Average Phlebotomists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Phlebotomists is $45,230 per year. The middle 50% earn between $38,190 and $48,930, with 143,540 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 51 states and 329 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Phlebotomists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $35,780
- 25th
- $38,190
- Median
- $45,230
- 75th
- $48,930
- 90th
- $58,780
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Phlebotomists earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most phlebotomists earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for phlebotomists from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +5.6%
- 7,900 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 18,400
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Phlebotomists earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is California at $56,040, about 23.9% above the national median. At the metro level, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA leads with a median of $62,350.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| California | $56,040 | 13,520 |
| District of Columbia | $51,980 | 180 |
| New York | $50,530 | 6,400 |
| Massachusetts | $50,170 | 2,580 |
| Oregon | $49,160 | 1,800 |
| Washington | $48,880 | 2,820 |
| New Hampshire | $48,660 | 630 |
| New Jersey | $48,650 | 5,230 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $62,350 | 100 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $60,600 | 350 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $60,290 | 190 |
| Vallejo, CA | $59,920 | 140 |
| Napa, CA | $59,840 | 30 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $59,800 | 50 |
| Redding, CA | $59,320 | 90 |
| Chico, CA | $59,100 | 100 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see phlebotomists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Phlebotomists rose from $35,510 to $45,230, a gain of +27.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $35,510 would need to be worth $44,717 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $45,230 is $513 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +1.1% in purchasing power.
Wages have roughly kept pace with inflation. Nominal pay rose by 27.4%, but inflation absorbed most of it.
- Nominal change
- +27.4%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +1.1%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Phlebotomists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $45,230
- 2024
- $43,660
- 2023
- $41,810
- 2022
- $38,530
- 2021
- $37,380
- 2020
- $36,320
- 2019
- $35,510
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Medical Assistants
- $45,690
- Medical Equipment Preparers
- $47,700
- Dental Assistants
- $48,070
- Medical Transcriptionists
- $40,410
- Pharmacy Aides
- $37,680
- Massage Therapists
- $58,450
Common salary questions for Phlebotomists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Phlebotomists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.