Phlebotomist salary by percentile
Half of the 143,540 phlebotomists in the U.S. earn more than $45,230 a year, and the middle half earn $38,190 to $48,930.[onet_phleb][oews][oews_api] The take-home column shows what a single filer keeps after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare.[irs][ssa]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $35,780 | $17.20 | $30,929 |
| 25th | $38,190 | $18.36 | $32,866 |
| Median (50th) | $45,230 | $21.75 | $38,522 |
| 75th | $48,930 | $23.52 | $41,495 |
| 90th | $58,780 | $28.26 | $49,410 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Like other short-certificate jobs, phlebotomy has a tight pay band: going from the 25th to the 75th percentile adds only $10,740 a year. $50,000 is already about the 77th percentile nationally. Night shifts in hospital labs, mobile and home-draw work, and plasma and blood-donor centers can pay differentials that the BLS base wage does not show.
Phlebotomy technician salary: one occupation
Phlebotomy technician salary and phlebotomist salary are the same figure. BLS counts everyone whose main job is drawing blood in one occupation, phlebotomists (SOC 31-9097), and O*NET's reported job titles include "Phlebotomy Technician", "Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)" and "Patient Service Technician (PST)".[sum_phleb] A medical assistant who draws blood as one task among many is counted as a medical assistant instead. The two jobs pay almost the same at the median: $45,230 for phlebotomists against $45,690 for medical assistants.[onet_ma] Their state-by-state pay is on medical assistant salary.
Phlebotomist hourly pay
Phlebotomist hourly pay is $21.75 at the median, $17.20 at the 10th percentile and $28.26 at the 90th.[onet_phleb] BLS gets these hourly figures by dividing the annual estimate by 2,080 hours, and they exclude overtime and shift differentials.[oews_faq] Hospitals often staff phlebotomy in 8-, 10- or 12-hour shifts, so the weekly hours you are offered change your yearly pay more than a dollar on the hourly rate does.
| Percentile | Hourly | 24 h/week | 36 h/week | 40 h/week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $17.20 | $21,468 | $32,202 | $35,780 |
| 25th | $18.36 | $22,914 | $34,371 | $38,190 |
| Median | $21.75 | $27,138 | $40,707 | $45,230 |
| 75th | $23.52 | $29,358 | $44,037 | $48,930 |
| 90th | $28.26 | $35,268 | $52,902 | $58,780 |
Phlebotomist salary by state
California pays phlebotomists the most ($56,040 median), followed by District of Columbia ($51,980) and New York ($50,530); Louisiana is lowest at $36,120.[onet_phleb] California requires anyone who is not otherwise licensed to hold a state phlebotomy certificate before drawing blood, and Washington issues a separate Medical Assistant–Phlebotomist credential.[cdph_faq][wa_doh_ma] California's certificate, its $56,040 median and every California metro are covered on phlebotomist salary in California.
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. California | $56,040 | $26.94 | $45,490 | $74,340 |
| 2. District of Columbia | $51,980 | $24.99 | $46,010 | $57,250 |
| 3. New York | $50,530 | $24.29 | $37,930 | $63,070 |
| 4. Massachusetts | $50,170 | $24.12 | $42,950 | $62,350 |
| 5. Oregon | $49,160 | $23.63 | $40,060 | $62,280 |
| 6. Washington | $48,880 | $23.50 | $39,410 | $64,080 |
| 7. New Hampshire | $48,660 | $23.39 | $40,640 | $58,780 |
| 8. New Jersey | $48,650 | $23.39 | $39,730 | $58,520 |
| 9. Delaware | $48,110 | $23.13 | $38,720 | $58,520 |
| 10. Hawaii | $47,750 | $22.96 | $41,600 | $59,760 |
| 11. North Dakota | $47,430 | $22.80 | $33,840 | $58,290 |
| 12. Colorado | $47,180 | $22.68 | $39,400 | $59,540 |
| 13. Wisconsin | $46,470 | $22.34 | $37,680 | $51,950 |
| 14. Rhode Island | $46,380 | $22.30 | $36,830 | $58,290 |
| 15. Virginia | $46,340 | $22.28 | $37,370 | $58,470 |
| 16. Arizona | $46,260 | $22.24 | $38,090 | $60,820 |
| 17. Illinois | $46,010 | $22.12 | $37,370 | $54,920 |
| 18. Minnesota | $46,000 | $22.12 | $38,740 | $58,920 |
| 19. Vermont | $46,000 | $22.12 | $38,630 | $58,960 |
| 20. Alaska | $45,900 | $22.07 | $40,300 | $59,780 |
| 21. Georgia | $45,840 | $22.04 | $34,600 | $55,850 |
| 22. Connecticut | $45,820 | $22.03 | $38,360 | $59,730 |
| 23. Nevada | $45,760 | $22.00 | $37,280 | $59,480 |
| 24. Maine | $45,640 | $21.94 | $37,810 | $50,740 |
| 25. Montana | $45,470 | $21.86 | $36,950 | $52,590 |
| 26. Pennsylvania | $43,910 | $21.11 | $37,010 | $50,060 |
