Published: 12 November 2023
Phlebotomist is a career in the medical field where the primary duty is drawing blood from patients. It has a low barrier of entry due to its educational requirements and has fairly good earning potential. If one is curious about starting a career in the medical field, getting hired as a phlebotomist would be a great entry point. In fact, working as a phlebotomist is often used as a stepping-stone into a higher paying job down the road.
Phlebotomist Salary- U.S. Average
How much does a phlebotomist make in the U.S.?
In May 2022, the median annual phlebotomist salary was $38,530 with a median salary per hour rate of $18.52 per hour. Earners at the lowest 10% of the pay scale earn less than $30,250, while those in the top 10% are making $51,610 or more1.
Phlebotomist Salary- By State: Annual & Hourly Pay
Now let’s see how much phlebotomists make in each state. Annual salary and hourly wages for all 50 states are included below according to data provided by O*Net Online2
Phlebotomist Salary – Alabama
Annual: $32,690; Hourly: $15.72
Phlebotomist Salary – Alaska
Annual: $39,640; Hourly: $19.06
Phlebotomist Salary – Arizona
Annual: $38,030; Hourly: $18.29
Phlebotomist Salary – Arkansas
Annual: $35,410; Hourly: $17.03
Phlebotomist Salary – California
Annual: $47,580; Hourly: $22.88
Phlebotomist Salary – Colorado
Annual: $41,000; Hourly: $19.71
Phlebotomist Salary – Connecticut
Annual: $45,060; Hourly: $21.66
Phlebotomist Salary – Delaware
Annual: $43,430; Hourly: $20.88
Phlebotomist Salary – Florida
Annual: $36,780; Hourly: $17.69
Phlebotomist Salary – Georgia
Annual: $37,840; Hourly: $18.19
Phlebotomist Salary – Hawaii
Annual: $41,470; Hourly: $19.94
Phlebotomist Salary – Idaho
Annual: $36,910; Hourly: $17.74
Phlebotomist Salary – Illinois
Annual: $40,510; Hourly: $19.48
Phlebotomist Salary – Indiana
Annual: $36,170; Hourly: $17.39
Phlebotomist Salary – Iowa
Annual: $35,980; Hourly: $17.30
Phlebotomist Salary – Kansas
Annual: $36,860; Hourly: $17.72
Phlebotomist Salary – Kentucky
Annual: $36,160; Hourly: $17.39
Phlebotomist Salary – Louisiana
Annual: $31,710; Hourly: $15.25
Phlebotomist Salary – Maine
Annual: $36,280; Hourly: $17.44
Phlebotomist Salary – Maryland
Annual: $43,140; Hourly: $20.74
Phlebotomist Salary – Massachusetts
Annual: $46,190; Hourly: $22.21
Phlebotomist Salary – Michigan
Annual: $37,140; Hourly: $17.85
Phlebotomist Salary – Minnesota
Annual: $39,860; Hourly: $19.17
Phlebotomist Salary – Mississippi
Annual: $30,700; Hourly: $14.76
Phlebotomist Salary – Missouri
Annual: $35,770; Hourly: $17.20
Phlebotomist Salary – Montana
Annual: $35,260; Hourly: $16.95
Phlebotomist Salary – Nebraska
Annual: $34,010; Hourly: $16.35
Phlebotomist Salary – Nevada
Annual: $38,550; Hourly: $18.53
Phlebotomist Salary – New Hampshire
Annual: $39,640; Hourly: $19.06
Phlebotomist Salary – New Jersey
Annual: $42,990; Hourly: $20.67
Phlebotomist Salary – New Mexico
Annual: $35,660; Hourly: $17.14
Phlebotomist Salary – New York
Annual: $45,430; Hourly: $21.84
Phlebotomist Salary – North Carolina
Annual: $37,070; Hourly: $17.82
Phlebotomist Salary – North Dakota
Annual: $36,570; Hourly: $17.58
Phlebotomist Salary – Ohio
Annual: $36,450; Hourly: $17.53
Phlebotomist Salary – Oklahoma
Annual: $32,840; Hourly: $15.79
Phlebotomist Salary – Oregon
Annual: $41,320; Hourly: $19.87
Phlebotomist Salary – Pennsylvania
Annual: $39,090; Hourly: $18.79
Phlebotomist Salary – Rhode Island
Annual: $44,630; Hourly: $21.46
Phlebotomist Salary – South Carolina
Annual: $37,020; Hourly: $17.80
Phlebotomist Salary – South Dakota
Annual: $32,440; Hourly: $15.60
Phlebotomist Salary – Tennessee
Annual: $35,400; Hourly: $17.02
Phlebotomist Salary – Texas
Annual: $36,780; Hourly: $17.69
Phlebotomist Salary – Utah
Annual: $34,940; Hourly: $16.80
Phlebotomist Salary – Vermont
Annual: $38,280; Hourly: $18.40
Phlebotomist Salary – Virginia
Annual: $38,900; Hourly: $18.70
Phlebotomist Salary – Washington
Annual: $45,480; Hourly: $21.86
Phlebotomist Salary – West Virginia
Annual: $35,090; Hourly: $16.87
Phlebotomist Salary – Wisconsin
Annual: $39,020; Hourly: $18.76
Phlebotomist Salary – Wyoming
Annual: $34,770; Hourly: $16.72
According to this data, the state with the highest salary for phlebotomists is California at $47,580 annually and $22.88 for hourly pay. The state with the lowest salary is Mississippi at $30,700 annually and $14.76 hourly. That is a 35% differential between the highest and lowest pay brackets and demonstrates the impact of location on a phlebotomist’s earning potential.
