If you’re looking for a rewarding healthcare career with little schooling, you may consider becoming a phlebotomist. While you’re considering this career path, you’re likely wondering, “How much does a phlebotomist make?” The answer to that depends on a lot of factors. Read on to learn how much you can make as a phlebotomist and what factors will impact your phlebotomist salary.
US News and World Report ranks phlebotomists among the top 30 healthcare support careers and reveals that phlebotomists have above-average satisfaction regarding their stress levels. Plus, becoming a phlebotomist is an excellent entry point into other healthcare careers like nursing or becoming a physician assistant.
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To learn more about if a phlebotomist career is right for you, check out our How to Become a Phlebotomist guide.
What is a Phlebotomist?
A phlebotomist is a medical professional who specializes in drawing blood, also known as venipuncture. Blood sample collection is done for many medical reasons, such as clinical lab analysis, determining a medical diagnosis, ensuring a medication’s effectiveness, or managing other health conditions.
You will find phlebotomists working in various clinical settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, clinical laboratories, nursing homes, doctor’s offices, community health centers, blood banks, or other healthcare facilities needing blood collection.
What Does a Phlebotomist Do?
In order to be a successful phlebotomist, these are the skills you’ll need to master:
- Have an excellent bedside manner. Patients are often nervous when they have their blood drawn, so clear, calm communication is critical.
- Learn proper collection techniques by disinfecting the area with alcohol, using a tourniquet, locating a vein via sight and touch, and inserting a needle with precision.
- Prevent safety hazards by following sanitation and infection control protocols.
- Ensure those blood specimens are contamination-free to prevent inaccurate results.
- Label all blood vials properly with correct patient information.
- Ensure that specimens are appropriately stored and promptly transferred to the correct location for analysis.
What is the Average Phlebotomist Salary?
The average phlebotomist salary in the US is $37,380 per year or $17.97 per hour, according to September 2022 data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Career projection for phlebotomists is also very positive, with the BLS projecting a 10% growth in the profession between 2021-2031. There will be a need for an additional 13,900 phlebotomists during that time frame.
Phlebotomy Salary Factors
Phlebotomy salary depends on several factors, including how much experience you have, where you work, and your geographic location.
Years of Experience
According to Payscale, the hourly wage for phlebotomists ranges from $13 per hour to $22 per hour, with an average hourly rate of $16.57.
The number one factor for phlebotomists earning higher wages is their level of experience. Entry-level phlebotomists with less than 1 year of experience can expect to earn around $14.42 per hour, while those with 20+ years of experience earn on average $19.34 per hour (Payscale).
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In ascending order from entry-level to late career, phlebotomists earn the following hourly wages:
- Entry-level: $14.42
- Early career: $15.28
- Mid-career: $16.86
- Experienced: $18.18
- Late career: $19.34
Type of Workplace
Another important salary factor to consider is the type of business you work for as a phlebotomist. According to the BLS, phlebotomist pay varied depending on your specific work location.
The median annual phlebotomist salary in 2021 by work location was as follows:
- Outpatient care centers: $38,220
- Medical and diagnostic laboratories: $38,040
- Physician offices: $36,980
- Hospitals: $36,410
- Other ambulatory centers: $35,360
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Phlebotomist Salaries by Location
Where you live as a phlebotomist is also important in determining what your income will be.
