Phlebotomist Pay

A 2008 salary survey shows that the average phlebotomist salary is $26,297 per year across the nation. Typically those located on the east and west coast pay better than other phlebotomy positions. Hospital jobs, especially at larger hospitals with 500 beds or more, typically have higher phlebotomy salaries than doctors’ offices or lab settings.

Insurance and Benefits

In terms of insurance benefits and paid time off, this is really determined by the employer, rather than a function of the profession. Phlebotomy Salary So whatever benefits the hospital, doctor’s office, or lab a phlebotomist works for offers, they would be the same for all employees who work there.

Advancement Opportunities

Typically phlebotomists are given an annual review and a raise if their performance merits it and if it's in the employer's budget. Longevity comes into play also, but there are ceilings to every job's pay scale.

There are a few “tiers” of advancement in this field including lead phlebotomist and phlebotomy supervisor. Phlebotomists who are higher on the chain of command may earn as much as $2-4 an hour more than a general phlebotomist.

Challenges

One challenge is when patients have veins that are difficult to locate. Only 96% of venipunctures are successful on the first attempt, which means that about 4% of the time, a phlebotomist will miss the vein. For those highly determined phlebotomists, there seems to be a sense of mastery at finding even less assessable veins.

Having to draw blood from children can also be a challenge because it can be tough to get them to sit still to draw the blood, and it is also difficult to inflict pain on children. But it is part of the job and a good phlebotomist handles these situations professionally and makes the child feel at ease.

Learn more about phlebotomy training.