.4
- national rating for Hospital Orderly in 2026
- Not in shortage
- Rated NS on the ANZSCO 2022 sheet.2
What does a patient services assistant do?
Hospital orderlies assist with the care of patients in a hospital by keeping wards neat and tidy, lifting and turning patients, and transporting them in wheelchairs or on movable beds.1 Depending on the hospital, the role can also cover theatres, emergency, deliveries between departments and support for nursing staff, so the brief needs to say which.
The award lists hospital orderly as an indicative Level 1 support services role. Level 1 is for employees with less than 3 months' industry experience who are not required to have previous experience or training, and Level 2 includes the Level 1 roles alongside its own.5
Licences, tickets and certifications for patient services assistants
Patient services assistants hold no licence or registration. Employers set their own requirements, such as experience, physical capability and pre-employment checks.
What a patient services assistant holds, and who sets it, opened 1 November 2026.
| Item | What it means for the hire |
|---|---|
| Registration | No registration: hospital orderlies are not one of the 15 national health practitioner boards6 |
| Award entry level | Level 1 employees are not required to have previous experience or training5 |
| HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance | A current national qualification in health services assistance; the award does not require it at Level 15,7 |
What does a patient services assistant earn?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a hospital orderly at Level 1 earns at least $1,024.70 a week, or $26.97 an hour, and Level 2 is $1,065.20 a week, from 1 July 2026.5 Orderlies in public hospitals under a state public sector award fall outside it.5
No median is published for hospital orderlies alone. The national median for nursing support and personal care workers, the group that counts hospital orderlies with personal care assistants, nursing support workers and therapy aides, was $1,612 a week, or $40 an hour, in May 2025.1 We talk with you about the rate, shift and weekend penalties, and the hours on offer.
Support Services employee Levels 1 and 2, full-time minimum weekly and hourly rates, from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026.5
| Award level | Who it covers | Minimum a week | Minimum an hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, entry level | Less than 3 months' industry experience; hospital orderly is an indicative role | $1,024.705 | $26.97 |
| Level 2 | Limited supervision; includes the Level 1 roles | $1,065.20 | $28.03 |
Where are patient services assistants in demand?
Job ads are published only for nursing support and personal care workers as a whole, the group that counts hospital orderlies with personal care assistants, nursing support workers and therapy aides. They averaged 1,527 a month in the three months to September 2026, against 1,563 a year earlier, with New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland carrying the most.3
Almost half of the group's ads with a location were regional: 728 of 1,499.4 Hospital orderlies are a smaller part of the group, with 14,900 people in 2021 against 110,400 in the whole group in February 2026.1
Online job ads for nursing support and personal care workers (including hospital orderlies) by state and territory, three-month average to September 2026 and a year earlier.3
| State or territory | Job ads a month, September 2026 | September 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 5273 | 505 |
| Victoria | 394 | 421 |
| Queensland | 311 | 346 |
| South Australia | 113 | 119 |
| Western Australia | 109 | 97 |
| Tasmania | 40 | 39 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 21 | 21 |
| Northern Territory | 14 | 16 |
Which patient services roles do we recruit?
Open a role for its award level, pay and what to put in your brief.
Ward patient services assistants
Assistants who move patients and support nursing staff on the wards.
- Scope
- Lifting and turning patients, transporting them, and keeping wards neat and tidy.1
- Pay
- Award minimum: $1,024.70 a week (Level 1, from 1 July 2026), where the award covers the role. Market median: $1,612 a week (nursing support and personal care workers, May 2025).1,5
- Rating
- Hospital Orderly is rated not in shortage for 2026.2
- What to tell us
- The wards covered, the lifting equipment and manual handling training, the shifts, and whether the role includes cleaning duties.
Theatre and emergency wardspersons
Experienced wardspersons for operating theatres and emergency departments.
- Award level
- Level 2 includes the Level 1 roles and covers work under limited supervision, at $1,065.20 a week.5
- Workforce
- 57% of hospital orderlies worked full-time in 2021.1
- Regional ads
- 728 of 1,499 ads for the wider group with a location were regional.4
- What to tell us
- The theatre lists or emergency volume, patient positioning and transfer duties, on-call or night cover, and the experience you need.
