Occupations · Healthcare Support
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 31-9097.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 47% between 2012 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $48,840 | 5,760 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $48,000 | 5,080 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $56,870 | 4,380 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $44,610 | 4,040 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $42,830 | 3,320 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $44,370 | 2,860 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $46,770 | 2,850 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $45,400 | 2,620 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $38,890 | 2,620 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,840 | 1,690 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $49,340 | 1,680 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $38,550 | 1,520 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
- Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
- Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
- Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
- Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
- Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
- Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
- Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals.
- Provide sample analysis results to physicians to assist diagnosis.
- Administer subcutaneous or intramuscular injects, in accordance with licensing restrictions.
- Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
- Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2019-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2019-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Confirm the identities of patients by verifying their personal information.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 9
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| phlebotomist | 5329.2 | exact |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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