Phlebotomists: Salary Overview
Phlebotomists are healthcare professionals who draw blood from patients and donors for tests, research, transfusions, and blood donation.
A phlebotomist’s job description may also include discussing to patients to explain the procedures and providing assistance if the donors/patients have adverse reactions.
They are also required to verify the patients’ identity to ensure that the blood sample is properly labeled.
Phlebotomists may also be responsible for including the patient’s information into a database, assembling needles, test tubes, and other medical instruments, and keeping the work area clean.
In this line of work, it is very important to follow strict sanitation and safety regulations in order to avoid causing infections and other complications.
The average remuneration for this profession is below the median income for all full-time workers in the United States.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for phlebotomists in the United States is $35,510, which means that half of all workers in this occupation earned less than this amount and half earned more.
This translates into less than $700 per week.
Therefore, many phlebotomists earn less than the average salary for all full-time workers in 2019, which, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics was $933 per week.
However, salaries for phlebotomists vary depending on a wide range of factors, including the worker’s level of experience, skills, and education but also the place and region of employment.
The BLS report shows that the best-paid 10 percent of phlebotomists earned more than $49,750 a year while the lowest 10 percent earned less than $26,000.
Phlebotomist Salary by Industry
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, phlebotomists held approximately 128,300 jobs in 2018, the majority being employed in hospitals and medical and diagnostic laboratories.
Hospitals hired approximately 37% of all phlebotomists and paid them a median annual wage of $33,720.
Higher salaries were reported by phlebotomists who worked for outpatient care centers, where the median annual wage for this profession was $41,620.
However, a job in this field can be a little more difficult to find since, according to BLS, only 2 percent of all phlebotomists worked in this sector.
The median annual wage was $37,220 for phlebotomists who worked in medical and diagnostic laboratories and $34,460 for those employed in the field of all other laboratory healthcare services.
The report shows that phlebotomists who worked in offices of physicians were paid a median annual wage of $34,400 as of May 2019.
Other factors, such as certification, education, and region of employment also play an important fact in determining a phlebotomist’s salary.
According to Phlebotomy Scout, American Medical Technologists (AMT) Certified Phlebotomists earn salaries starting at $27,514, which is higher than the minimum for this profession.
Experience seems to play an important role in determining a phlebotomist’s salary especially after the workers gain over 10 years of experience in practicing phlebotomy.
Phlebotomy Scout reports that the salary for phlebotomists with less than 1 year of experience is only $2,000-$2,300 lower than the salary of those who have 4-10 years of experience in the field.
Bonuses, Commissions and Other Benefits
Some phlebotomists also earn bonuses, commission, or a share of the company’s profit along with their fixed salary.
According to payscale.com, on average phlebotomists earned $515 a year in bonuses, $735 in commission, and $525 in profit sharing, as of May 2020.
The same report shows that 66% of all phlebotomists were offered medical insurance, 58% of them had dental insurance and 52% were vision insured; however, 32% of them didn’t receive any health benefits.
Job Prospects for Phlebotomists
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for phlebotomists is projected to grow 23 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations.
As blood analysis remains very important in diagnosing illness, doctors and other healthcare professionals will continue to require bloodwork for analysis and phlebotomists’ services will continue to be needed especially in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, and blood donor centers.
In conclusion, although this profession is not very well remunerated, job prospects are expected to be good and if you’re a skilled worker you may find a job in a field that pays higher-than-average salaries.
Another thing that can help you earn a higher salary as an entry-level phlebotomist is getting certified by the National Center for Competency Testing, the National Healthcare Association, the National Phlebotomy Association, American Medical Technologists, or another credentialing institution.
* Based on information from the May 2021 salary report from the BLS. The figures represent accumulated data for all states of employment for Phlebotomists. BLS data represents averages and medians for workers at all levels of education and experience. This data doesn't represent starting salaries.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.