Phlebotomists
Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
- Median pay
- $45,230
- Doing it now
- 143,900
- By 2035
- Up 6.8%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary nondegree award
a year
across the country
18,000 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
- Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
- Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
- Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis.
- Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
- Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
- Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsSee 335 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $45,230 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.