Phlebotomists
Health ScienceO*NET 31-9097.00United States
Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
- Median annual earnings
- $45,204
- Projected change
- +9.4%
- Typical education
- Certificate
- Employment
- 145.45K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
45.5% of the workforce
Growing to 159.08K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What phlebotomists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Provide sample analysis results to physicians to assist diagnosis.
- Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
- Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis.
- Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
- Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal.
- Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories.
- Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
- Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
- Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $35,699
- 25th percentile
- $38,140
- 50th percentile
- $45,204
- 75th percentile
- $48,941
- 90th percentile
- $58,896
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $45,204 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+9.4%faster than average
2025145,447 jobs
2035 projected159,078 jobs
13,631 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Certificate
- 45.5%
- High school diploma or less
- 31.8%
- Some college
- 13.6%
- Associate degree
- 4.6%
- Bachelor's degree
- 4.6%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Phlebotomists42,858 postings
- 02Mobile Phlebotomists4,452 postings
- 03Phlebotomy Technicians2,443 postings
- 04Medical Assistants/Phlebotomists2,120 postings
- 05Laboratory Assistants/Phlebotomists1,607 postings
- 06Laboratory Assistants1,402 postings
- 07Phlebotomists/Laboratory Assistants683 postings
- 08Certified Phlebotomy Technicians560 postings
- 09Phlebotomists/Donor Care Specialists556 postings
- 10Representative Mobile Examiners497 postings
- 11Travel Phlebotomists473 postings
- 12Lead Phlebotomists462 postings
- 13Specimen Processor Phlebotomists460 postings
- 14Laboratory Phlebotomists458 postings
- 15Inpatient Phlebotomists454 postings
- 16Certified Phlebotomists438 postings
- 17Phlebotomy Supervisors422 postings
- 18Phlebotomy Managers416 postings
- 19Phlebotomists/Mobile Drivers379 postings
- 20Medical Screeners/Phlebotomists353 postings
Top employers
- 01Quest Diagnostics5,084 postings
- 02Labcorp4,555 postings
- 03Actalent2,301 postings
- 04Mindlance1,640 postings
- 05Talentburst1,618 postings
- 06ICONMA1,503 postings
- 07Spectraforce Technologies1,393 postings
- 08BioLife Plasma Services1,369 postings
- 09Sonic Healthcare USA924 postings
- 10Grifols659 postings
- 11Careers Integrated Resources522 postings
- 12Altimeter Solutions498 postings
- 13HCA Healthcare495 postings
- 14CSL436 postings
- 15All Medical Personnel405 postings
- 16Octapharma349 postings
- 17ManpowerGroup340 postings
- 18Aya Healthcare339 postings
- 19Oneblood291 postings
- 20Mercyhealth290 postings
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