Phlebotomists: Career Overview
Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
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What Tasks Do Phlebotomists Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of phlebotomists include:
- Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
- Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
- Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
- Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
- Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
- Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
- Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
- Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals.
What Phlebotomists Need to Know
Successful phlebotomists draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Phlebotomists Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Certified Phlebotomist
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician
- Clinical Phlebotomist
- Collections Technician
- Lab Liaison Technician
- Laboratory Phlebotomist
- Long Term Care Phlebotomist
- Mobile Examiner
How Many Phlebotomists Are There?
There are roughly 1,451,053 phlebotomists working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +5.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Phlebotomists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $28,271 |
| Hourly median | $13.59 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $23,172 |
| 75th percentile | $33,370 |
| 90th percentile | $38,468 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Phlebotomists Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| California | $55,460 |
| New York | $49,080 |
| Massachusetts | $48,270 |
| Washington | $47,700 |
| Rhode Island | $47,650 |
| Oregon | $47,510 |
| District of Columbia | $47,110 |
| Maryland | $47,100 |
| Colorado | $47,020 |
| New Jersey | $46,840 |
| North Dakota | $46,720 |
| New Hampshire | $46,460 |
| Delaware | $46,340 |
| Connecticut | $46,260 |
| Alaska | $46,110 |
| Montana | $46,040 |
| Virginia | $45,720 |
| Illinois | $45,620 |
| Hawaii | $45,510 |
| Wisconsin | $45,230 |
| Minnesota | $44,880 |
| Georgia | $43,340 |
| Arizona | $42,830 |
| Maine | $40,940 |
| Pennsylvania | $40,140 |
| Nevada | $40,050 |
| Texas | $39,770 |
| Missouri | $39,770 |
| Michigan | $39,760 |
| Idaho | $39,720 |
| Vermont | $39,530 |
| North Carolina | $39,410 |
| Ohio | $38,830 |
| West Virginia | $38,830 |
| Utah | $38,730 |
| Florida | $38,570 |
| South Carolina | $38,490 |
| New Mexico | $38,480 |
| Tennessee | $38,440 |
| Kansas | $38,330 |
| Indiana | $38,200 |
| Iowa | $38,040 |
| Kentucky | $38,000 |
| Oklahoma | $37,920 |
| South Dakota | $37,860 |
| Wyoming | $37,390 |
| Arkansas | $36,870 |
| Nebraska | $36,750 |
| Alabama | $35,970 |
| Louisiana | $35,650 |
| Mississippi | $34,900 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,950 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for phlebotomists differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $52,492 | 13.7% | 0.83 |
| New England | $46,544 | 4.9% | 1.07 |
| Middle Atlantic | $45,525 | 12.2% | 0.86 |
| Rocky Mountains | $43,357 | 3.5% | 0.88 |
| Great Lakes | $42,432 | 15.4% | 1.16 |
| Plains States | $40,675 | 5.9% | 0.87 |
| Southwest | $40,099 | 14.2% | 1.13 |
| Southeast | $39,299 | 29.6% | 1.23 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | CA | $61,350 | 250 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $60,810 | 460 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $59,850 | 1,350 |
| Redding, CA | CA | $58,400 | 90 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $58,270 | 120 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | CA | $57,460 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | CA | $56,870 | 4,380 |
| Salinas, CA | CA | $56,650 | 110 |
Top Industries Employing Phlebotomists
Most phlebotomists are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 132,900 | $43,660 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,870 | $44,450 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,250 | $38,290 |
| Educational Services | 610 | $42,510 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 290 | $62,180 |
| Wholesale Trade | 230 | $38,240 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 50 | $48,780 |
| Manufacturing | 30 | $35,280 |
Below are examples of industries where phlebotomists work:
Tools and Technology
- Web platform development software: JavaScript (hot technology)
- Medical software: MEDITECH software (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for phlebotomists tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Telephone Conversations
Education and Training
Typical phlebotomists positions require some college, no degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Nurse Anesthetists (Supplemental)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists (Primary-Short)
- Cytotechnologists (Supplemental)
- Histotechnologists (Primary-Short)
- Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Histology Technicians (Primary-Long)
- Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Students preparing for phlebotomists commonly pursue programs in:
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
References
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 31-9097.00 (Phlebotomists).
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