Phlebotomist Salary: The Definitive Guide
Interested in phlebotomy jobs but wondering what a phlebotomist salary would look like?
Well…
as with most fields, it varies based upon several criteria, and you can find all the relevant information in this article.
We are going to show you detail all the factors that impact phlebotomy salary, the expected range, tips to increase your pay, who are the best employers and much more!
But first, you can check the relevant phlebotomist salary metrics on this infographic:
Phlebotomist Salary – Yearly
Getting right to the heart of the matter:
The median for phlebotomy salaries is just a shade over $32,700. The range runs from $23,330 to a little more than $46,800, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor.
Phlebotomist Salary – Hourly
Want to know how much does a phlebotomist make an hour?
The hourly salary for a phlebotomist is in the range of $11 to $23, with a median hourly wage of $15.72.
The salary growth for phlebotomy is expected to be up to 25% until 2022, much higher than the projected average growth of the job market. With the healthcare reform and the increase of life expectancy, more patients will need healthcare treatment. This factor will drive demand for more phlebotomists in the future.
With that rate of growth, the demand for technicians with phlebotomy training and certification will increase. And, as you know, anytime you have increased demand, increased salaries are sure to follow. So, the future looks bright for phlebotomy salaries.
Phlebotomist Benefits
The best part?
A phlebotomy technician salary is not only composed by the base salary, you should also consider the benefits that your employer gives you on top of the salary.
You can see in the figure below a phlebotomist pay per year, when all the benefits are taken into account:
To accurately calculate how much does a phlebotomist make per year, all the benefits need to be calculated. On average the total benefits of a salaried phlebotomist will add around $15,000 to the base salary making the median total compensation grow to $48,043.
| Compensation | Median | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Base Salary | $32,710 | 68.1% |
| Health Insurance | $6,592 | 13.7% |
| Paid Leave | $3,980 | 8.3% |
| Social Security | $2,474 | 5.1% |
| Pension | $2,037 | 4.2% |
| Education | $250 | 0.5% |
| Total Package | $46,035 | 100% |
Phlebotomy technicians are usually entitled to benefits, such as:
Health Insurance
Healthcare institutions will usually offer a good healthcare insurance that typically includes medical, vision and dental insurance. The median value of the health insurance package for a salaried phlebotomist is $6,592, with the range going from $6,000 to $7,000.
Common Health Benefits for Salaried Phlebotomists
Payscale.com states that the most common health benefits for phlebotomy technician are:
| Type | Description | % |
|---|---|---|
 |
Medical | 70% |
 |
Dental | 61% |
 |
Vision | 54% |
 |
None | 26% |
Paid Leave
Most employers will offer holidays & paid sick leave to phlebotomists. This benefit for a salaried phlebotomist has a median value of $3,980 (range between $3,500 – $4,500).
Social Security
Another relevant benefit that should be considered as part of a phlebotomist salary is Social Security – the median value of this benefit is $2,474, ranging from $2,000 to $3,000.
Pension
Most employers will offer retirement plans like 401K to their employees. This benefit will typically range from $1,000 to $5,000, with the median value being $2,037.
Education
A certified phlebotomy technician needs to get continuing education units to get re-certified. Some employees will support the re-certification and phlebotomist training process. This benefit will vary a lot depending on the phlebotomy school but on average it will have an approximate value of $250 per year.
Factors that Impact Phlebotomy Technician Salary
Here’s the deal:
Like any other profession, there are several factors that may impact the salary of a phlebotomist. The top factors that affect how much do phlebotomists make are:
Experience
A phlebotomy tech salary is impacted by the amount of training and experience the phlebotomist has.
Obviously, someone who has achieved the proper phlebotomy certification and has been in the field for a number of years can expect to earn a higher salary. This isn’t unique to phlebotomy, it’s the norm in most industries.
How much does a junior phlebotomist make?
At the start of year career as a phlebotomist you will be on the low range of the phlebotomy pay scale. A junior phlebotomy technician average salary is around $10.99 an hour.
How much does a phlebotomist make with years of experience?
As you progress in your phlebotomy career and accumulate experience as a phlebotomy technician your pay will increase. You can take a few years to get to the top of your profession but you can expect to earn more than $21 per hour (or more than $45,00 per year) once you achieve it.
Certification
Certification is only mandatory in four states (California, Washington, Nevada, and Louisiana) but having a phlebotomist certification will ensure that you will be on the high end of the salary range. Like in most professions, phlebotomy employers will pay more for professionals with adequate training and certification.