States With Highest Phlebotomy Salary
According to the BLS, the top 5 states where you can earn the most money as a phlebotomist are:
- California: $24.27 per hour; $50,470 annually
- Texas: $17.81 per hour; $37,040 annually
- Florida: $18.07 per hour; $37,580 annually
- New York: $22.58 per hour; $46,960 annually
- New Jersey: $20.73 per hour; $43,120 annually
Phlebotomist Salary by State
Source: BLS (via Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Query System)
Highest Paying Cities for Phlebotomists
According to the BLS, the cities where you can earn the most as a phlebotomist are:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: $28.41 per hour; $59,090 annually
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA: $27.44 per hour; $57,070 annually
- Stockton-Lodi, CA: $26.49 per hour; $55,100 annually
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA: $26.27 per hour; $54,650 annually
- Redding, CA: $26.22 per hour; $54,530 annually
- Salinas, CA: $25.69 per hour; $53,440 annually
- Vallejo-Fairfield, CA: $25.13 per hour; $52,270 annually
- Modesto, CA: $24.84 per hour; $51,690 annually
- Santa Rosa, CA: $24.84 per hour; $51,620 annually
- Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA: $24,64 per hour; $51,520 annually
Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Phlebotomist
Phlebotomy Certification
Becoming certified as a phlebotomist is required in some states before you are allowed to practice. However, not all states require certification, so it is essential to understand the requirements where you live.
One of the easiest ways to raise your hourly rate in these areas (as well as prove your professional knowledge) is to become a certified phlebotomy technician.
There are several certification agencies where you can earn and maintain certification. The requirements, testing, and cost vary for each agency. Here are the most commonly used certification agencies for phlebotomists:
- American Certification Agency For Healthcare Professionals (ACA)
- American Medical Certification Association (AMCA)
- American Medical Technologists (AMT)
- The American Society For Clinical Pathology (ASCP)
- The National Center For Competency Testing (NCCT)
Further Your Education
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The education to become a phlebotomist requires a diploma or certificate program. It takes about two semesters, or 4-9 months, which is relatively fast compared to most direct patient care professions.
But working as a phlebotomist gives you a bird’s eye view into several other interesting medical careers that require more education – and may even double your income. For example, many phlebotomists work closely with nurses and ancillary staff who are earning a significantly higher salaries and have increased responsibility.
You may want to consider advancing your education in another healthcare field while you work as a phlebotomist. That way, when you graduate, you will already have a foot in the door to work in the same healthcare facility where you are already employed.
Become a Phlebotomy Trainer
Some medical facilities will offer an increase in your hourly wage while you take on the extra responsibility of training a new graduate or new hire. Not only does it show your administrators how valuable you are and increase your income, but it also gives you an edge if you are looking to be promoted into a management position eventually.
Be Promoted to Manager or Supervisor
If you work hard to master your skills as a phlebotomist, become certified, and eventually gain on-the-job experience, you might want to consider training for a management position. Becoming a phlebotomy supervisor will give you additional responsibility. However, it also offers a higher hourly wage to match.
Work Per-Diem
Per-diem is Latin for working “by the day.” Per diem employees are valuable because they help fill staffing needs daily. An employer needs a certain amount of phlebotomists to manage patient care every day, and when they don’t have enough staff, per diem employees can help come in and save the day.
One of the perks of being flexible with your schedule is that you earn more than a career phlebotomy salary. As a result, some per diem phlebotomists choose to work between two facilities to help fill staffing needs while making more money. You can even work as a mobile phlebotomist, traveling to different medical facilities when they have an increased need.
Relocate
As you saw above in the section on phlebotomy salaries by cities and states, where you live can have a big impact on how much you can earn as a phlebotomist. What you need to keep in mind, however, is the cost of living in these areas as well! For example, you may pull in a higher phlebotomist salary in Los Angeles, but the increased living expenses may not make it worthwhile.
How to Decide if Becoming a Phlebotomist is Right for You
If you don’t mind the sight of blood and the thought of working on a team of life-saving medical professionals excites you, a career in phlebotomy might be an excellent choice for you.
But when considering any profession, it is essential to do your homework and understand your earning potential. Factors such as location, type of workplace, experience, certification, and desire for promotion can affect a phlebotomist’s salary.
But most of all, consistency and hard work are essential. Over time your experience can put you in the top 10% of phlebotomist earners and offer a rewarding, life-long career.
Other Healthcare Careers You May Be Interested In
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Billing and Coding
- Pharmacy Technician
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