BLS hourly pay for phlebotomists at every level and in every state, hospital vs lab pay, overtime and take-home after 2026 tax
Phlebotomists earned a median of $21.75 an hour in May 2025, or $45,230 a year full time, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which counted 143,540 of them. Pay is bunched tightly: half of all phlebotomists earned between $18.36 and $23.53, and the top tenth over $28.26. That makes your state and employer — and any night or weekend premium, which BLS leaves out — matter more than seniority.
This is the BLS line for phlebotomists (SOC 31-9097) on employers' payrolls. Medical assistants who draw blood as part of a wider job are counted as medical assistants, and clinical lab technologists are a separate line. Take-home assumes a single filer with 2026 federal tax and FICA and no state tax.
| Pay level | Hourly | Annual | Monthly | Take-home a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.20 | $35,780 | $2,982 | $30,929 |
| 25th percentile | $18.36 | $38,190 | $3,183 | $32,866 |
| Median | $21.75 | $45,230 | $3,769 | $38,522 |
| 75th percentile | $23.53 | $48,930 | $4,078 | $41,495 |
| 90th percentile | $28.26 | $58,780 | $4,898 | $49,410 |
California is far ahead of the rest at $26.94 an hour, and it also has the most phlebotomists, 13,520. Washington, D.C. ($24.99) and New York ($24.29) follow. Louisiana ($17.36) and Mississippi ($17.45) pay least. Texas and Florida, the next-largest workforces, both pay under the national median: $19.45 and $19.34.
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $26.94 | $56,040 | 13,520 |
| District of Columbia | $24.99 | $51,980 | 180 |
| New York | $24.29 | $50,530 | 6,400 |
| Massachusetts | $24.12 | $50,170 | 2,580 |
| Oregon | $23.63 | $49,160 | 1,800 |
| Washington | $23.50 | $48,880 | 2,820 |
| New Hampshire | $23.40 | $48,660 | 630 |
| New Jersey | $23.39 | $48,650 | 5,230 |
| Delaware | $23.13 | $48,110 | 430 |
| Hawaii | $22.96 | $47,750 | 110 |
| North Dakota | $22.81 | $47,430 | 220 |
| Colorado | $22.69 | $47,180 | 2,420 |
| Wisconsin | $22.34 | $46,470 | 3,610 |
| Rhode Island | $22.30 | $46,380 | 970 |
| Virginia | $22.28 | $46,340 | 3,600 |
| Arizona | $22.24 | $46,260 | 3,430 |
| Illinois | $22.12 | $46,010 | 7,910 |
| Minnesota | $22.12 | $46,000 | 2,090 |
| Vermont | $22.12 | $46,000 | 200 |
| Alaska | $22.07 | $45,900 | 210 |
| Georgia | $22.04 | $45,840 | 5,280 |
| Connecticut | $22.03 | $45,820 | 1,630 |
| Nevada | $22.00 | $45,760 | 1,300 |
| Maine | $21.94 | $45,640 | 500 |
| Montana | $21.86 | $45,470 | 370 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.11 | $43,910 | 5,510 |
| Maryland | $20.91 | $43,480 | 2,040 |
| Idaho | $20.87 | $43,400 | 1,010 |
| North Carolina | $20.83 | $43,330 | 5,410 |
| Missouri | $20.73 | $43,120 | 1,890 |
| New Mexico | $20.63 | $42,910 | 760 |
| Kentucky | $20.42 | $42,480 | 2,500 |
| Utah | $19.54 | $40,630 | 1,680 |
| Texas | $19.45 | $40,450 | 12,820 |
| Florida | $19.34 | $40,230 | 10,220 |
| Michigan | $19.16 | $39,860 | 3,540 |
| Ohio | $19.12 | $39,770 | 5,120 |
| South Dakota | $19.02 | $39,560 | 320 |
| Nebraska | $19.01 | $39,540 | 920 |
| Indiana | $18.87 | $39,250 | 2,410 |
| West Virginia | $18.87 | $39,250 | 1,530 |
| Kansas | $18.80 | $39,100 | 1,120 |
| Oklahoma | $18.76 | $39,030 | 1,670 |
| South Carolina | $18.76 | $39,010 | 2,760 |
| Tennessee | $18.53 | $38,550 | 3,520 |
| Iowa | $18.38 | $38,240 | 1,100 |
| Wyoming | $18.36 | $38,180 | 190 |
| Arkansas | $18.01 | $37,450 | 1,100 |
| Alabama | $17.89 | $37,220 | 2,350 |
| Mississippi | $17.45 | $36,290 | 1,200 |
| Louisiana | $17.36 | $36,120 | 3,410 |
Outpatient care centers pay phlebotomists the most ($48,030), then medical and diagnostic laboratories ($46,670) and physicians' offices ($44,500). Hospitals, the largest employer, pay $44,220, and other ambulatory services such as blood and organ banks $39,930.
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Outpatient care centers | $48,030 |
| Medical and diagnostic laboratories | $46,670 |
| Offices of physicians | $44,500 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $44,220 |
| All other ambulatory healthcare services | $39,930 |
Most phlebotomists work full time. Those in hospitals and labs may need to work nights, weekends and holidays, and some travel: to set up mobile blood drives, or to long-term care centers and patients' homes (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook). Hospitals employ 36% of phlebotomists and medical and diagnostic laboratories 33%, so whether you draw blood in a hospital or a lab decides much of your schedule.
Phlebotomists are paid by the hour and are owed time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek (U.S. Department of Labor). A hospital can instead use the 8-and-80 system if you agree to it in advance: overtime after 8 hours in a day and 80 in a 14-day period (DOL Fact Sheet #54). Night and weekend premiums are up to the employer — federal law doesn't require them — and BLS leaves them out of its wage figures.
Most phlebotomists finish a phlebotomy certificate at a community college, vocational or technical school, usually in under a year, covering anatomy, physiology and medical terminology; some employers hire people with a high school diploma and train them. States may require an accredited program, a license or certification, and many employers prefer a professional certification that includes a practical blood-draw component. Basic Life Support certification may be needed, and a driver's license for those who transport samples (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook).
More ways to work with your phlebotomist pay:
$21.75 an hour ($45,230 a year) at the BLS median for May 2025. The middle half earned $18.36 to $23.53 an hour.
California ($26.94 an hour, $56,040 a year), then District of Columbia and New York; Louisiana pays least among the 51 states where BLS released a figure (BLS, May 2025).
Labs, slightly. In the Occupational Outlook Handbook's industry table, medical and diagnostic laboratories have a higher median than hospitals, and outpatient care centers the highest of all. The figures are in the table on this page.
BLS doesn't publish a separate wage for certified phlebotomists. What the Occupational Outlook Handbook does say is that many employers prefer to hire certified candidates, so certification mostly widens which jobs you can get; the percentile table shows how far pay ranges.
Tax rules, limits and pay data change. Check the current figures with the primary source before acting on them.