The Average Salary of a Phlebotomist

Phlebotomists spend their workdays drawing blood from patients, labeling and storing the samples, delivering samples to the lab, and doing data entry on the computer. They also file lab slips and reports, sterilize equipment, and safely dispose of used sharps. Phlebotomists work in hospitals and private practices, clinics, diagnostic laboratories, and home health agencies. The jobs are entry-level and relatively low-paying.

Starting Salary

Phlebotomists typically obtain training at a community college or vocational school, in a part-time program lasting one or two semesters. The students learn anatomy, blood drawing methods, safety measures, legalities, patient care and communication, and basic first aid. Phlebotomists also usually become certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation during this training because most employers require it. Median starting salary for phlebotomists in 2009 is about $10.50, with an increase to $13 with 5 years experience.

Location

Phlebotomists in the smallest facilities, such as private practices, usually are earning in the $11 range. Those in hospitals employing over 50,000 people make around $14.75 on average and up to about $17 at the high end.

Traveling Phlebotomists

Traveling phlebotomists collect samples at many different locations and deliver them back to one laboratory. These phlebotomists can earn more because they sometimes choose to work many additional hours, even up to 60 hours a week. Average pay for traveling phlebotomists is about $11 to $15, and working extra hours can add an additional $10,000 to $15,000 to the yearly salary.

Potential

Because phlebotomists become very familiar with blood sampling and laboratory procedures, many go on to obtain an associate's degree to become medical laboratory technicians, who have a median hourly pay of between $17 and $19 as of 2009.

Advancement

Phlebotomists working for the state, local, or federal government, who usually have the title medical technician phlebotomist, earn about $37,000 annually. The highest-paid phlebotomists are those who advance to phlebotomy supervisor at a hospital or other facility, and make an average salary between $39,000 and $44,000 as of 2009.