Patient Transport Officer

A Patient Transport Officer safely transports patients between healthcare facilities, departments, or to their homes using ambulances or other vehicles. They assist patients with mobility needs, monitor their condition during transit, and maintain infection control and vehicle safety standards. They work for hospitals, ambulance services, aged care facilities, or private transport providers across urban and regional Australia.

Operate ambulances or patient transport vehicles in compliance with road rules and transport safety regulations. Assist patients with mobility limitations to enter, exit, and remain safely positioned in vehicles using appropriate handling techniques. Communicate with patients and carers to explain transport procedures and address concerns or questions. Monitor patient wellbeing during transit and recognise signs of deterioration, reporting concerns to paramedics or clinical staff. Apply infection prevention and control measures including hand hygiene, use of personal protective equipment, and vehicle decontamination between patient trips. Secure mobility aids, stretchers, wheelchairs, and medical equipment using restraint systems to prevent movement during transport. Record patient transport details including pickup and drop-off locations, times, and any incidents or patient observations in logbooks or digital systems. Perform vehicle safety checks before shifts including brakes, tyres, lighting, communication equipment, and emergency response gear.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate II or III (ABS skill level 4). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

The work is physically demanding with serious injury risk. You'll regularly lift and move patients with mobility issues using manual handling techniques, which puts strain on your back, shoulders, and knees over time. Many transport officers develop chronic pain. Pay is modest and doesn't increase much with experience. Shift work including evenings, nights, and weekends is standard. You'll also witness patient distress and sometimes death.

Jobs concentrate in major cities and regional hospitals where ambulance services and aged care facilities operate. Practically speaking rural and remote areas have fewer positions and longer shifts covering bigger distances. Most work is tied to specific facilities so remote work isn't an option.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4111, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

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• Active Listeningcore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Case Note Documentationcore
• Confidentiality and Privacy Compliancecore
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligencecore
• Escalation Managementcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Adhere to organisational guidelines
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Multitasking
• Regulatory and Legislative Awareness
• Risk Identification
• Team Collaboration
• Workflow Prioritisation
• Written Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

What Patient Transport Officer workers move into, from ten years of tax records.

Last updated: 30 October 2026