Phlebotomists
Career, Salary and Education Information
What They Do: Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations.
Work Environment: Phlebotomists work mainly in hospitals, medical and diagnostic laboratories, blood donor centers, and doctors' offices.
How to Become One: Phlebotomists typically enter the occupation with a postsecondary nondegree award from a phlebotomy program. Almost all employers look for phlebotomists who have earned professional certification.
Salary: The median annual wage for phlebotomists is $37,380.
Job Outlook: Employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 10 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of phlebotomists with similar occupations.
Following is everything you need to know about a career as a phlebotomist with lots of details. As a first step, take a look at some of the following jobs, which are real jobs with real employers. You will be able to see the very real job career requirements for employers who are actively hiring. The link will open in a new tab so that you can come back to this page to continue reading about the career:
Top 3 Phlebotomist Jobs
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Mobile Phlebotomist
- Shoreline Diagnostics
- Oceanside-Escondido, CA
Mobile Phlebotomist Location: North San Diego/ San Diego Schedule: Monday through Friday with occasional overtime and possible weekends Pay Range: $19.00 - $29.00 per hour (based on experience and ...
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Phlebotomist
- Valor Healthcare, Inc.
- Denton, TX
Position Summary The Phlebotomist provides assistance in the examination and treatment of patients with diseases and injuries seeking treatment in the clinic, under clinical supervision. Collaborates ...
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Laboratory Assistant Phlebotomist FT Days
- Metrowest Medical Center
- Natick, MA
Performs phlebotomy duties as assigned. Will perform waived testing, and assist in microbiology processing and plating specimens, as requested. Qualifications: Education: Required: High school ...
What Phlebotomists Do[About this section] [To Top]
Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations. Some of them explain their work to patients and provide assistance if patients have adverse reactions after their blood is drawn.
Duties of Phlebotomists
Phlebotomists typically do the following:
- Draw blood from patients and blood donors
- Talk with patients and donors to help them feel less nervous about having their blood drawn
- Verify a patient's or donor's identity to ensure proper labeling of the blood
- Label the drawn blood for testing or processing
- Enter patient information into a database
- Assemble and maintain medical instruments such as needles, test tubes, and blood vials
- Keep work areas clean and sanitary
Phlebotomists primarily draw blood, which is then used for different kinds of medical laboratory testing. In medical and diagnostic laboratories, patient interaction is sometimes only with the phlebotomist. Because all blood samples look the same, phlebotomists must carefully identify and label the sample they have drawn and enter it into a database. Some phlebotomists draw blood for other purposes, such as at blood drives where people donate blood. In order to avoid causing infection or other complications, phlebotomists must keep their work area and instruments clean and sanitary.
Work Environment for Phlebotomists[About this section] [To Top]
Phlebotomists hold about 135,500 jobs. The largest employers of phlebotomists are as follows:
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 36% |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | 35% |
| All other ambulatory healthcare services | 14% |
| Offices of physicians | 8% |
| Outpatient care centers | 1% |
Phlebotomists who collect blood donations sometimes travel to different offices and sites in order to set up mobile donation centers. They also sometimes travel to long-term care centers or patients' homes.
Phlebotomists may be required to stand for long periods of time.
Injuries and Illnesses for Phlebotomists
Phlebotomists must be careful when handling blood, needles, and other medical supplies. Injuries may occur if they are not careful with medical equipment.
Phlebotomist Work Schedules
Most phlebotomists work full time. Phlebotomists who work in hospitals and labs may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
How to Become a Phlebotomist[About this section] [To Top]
Get the education you need: Find schools for Phlebotomists near you!
Phlebotomists typically enter the occupation with a postsecondary nondegree award from a phlebotomy program. Almost all employers look for phlebotomists who have earned professional certification.
Education and Training for Phlebotomists
Phlebotomists typically enter the occupation with a postsecondary nondegree award from a phlebotomy program. Programs are available from community colleges, vocational schools, or technical schools. These programs usually take less than 1 year to complete and lead to a certificate. Certification programs involve classroom sessions and laboratory work, and they include instruction in anatomy, physiology, and medical terminology.
Some phlebotomists enter the occupation with a high school diploma and are trained to be a phlebotomist on the job. No matter their education level, phlebotomists also receive specific instructions on how to identify, label, and track blood samples.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations for Phlebotomists
Almost all employers prefer to hire phlebotomists who have earned professional certification.
Several organizations offer certifications for phlebotomists. The National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT), National Healthcareer Association (NHA), the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the National Phlebotomy Association, and the American Medical Technologists (AMT) offer Phlebotomy Technician certifications.
Candidates for certification typically need some classroom education, as well as some clinical experience. Certification testing usually includes a written exam and may include practical components, such as drawing blood. Requirements vary by certifying organization. California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Washington require their phlebotomists to be certified.
Important Qualities for Phlebotomists
Compassion. Some patients or clients are afraid of having their blood drawn, so phlebotomists should be caring in performing their duties.
Detail oriented. Phlebotomists must draw the correct vials of blood for the tests ordered, track vials of blood, and enter data into a database. Attention to detail is necessary; otherwise, the specimens may be misplaced or lost, or a patient may be injured.
Dexterity. Phlebotomists work with their hands, and they must be able to use their equipment efficiently and properly.
Hand-eye coordination. Phlebotomists draw blood from many patients, and they must perform their duties successfully on the first attempt, or their patients will experience discomfort.
Physical stamina. Phlebotomists are on their feet for long periods, and must continue to take accurate blood samples throughout their workday.
Phlebotomist Salaries[About this section] [More salary/earnings info] [To Top]
The median annual wage for phlebotomists is $37,380. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,990, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $48,490.
The median annual wages for phlebotomists in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Outpatient care centers | $38,220 |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | $38,040 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $36,980 |
| Offices of physicians | $36,410 |
| All other ambulatory healthcare services | $35,360 |
Most phlebotomists work full time. Phlebotomists who work in hospitals and labs may need to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Job Outlook for Phlebotomists[About this section] [To Top]
Employment of phlebotomists is projected to grow 10 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.
About 21,500 openings for phlebotomists are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment of Phlebotomists
The growing population, with its rising share of older people, will continue to increase demand for medical services, including blood testing.
Blood analysis remains an essential part of medical care, as it is used to check for a wide range of issues. Therefore, demand for phlebotomists will remain high as doctors and other healthcare professionals require bloodwork for analysis and diagnosis.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Phlebotomists | 135,500 | 149,400 | 10 | 13,900 |
More Phlebotomist Information[About this section] [To Top]
For more information about phlebotomy and how to receive a phlebotomy certificate, visit
Center for Phlebotomy Education
American Medical Technologists (AMT)
National Healthcareer Association
National Center for Competency Testing
American Society for Clinical Pathology
A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.