| 27. Maryland | $43,480 | $20.90 | $35,320 | $58,180 |
| 28. Idaho | $43,400 | $20.87 | $35,490 | $47,340 |
| 29. North Carolina | $43,330 | $20.83 | $35,210 | $49,450 |
| 30. Missouri | $43,120 | $20.73 | $34,070 | $51,390 |
| 31. New Mexico | $42,910 | $20.63 | $32,400 | $48,350 |
| 32. Kentucky | $42,480 | $20.42 | $35,230 | $48,820 |
| 33. Utah | $40,630 | $19.53 | $35,800 | $47,420 |
| 34. Texas | $40,450 | $19.45 | $32,570 | $53,560 |
| 35. Florida | $40,230 | $19.34 | $35,560 | $48,190 |
| 36. Michigan | $39,860 | $19.16 | $36,850 | $48,890 |
| 37. Ohio | $39,770 | $19.12 | $36,190 | $48,680 |
| 38. South Dakota | $39,560 | $19.02 | $31,360 | $45,240 |
| 39. Nebraska | $39,540 | $19.01 | $35,660 | $48,900 |
| 40. Indiana | $39,250 | $18.87 | $35,870 | $48,290 |
| 41. West Virginia | $39,250 | $18.87 | $30,570 | $46,130 |
| 42. Kansas | $39,100 | $18.80 | $34,410 | $50,350 |
| 43. Oklahoma | $39,030 | $18.76 | $33,570 | $49,200 |
| 44. South Carolina | $39,010 | $18.75 | $35,760 | $47,060 |
| 45. Tennessee | $38,550 | $18.53 | $35,010 | $47,630 |
| 46. Iowa | $38,240 | $18.38 | $35,970 | $46,570 |
| 47. Wyoming | $38,180 | $18.36 | $31,500 | $60,590 |
| 48. Arkansas | $37,450 | $18.00 | $30,870 | $44,280 |
| 49. Alabama | $37,220 | $17.89 | $30,440 | $45,710 |
| 50. Mississippi | $36,290 | $17.45 | $27,730 | $47,980 |
| 51. Louisiana | $36,120 | $17.37 | $29,770 | $47,120 |
Highest-paying metro areas for phlebotomists
The best-paying metro area for phlebotomists is Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA, at a $62,350 median.[onet_phleb] Pick a state in the calculator above to see every metro and nonmetro area BLS publishes for it.
| Metro area | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,350 | $29.98 | $48,820 | $79,380 |
| 2. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $61,580 | $29.61 | $46,780 | $76,560 |
| 3. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,600 | $29.13 | $54,350 | $94,720 |
| 4. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $60,290 | $28.99 | $51,660 | $74,070 |
| 5. Vallejo, CA | $59,920 | $28.81 | $48,100 | $77,230 |
| 6. Napa, CA | $59,840 | $28.77 | $49,670 | $78,760 |
| 7. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59,800 | $28.75 | $47,670 | $95,820 |
| 8. Redding, CA | $59,320 | $28.52 | $44,560 | $78,050 |
| 9. Chico, CA | $59,100 | $28.41 | $47,370 | $61,620 |
| 10. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $58,900 | $28.32 | $45,610 | $77,910 |
Is phlebotomy worth it?
Phlebotomy is one of the fastest and cheapest ways into a hospital or lab job, which is its main appeal. The certificate, the national exams (such as NHA CPT and ASCP PBT) and what they cost are laid out on how to become a phlebotomist, where the payback calculator shows how long training takes to pay for itself. Many phlebotomists later move into higher-paying laboratory roles with more schooling; tissue lab work is covered on histotechnologist salary, and the allied health salary comparison ranks every short-training career by pay.
Frequently asked questions
How much do phlebotomists make?
$45,230 a year at the national median (BLS, May 2025). The middle half earn $38,190 to $48,930.
How much do phlebotomists make an hour?
$21.75 at the median, $17.20 at the 10th percentile and $28.26 at the 90th, before overtime and shift differentials.
What are typical phlebotomy wages?
Phlebotomy wages run from $17.20 an hour at the 10th percentile to $28.26 at the 90th, with a median of $21.75 (BLS, May 2025). As a yearly phlebotomy salary that is $35,780 to $58,780.
Which state pays phlebotomists the most?
California ($56,040 median), then District of Columbia and New York. Louisiana pays the least.
Do phlebotomists make more than medical assistants?
About the same: the phlebotomist median is $45,230 and the medical assistant median is $45,690.
Sources
- Local Wages: 31-9097.00 Phlebotomists (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS national employment and wage series, May 2025 (BLS Public Data API, series OEUN0000000000000
01 and 13) - OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Summary Report for 31-9097.00 Phlebotomists (sample job titles)
- Local Wages: 31-9092.00 Medical Assistants (state and metro percentiles)
- Phlebotomy Certificate FAQ
- Medical Assistant credentialing requirements (including Medical Assistant–Phlebotomist)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)