Phlebotomists
What Phlebotomists Do
Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.6/5
- English Languageimportance 3.8/5
- Administrativeimportance 3.4/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 3.4/5
- Psychologyimportance 3.2/5
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.1/5
- Medicine and Dentistryimportance 3.1/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 3.0/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.8/5
- Contact With Others4.8/5
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.8/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.8/5
- Telephone Conversations4.7/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.6/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Animal Caretakers96% skill match
- Medical Assistants96% skill match
- Nursing Assistants95% skill match
- Orderlies95% skill match
- Food Preparation Workers95% skill match
- Correctional Officers and Jailers95% skill match
- Physical Therapist Assistants94% skill match
- Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers, Recordkeeping94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Service Orientationimportance 3.6/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 3.5/5
- Coordinationimportance 3.1/5
- Instructingimportance 3.0/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.6/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Donor management system software
- Electronic medical record EMR software
- Iatric Systems MobiLab
- Laboratory information system LIS
- MEDITECH Blood Bank
- MEDITECH Laboratory and Microbiology
- Medical procedure coding software
- Scheduling software
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Stress Tolerance
- Cooperation
- Self-Control
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalHigh
- InvestigativeMedium
- SocialMedium
- EnterprisingLow
- ArtisticLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where phlebotomists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Kankakee, IL13.87× national avg
- 2Charleston, WV4.75× national avg
- 3Morgantown, WV3.77× national avg
- 4Burlington, NC3.69× national avg
- 5Shreveport-Bossier City, LA3.28× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Medical AssistantsLateral Move
- Physical Therapist AssistantsLateral Move
- Nursing AssistantsLateral Move
- Dental HygienistsCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Sterile Processing Technology/Technician
- Northwest Career College (Las Vegas, NV)
- Contra Costa Medical Career College (Antioch, CA)grads earn ~$62,065
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR)grads earn ~$67,126
- Grand Canyon University (Phoenix, AZ)grads earn ~$79,175
- MTI College (Sacramento, CA)grads earn ~$42,959