Short answer
Yes. Hospitals hire people with no healthcare experience for jobs like patient transporter, environmental services (cleaning), Dietary aide, unit clerk and patient registration. These jobs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent at most, and you learn on the job. Nursing assistant and sterile processing jobs need a short course or a certificate, and some employers pay for it. Pay for these roles runs from about $16.50 to $22 an hour.
What entry-level hospital jobs pay
The pay figures below come from Jobs2Careers listings, checked against national pay data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, May 2025). We used the listing figure when it sat close to the BLS figure for the same kind of work. For unit clerks, too few listings showed pay, so we show the BLS figure and mark it. A median includes experienced workers, so a new hire can start below it. Pay also varies by city and employer, and some listings pay extra for evening, night and weekend shifts.
Median pay per hour. Blue = Jobs2Careers listings. Green = BLS national median (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
8 hospital jobs you can start with little or no experience
Not every hospital job is open to a beginner. Nurses, therapists and technologists need a degree. The jobs below are the ones that do not. The first five train you on the job. The last three ask for a training program or a certificate.
| Role | What you need to start | Training |
|---|---|---|
| Patient transporter | A high school diploma or equivalent (BLS, for orderlies) | A short period on the job. CPR or basic life support may be required. |
| Environmental services (EVS) worker | No formal education credential (BLS, for janitors). Some employers prefer a diploma. | Short on the job, one month or less (BLS) |
| Dietary aide | No formal education credential (BLS, for food preparation workers). Some employers prefer a diploma. | Several weeks on the job (BLS) |
| Unit clerk (unit secretary) | A high school diploma or equivalent (BLS, for medical secretaries) | A few weeks to several months on the job (BLS) |
| Patient access representative | Many listings ask for a high school diploma or equivalent | Set by the employer. Ask how long it lasts and whether it is paid. |
| Sterile processing technician | A high school diploma or equivalent (BLS, for medical equipment preparers) | On the job, under a year (BLS). Certification takes an exam and 400 hours of hands-on experience (HSPA). |
| Certified nursing assistant (CNA) | A state-approved training program and a state exam (BLS) | At least 75 hours under federal rules for nursing homes |
| Medical assistant | Most complete a training program. Some start with a high school diploma and learn on the job (BLS). | Programs take about one to two years (BLS) |
Start this week: five hospital jobs that train you on the job
These five jobs do not ask for healthcare experience. They put you inside a hospital, around patients and clinical staff, and each one shows you what the hospital does day to day.
What you need to start: a high school diploma or equivalent. You move patients between rooms, imaging and surgery, often in a wheelchair or on a bed. The BLS says most orderlies work in hospitals, and CPR or basic life support may be required.
What you need to start: no formal education credential, according to the BLS. You clean and disinfect patient rooms and other hospital spaces. The work is physical and on your feet, and the schedule often includes evenings and weekends.
What you need to start: no formal education credential, according to the BLS. You help prepare and deliver patient meals and keep the kitchen clean. Hospital kitchens run all day, so shifts vary.
What you need to start: a high school diploma or equivalent. You answer phones, handle paperwork and help visitors at the front desk of a hospital unit. The same job is also called unit secretary, ward clerk or unit support representative.
What you need to start: many listings ask for a high school diploma or equivalent. You register patients, check insurance and explain forms at the front door of the hospital or a clinic. Customer service experience from retail or a call center carries over.
More training up front: sterile processing, nursing assistant and medical assistant
Sterile processing and nursing assistant training is short compared with a degree. Medical assistant programs take longer, so most beginners start with one of the roles above.
Sterile processing technician
Sterile processing technicians clean, inspect, assemble and sterilize surgical instruments so they are safe for the next patient. The BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the usual entry requirement and on-the-job training of under a year. The main certificate is the Certified Registered Central Service Technician (CRCST) from the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). To earn it you pass an exam, which costs $140, and complete 400 hours of hands-on experience. You can take the exam first and finish the 400 hours within six months of passing, or finish the hours first. At 40 hours a week, 400 hours is about ten weeks.
Ask any employer whether it hires technicians who are not yet certified and helps you finish the hours. Read the full rules on the HSPA CRCST page.
Certified nursing assistant (CNA)
CNAs help patients with daily care, such as bathing, eating and moving around. The BLS says nursing assistants often need to complete a state-approved education program and pass the state competency exam. They then go on the state registry, and you must be on it to work in a nursing home. Federal rules for nursing homes set the minimum program at 75 hours, with at least 16 hours of supervised practical training. Your state may require more. The same rules say that if a nursing home employs you, or has offered you a job, on the day you start the program, it may not charge you for any part of it, including textbooks (42 CFR 483.152). So a nursing home that hires you first is one place to look for free training. Hospitals set their own rules, so ask. For other nursing jobs, see our list of nursing jobs with real work-life balance.
What you need to start: a high school diploma or equivalent, and a willingness to be trained. Ask whether the employer hires technicians before they are certified.
What you need to start: a state-approved training program and a pass on the state exam. A nursing home that hires you first cannot bill you for the program.
What you need to start: most medical assistants finish a training program of about one to two years. Some start with a high school diploma and learn on the job. Most states do not require certification, but employers may.
How to get hired at a hospital with no experience
Need a paycheck this week while you plan the next step? See our guide to jobs hiring immediately with no experience. If you want to see what a longer training path can pay, read the highest-paying jobs without a degree, which includes surgical technologist.
Watch out for training and job scams
Scam warning
A real hospital or nursing home does not charge you to apply or to be hired. The Federal Trade Commission says honest employers will never ask you to pay to get a job. Be careful with anyone who promises a guaranteed job with a certificate, or who asks for money before an offer.
Before you pay for a CNA, sterile processing or medical assistant class, ask three questions. Does a real employer in your area ask for this certificate? For a CNA, does your state approve the program? Are you required to work for the school or employer for a set time, or repay the cost if you leave? Get the answers in writing.
Frequently asked questions
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