Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Phlebotomist
Phlebotomists draw blood for tests, transfusions, and donations in hospitals, labs, blood banks, and mobile clinics. It is one of the shortest training paths into healthcare.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What a phlebotomist makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$45,230
$21.75 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $38,190
- 75th percentile
- $48,930
- 90th percentile
- $58,780
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- Not published
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +6.8%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 18,000
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
A phlebotomy certificate program runs a few weeks to a few months and includes supervised draws; the NHA CPT exam or an equivalent certification is required by employers in most places and by law in a few states. Hospital labs and national lab companies hire steadily.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
The next step
Phlebotomy certificate program and the NHA CPT exam
- Typical cost
- $500 to $3,500 for the program; CPT exam $125
- Time to complete
- 4 to 12 weeks
Where to start NHA CPT exam prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for phlebotomists by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $26.94 | $56,040 | $47,800 to $62,790 | 13,520 |
| District of Columbia | $24.99 | $51,980 | $46,290 to $56,500 | 180 |
| New York | $24.29 | $50,530 | $44,990 to $60,320 | 6,400 |
| Massachusetts | $24.12 | $50,170 | $47,260 to $57,960 | 2,580 |
| Oregon | $23.63 | $49,160 | $45,860 to $58,370 | 1,800 |
| Washington | $23.50 | $48,880 | $45,820 to $58,370 | 2,820 |
| New Hampshire | $23.40 | $48,660 | $45,580 to $52,310 | 630 |
| New Jersey | $23.39 | $48,650 | $45,690 to $50,080 | 5,230 |
| Delaware | $23.13 | $48,110 | $39,670 to $51,120 | 430 |
| Hawaii | $22.96 | $47,750 | $45,850 to $50,450 | 110 |
| North Dakota | $22.81 | $47,430 | $41,770 to $53,730 | 220 |
| Colorado | $22.69 | $47,180 | $44,660 to $49,520 | 2,420 |
| Wisconsin | $22.34 | $46,470 | $40,000 to $48,690 | 3,610 |
| Rhode Island | $22.30 | $46,380 | $42,640 to $50,890 | 970 |
| Virginia | $22.28 | $46,340 | $40,010 to $49,900 | 3,600 |
| Arizona | $22.24 | $46,260 | $40,590 to $47,840 | 3,430 |
| Illinois | $22.12 | $46,010 | $39,710 to $49,720 | 7,910 |
| Minnesota | $22.12 | $46,000 | $43,600 to $48,760 | 2,090 |
| Vermont | $22.12 | $46,000 | $41,430 to $48,550 | 200 |
| Alaska | $22.07 | $45,900 | $44,100 to $49,080 | 210 |
| Georgia | $22.04 | $45,840 | $36,750 to $50,250 | 5,280 |
| Connecticut | $22.03 | $45,820 | $43,370 to $48,970 | 1,630 |
| Nevada | $22.00 | $45,760 | $38,010 to $52,710 | 1,300 |
| Maine | $21.94 | $45,640 | $39,360 to $48,010 | 500 |
| Montana | $21.86 | $45,470 | $38,920 to $48,480 | 370 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.11 | $43,910 | $38,530 to $47,370 | 5,510 |
| Maryland | $20.91 | $43,480 | $38,890 to $49,380 | 2,040 |
| Idaho | $20.87 | $43,400 | $37,310 to $46,110 | 1,010 |
| North Carolina | $20.83 | $43,330 | $37,430 to $46,860 | 5,410 |
| Missouri | $20.73 | $43,120 | $36,530 to $46,970 | 1,890 |
| New Mexico | $20.63 | $42,910 | $37,420 to $45,660 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $20.42 | $42,480 | $37,960 to $46,130 | 2,500 |
| Utah | $19.54 | $40,630 | $37,090 to $44,860 | 1,680 |
| Texas | $19.45 | $40,450 | $36,560 to $47,690 | 12,820 |
| Florida | $19.34 | $40,230 | $37,250 to $45,820 | 10,220 |
| Michigan | $19.16 | $39,860 | $37,870 to $45,760 | 3,540 |
| Ohio | $19.12 | $39,770 | $37,800 to $46,520 | 5,120 |
| South Dakota | $19.02 | $39,560 | $36,320 to $43,100 | 320 |
| Nebraska | $19.01 | $39,540 | $37,120 to $45,310 | 920 |
| Indiana | $18.87 | $39,250 | $37,400 to $45,620 | 2,410 |
| West Virginia | $18.87 | $39,250 | $37,770 to $44,570 | 1,530 |
| Kansas | $18.80 | $39,100 | $37,700 to $46,540 | 1,120 |
| Oklahoma | $18.76 | $39,030 | $36,240 to $46,570 | 1,670 |
| South Carolina | $18.76 | $39,010 | $37,540 to $44,600 | 2,760 |
| Tennessee | $18.53 | $38,550 | $36,310 to $45,630 | 3,520 |
| Iowa | $18.38 | $38,240 | $37,270 to $44,120 | 1,100 |
| Wyoming | $18.36 | $38,180 | $35,700 to $47,980 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $18.01 | $37,450 | $35,240 to $42,180 | 1,100 |
| Alabama | $17.89 | $37,220 | $35,430 to $41,600 | 2,350 |
| Mississippi | $17.45 | $36,290 | $30,940 to $38,820 | 1,200 |
| Louisiana | $17.36 | $36,120 | $30,900 to $44,130 | 3,410 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be a phlebotomist?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry. The usual credential is phlebotomy certificate program and the NHA CPT exam.
How much does a phlebotomist make?
The median pay was $45,230 a year ($21.75 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $38,190 and $48,930, and the top 10 percent earned more than $58,780.
How long does it take to become a phlebotomist?
4 to 12 weeks. The typical cost is $500 to $3,500 for the program; CPT exam $125.
Is phlebotomist work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035 with about 18,000 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 31-9097.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile