Careers / Phlebotomists

Phlebotomists — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$45,230

United States, 2025

Employment

143,540

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.

O*NET code
31-9097.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
None

Typical tasks

  • Confirm the identities of patients by verifying their personal information.
  • Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
  • Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
  • Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
  • Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
  • Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
  • Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
  • Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$35,780
10th
$38,190
25th
$45,230
Median
$48,930
75th
$58,780
90th

10th percentile

$35,780

25th percentile

$38,190

75th percentile

$48,930

90th percentile

$58,780

Most important skills

  • Service Orientation3.6
  • Speaking3.5
  • Social Perceptiveness3.5
  • Critical Thinking3.3
  • Active Listening3.3
  • Instructing3.1
  • Coordination3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Learning Strategies3.0
  • Writing3.0
  • Active Learning3.0

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 14 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

14

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Speaking3.53.6Not selected3.6
Active Listening3.33.5Not selected3.5
Social Perceptiveness3.53.1Not selected3.1
Reading Comprehension3.13.5Not selected3.5
Service Orientation3.63.0Not selected3.0
Critical Thinking3.33.3Not selected3.3
Instructing3.13.1Not selected3.1
Coordination3.13.0Not selected3.0
Monitoring3.13.0Not selected3.0
Learning Strategies3.03.1Not selected3.1
Writing3.03.0Not selected3.0
Active Learning3.03.0Not selected3.0
Judgment and Decision Making3.02.9Not selected2.9
Complex Problem Solving3.02.8Not selected2.8

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Santa Rosa, CA$62,3501002025
San Jose, CA$60,6003502025
Santa Maria, CA$60,2901902025
Vallejo, CA$59,9201402025
Napa, CA$59,840302025
Santa Cruz, CA$59,800502025
Redding, CA$59,320902025
Chico, CA$59,1001002025
San Francisco, CA$58,9001,4102025
San Diego, CA$58,1701,3002025
CA$56,04013,5202025
Oxnard, CA$55,7401902025
San Luis Obispo, CA$53,5601002025
Barnstable Town, MA$53,500702025
Los Angeles, CA$52,9404,7202025
Salinas, CA$52,9401102025
Sacramento, CA$52,5607902025
DC$51,9801802025
Modesto, CA$51,9601902025
Portland, OR$51,6809502025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Phlebotomists to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.