Senior and lead patient services staff
Experienced staff who coordinate a patient services team or roster.
- Award position
- Orderlies under a state public sector award fall outside the Health Professionals and Support Services Award.5
- Supply
- 14,900 people worked as hospital orderlies in 2021.1
- Qualification
- HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance is a current national qualification.7
- What to tell us
- The team size, the rostering and coordination duties, and how the role works with nursing and facilities managers.
What to put in your brief for a patient services assistant
Start with the areas the role covers: wards, theatres, emergency or the whole hospital. Then the physical demands, the equipment, and whether the role includes cleaning, deliveries or other support duties.
Tell us the shifts and rosters, weekend and night cover, the checks your organisation requires before someone starts, and whether the role is full-time or part-time.
How we help you hire a patient services assistant
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Local hires first
We search first in and around your town, among people with hospital, aged care or other care experience and people new to the work who meet your requirements, then widen to nearby towns where travel is practical.
No registration applies, so a candidate moving from another state only needs to meet your requirements.6 If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for a patient services role in the regions?
Register with Hire Australia and tell us your hospital or care experience, the shifts you can work and where you would like to work. People with hospital experience and people new to the work are welcome, and we will talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next patient services assistant hire
Tell us the role, the hospital, the shifts and your start date.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Does a patient services assistant need a qualification?
Not under the award at entry level: Level 1 employees are not required to have previous experience or training.5 No registration applies.6 Hire Australia builds your own requirements, such as manual handling experience and pre-employment checks, into the brief and asks every candidate for their documents.
What is the award rate for a hospital orderly in 2026?
Where the Health Professionals and Support Services Award covers the role, a hospital orderly at Level 1 earns at least $1,024.70 a week, or $26.97 an hour, from 1 July 2026.5 The median for nursing support and personal care workers, the wider group that includes orderlies, was $1,612 a week in May 2025.1 Hire Australia talks through your rate early.
Are hospital orderlies hard to find in regional areas?
Hospital Orderly is not rated in shortage nationally.2 The wider group has a high regional share of job ads: 728 of 1,499 ads with a location were regional in the three months to September 2026.4 Hire Australia searches in and around your town first and talks with you about the shifts on offer.
What is the difference between a wardsperson and a patient services assistant?
They are different titles for similar hospital orderly work: lifting, turning and transporting patients and keeping wards neat and tidy.1 The exact duties vary by hospital. Hire Australia asks you which areas and duties your role covers and builds them into the brief, so candidates understand the job.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. The same terms apply whether Hire Australia recruits a ward assistant or a senior patient services lead.
Does Hire Australia supply labour hire or temporary staff?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire or temps, and candidates never work on our payroll. We search for and screen people for your vacancy, introduce the ones who fit, and you make the offer and employ them. That keeps the working relationship between you and your new employee from day one.
Sources (7)
- Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO occupation data, February 2026 (occupation descriptions, earnings and employment). Medians: ABS Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, national, 4-digit groups. Employment: 4-digit February 2026, trend; 6-digit occupations, 2021 Census. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (ANZSCO 2022 sheet). National ratings, files dated October 2026, ANZSCO 2022 coding. "In shortage" means rated S (shortage) or R (regional shortage). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by state and territory, September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026 (released 21 October 2026), rounded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, 4-digit occupations by remoteness (major cities and regional), September 2026. Online job ads, three-month moving average to September 2026; SA4 regions grouped as major city or regional; unclassified ads excluded. Counts ads, not jobs. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Commission, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 [MA000027], clauses 4, 16, 17 and Schedules A and B. Consolidated award incorporating amendments to 1 October 2026 (PR814029). Coverage: clause 4; state public sector awards excluded (clause 4.6). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra), National Boards (the 15 National Boards). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- training.gov.au, HLT33115 Certificate III in Health Services Assistance (release 5, 1 July 2023; current). Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