Travel Phlebotomist Salary
If you want to travel and see other parts of the country, working as a traveling phlebotomist is another option. Travel jobs offer a change in scenery and more pay than that of a traditional phlebotomist. Depending which state you are working in and the company you work for, will determine your salary.
The higher paying states tend to be California, Washington, New York and a few other Northeast region states.
Travel gigs are not typically long-term assignments, but rather executed in 13-week long contracts. These can be a one-time occurrence or a series of back-to-back contracts.
Companies like Club Staffing3 pay $1,200-$2,500 per week. And according to Vivian Health, between a group of 6 other medical staffing companies in the U.S., the average weekly salary between them in November 2023 was $1,340. If you extrapolate that out by 52 weeks, that makes for an annual salary of $69,680 if you did back-to-back assignments for a whole year. That is double of what you would make in a non-traveling role in some states.
The money is great with travel assignments, but the main drawback is that you are frequently away from family and friends.
Mobile Phlebotomy Business
If the average phlebotomy salary disappoints you, there is still hope. If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, you may want to look into starting a mobile phlebotomy business. This can offer you the ability to be your own boss and make more money.
Mobile phlebotomists go to patients’ residences or workplaces and draw their blood on-site. This is either because the patient’s health prevents them from leaving their home, or because they simply want to save time by avoiding lines at the hospital. Once the blood is drawn, it is then transported to the appropriate laboratory for testing. This is a luxury service and is usually priced as such.
A mobile phlebotomist may charge $50-$100 to make a home visit. So, if they do 4 of these visits per day. That’s $200-$400 per day, $1,000-$2000 per week and $52,000-$104,000 per year. This salary can even exceed that of a traveling phlebotomist.
If you don’t mind taking the risk of starting a business, you have the potential to greatly increase your earning capacity.
Phlebotomist vs. Lab Tech Career
Lab techs, also known as Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT), Medical Technologists (MT) and Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) primary duty is to perform diagnostic testing on various specimen types. They are also trained to perform phlebotomy procedures, although its typically done as a collateral duty, especially in smaller facilities.
On the other hand, phlebotomists, draw blood as their primary duty. If you enjoy performing venipunctures, but don’t want it to be your main role, working as a lab tech may be another career option to keep in mind, especially since lab techs do earn a higher salary.
Phlebotomist Job Outlook
The phlebotomist career field will continue to enjoy job stability well into the future. This is due to the value they bring to a medical team. Without them, there would be no blood samples for the lab to run tests on. A high percentage of those lab tests are tied to patient diagnosis and help doctors to guide patient treatment. Additionally, the large size of the aging baby boomer generation will warrant the need for high volumes of blood sample testing.
Another thing that will maintain the need for phlebotomists is their role in blood component therapy. According to the Red Cross, over 16 million blood products get transfused every year in the U.S.4 Without phlebotomists, there would be nobody to draw these units from blood donors. The need for blood products is constantly increasing, so their position in the industry will remain in demand.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, phlebotomists in the U.S. held about 139,400 jobs in 20225. And with 8% more growth expected from 2022 to 2032, this field has a better outlook than the average occupation over the next decade.
Phlebotomists are very versatile and may be employed in a variety of settings. About 34% of phlebotomists work in hospitals, with the rest being located in diagnostic laboratories, blood donor centers, and doctors’ offices6.
Conclusion
Phlebotomist is a great career option. The field has a low barrier of entry, is projected to grow substantially over the next decade, and the pay is fairly good. Depending on your interests, there are many work environments available. It’s also a great entry point into the medical field and get experience for a higher paying profession like lab tech, nurse, P.A. or doctor.
References
1,5,6. Phlebotomists. (6, September 2023). Retrieved from Bureau Of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/phlebotomists.htm#tab-6
2. (n.d.). Retrieved from O*Net Online: https://www.onetonline.org/
3. Travel Phlebotomist Jobs. (n.d.). Retrieved from Club Staffing: https://www.clubstaffing.com/allied-travel-disciplines/medical-laboratory/phlebotomist/
4. U.S. Blood Supply Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from Red Cross Blood: https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html#:~:text=Approximately%2029%2C000%20units%20of%20red,each%20year%20in%20the%20U.S