Not only will your salary be higher if you are a certified phlebotomy technician compared to a non-certified phlebotomist but the certification will also help you get hired faster than a phlebotomist without the certification.
Employer
Additionally, phlebotomy salaries differ according to the type of institution or business the technician is employed with. Hospitals generally pay more and offer better benefits, than clinics or private practice physician’s offices. There can also be a difference based upon types and sizes of hospitals.
Phlebotomy jobs at larger regional hospitals can often pay a higher salary than smaller rural hospitals. Government operated hospitals, such as VA Medical Centers, generally tend to be just a bit below regional hospitals in terms of salary, but the benefits of working for the federal government can offset some of the difference.
Typical Phlebotomy Pay Scale per Employer
You can find on the table below, the average phlebotomy pay for different employers.
| Employer | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Laboratory Services | $34,420 |
| Ambulatory Car | $31,520 |
| Physician’s Offices | $31,520 |
| Hospitals | $31,300 |
Location
Phlebotomy salaries vary according to the region of the country you are in (speaking of the United States as the country). The standard of living of each state will directly impact the salaries, because you will need to earn more to cover higher expenses.
That’s not all…
In the next section you can find the average phlebotomy pay rate for the different states.
Phlebotomy Salary by State
| State | Hourly Mean Salary ($) | Annual Mean Salary ($) | Annual Salary Range ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 13.86 | 28,830 | 20,680 – 38,384 |
| Alaska | 19.55 | 40,670 | 31,550 – 52,523 |
| Arizona | 14.63 | 30,420 | 21,680 – 39,399 |
| Arkansas | 13.39 | 27,860 | 20,750 – 37,371 |
| California | 19.84 | 41,270 | 28,260 – 57,573 |
| Colorado | 17.39 | 36,170 | 26,580 – 47,479 |
| Connecticut | 18.84 | 39,190 | 30,850 – 49,496 |
| Delaware | 17.33 | 36,040 | 27,640 – 46,464 |
| District of Columbia | 19.52 | 40,600 | 32,480 – 50,500 |
| Florida | 14.37 | 29,880 | 22,190 – 38,385 |
| Georgia | 14.73 | 30,630 | 21,950 – 39,395 |
| Hawaii | 16.93 | 35,220 | 26,470 – 47,470 |
| Idaho | 14.31 | 29,760 | 23,920 – 38,380 |
| Illinois | 17.08 | 35,520 | 25,080 – 48,480 |
| Indiana | 14.67 | 30,520 | 22,230 – 39,392 |
| Iowa | 14.26 | 29,670 | 22,600 – 38,381 |
| Kansas | 15.21 | 31,630 | 22,110 – 41,415 |
| Kentucky | 14.19 | 29,510 | 21,520 – 38,388 |
| Louisiana | 13.81 | 28,730 | 20,470 – 38,387 |
| Maine | 14.44 | 30,040 | 22,560 – 38,383 |
| Maryland | 18.3 | 38,070 | 31,220 – 48,486 |
| Massachusetts | 18.65 | 38,800 | 29,000 – 49,497 |
| Michigan | 14.42 | 30,000 | 21,830 – 38,388 |
| Minnesota | 17.59 | 36,590 | 27,450 – 48,488 |
| Mississippi | 13.51 | 28,090 | 20,590 – 38,382 |
| Missouri | 14.32 | 29,780 | 20,350 – 39,391 |
| Montana | 15.67 | 32,580 | 22,470 – 45,458 |
| Nebraska | 15.05 | 31,300 | 23,560 – 39,391 |
| Nevada | 17.72 | 36,860 | 27,280 – 48,487 |
| New Hampshire | 18.34 | 38,140 | 27,250 – 48,489 |
| New Jersey | 18.13 | 37,710 | 29,100 – 48,483 |
| New Mexico | 13.48 | 28,040 | 20,920 – 38,380 |
| New York | 18.22 | 37,890 | 25,890 – 50,504 |
| North Carolina | 14.38 | 29,920 | 22,090 – 38,388 |
| North Dakota | 13.72 | 28,540 | 21,450 – 37,377 |
| Ohio | 15.32 | 31,860 | 24,360 – 39,398 |
| Oklahoma | 14.19 | 29,520 | 21,800 – 38,384 |
| Oregon | 17.65 | 36,720 | 27,450 – 48,480 |
| Pennsylvania | 16.4 | 34,120 | 25,440 – 46,462 |
| Rhode Island | 18.83 | 39,160 | 28,070 – 51,512 |
| South Carolina | 13.53 | 28,150 | 21,050 – 36,368 |
| South Dakota | 13.27 | 27,600 | 21,560 – 35,353 |
| Tennessee | 13.63 | 28,350 | 20,830 – 38,385 |
| Texas | 15.12 | 31,450 | 22,510 – 40,405 |
| Utah | 13.63 | 28,340 | 21,370 – 36,364 |
| Vermont | 16.65 | 34,620 | 26,590 – 43,435 |
| Virginia | 15.96 | 33,200 | 23,040 – 45,456 |
