Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies: is it worth it?
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
National picture across 11 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies pays
Career outlook for Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies graduates
The job market for the occupations Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies graduates typically enter, projected through 2034 — from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This is the demand side, complementing the IRS-verified graduate earnings above.
Top jobs for this major
| Occupation | U.S. jobs | Growth to 2034 | Median pay | Typical entry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing assistants | 1,441,500 | +2.3% | $39,530 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Healthcare support workers, all other | 109,700 | +3.5% | $46,050 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Physical therapist aides | 45,600 | +2.8% | $34,520 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Psychiatric aides | 38,500 | -0.4% | $41,590 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Occupational therapy aides | 5,200 | +2.5% | $37,370 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2024–34) & the NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupation pay is the national median wage for the role — not the same as graduate earnings, which we draw from IRS records.
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies vs similar majors
How Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies stacks up against the closest fields in Health Professions & Nursing on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies Health Professions & Nursing · this major | Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Medicine | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 20 F | 80 A | 80 A | 80 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $30,576 | $226,546 | $214,065 | $162,555 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $23,956 | $212,530 | $166,304 | $65,892 |
| ROI vs cost | -294% | +1,129% | +1,565% | +708% |
| Typical debt | $6,647 | $207,643 | $81,076 | $201,913 |
| Colleges offering it | 11 | 33 | 6 | 155 |
Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Health Aides/Attendants/Orderlies
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI | Certificate | $53,926 | — | +2,647% | Strong return |
| 2 | Carrington College-Mesa Mesa, AZ | Certificate | $30,608 | $7,222 | -379% | Poor return |
| 3 | Carrington College-Tucson Tucson, AZ | Certificate | $30,608 | $7,222 | -493% | Poor return |
| 4 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $36,538 | — | -1,266% | Poor return |
| 5 | Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN | Certificate | $34,060 | — | -1,607% | Poor return |
| 6 | Wichita State University-Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology Wichita, KS | Certificate | $30,709 | — | -1,723% | Poor return |
| 7 | Central Louisiana Technical Community College Alexandria, LA | Certificate | $27,405 | $5,500 | -2,383% | Poor return |
| 8 | Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College Minden, LA | Certificate | $22,513 | — | -2,530% | Poor return |
| 9 | Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City, LA | Certificate | $18,893 | — | -2,539% | Poor return |
| 10 | Louisiana Delta Community College Monroe, LA | Certificate | $20,466 | $6,067 | -2,575% | Poor return |
| 11 | Carrington College-Phoenix North Phoenix, AZ | Certificate | $30,608 | $7,222 | — | Not enough data |
Related majors
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.