| Washington | 17.75 | 36,930 | 27,690 – 48,483 |
| West Virginia | 14.11 | 29,350 | 21,200 – 38,385 |
| Wisconsin | 16.42 | 34,150 | 25,670 – 46,464 |
| Wyoming | 15.48 | 32,190 | 23,390 – 40,409 |
| Puerto Rico | 11.34 | 23,580 | 16,390 – 37,373 |
Position
Not all phlebotomists have the same role or position so not all the phlebotomists will have the same pay rate. You can find on the following table some examples of different phlebotomy technician salaries per position, according to Payscale.com.
| Position | Hourly Rate | Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Psc Site Coordinator | $32.69 | $68,000 |
| Phlebotomy Technician | $14.42 | $30,000 |
| Mobile Phlebotomist | $12.02 | $25,000 |
| Phlebotomy Lab Assistant | $11.54 | $24,000 |
| Blood Donor Phlebotomist | $11.06 | $23,000 |
How Does a Phlebotomist Salary Compare with Other Salaries in Healthcare
Phlebotomist salaries are not in the top of the health care professions, but many phlebotomist technicians move to a better paying healthcare position during their career.
The following graphic shows the average pay for other healthcare professionals:
6 Ways to Increase Your Salary as a Phlebotomist
You may be wondering:
How you can I increase my phlebotomist pay? There are different ways to increase your wage as a phlebotomy technician, and most of them are related with the factors that impact how much do phlebotomists make, mentioned before.
#1 – Certification:
Although certification is not mandatory in most of the states, it will positively impact your pay. Having a certification shows that you are more qualified and that you have the required knowledge and skills to work in this area.
#2 – Experience / Specialization:
Having more years of experience as phlebotomy technician will definitively increase your pay. As a starting phlebotomist you will be paid around $25,000, but your pay should quickly reach the $30,000 mark when you hit the 5 years of experience.
You can also use your experience on the job to become a specialist in a line of the phlebotomy career – this will also increase your salary.
#3 – Change Employer:
Changing employer usually leads to a better pay, this is true not only for phlebotomists, but in general. If you are not happy with your current pay, look for better opportunities that will offer you a better pay and/or benefits.
As shown above in the “Typical Phlebotomy Pay Scale per Employer” table, a phlebotomist salary will also vary for different type of employers. If you work in one of the employer types that pay a lower rate (like nursing homes), consider changing to a type of employer that pays a better rate for phlebotomists.
#4 – Change Location:
In the “Phlebotomy Salary by State” table above, you can find the average mean salary in other states. If it’s significantly higher than yours, you may consider to move to a state that will pay a higher salary to a phlebotomy technician.
During you research, do not forget to check the average living expenses and compare with your current expenses.
#5 – Work More Hours:
Some employers need phlebotomist 24/7, like hospitals, so there is room to work more hours to get a better pay at the end of the month. You should also try to work on hours that pay better than the average, like late nights and weekends.
# 6 – Ask:
Ask your employer a pay raise – is something simple to do. Just make sure that you are able to support your request with solid arguments and data.
Phlebotomist Salaries in Other English Speaking Countries
As a reference, check how much a phlebotomist in paid in other English speaking countries:
| Country | Median Yearly Salary (Local Currency) | Median Yearly Salary ($) | Median Hourly Salary ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | CAD $37,000 | $27,750 | $13.34 |
| Australia | AU$43,500 | $31,755 | $15.27 |
| United Kingdom | £25,000 | $31,250 | $15.02 |
| Ireland | €30,500 | $32,025 | $15.4 |
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Payscale.com
Salary.com
Sokanu.com
