Phlebotomists
Also called: Lab Liaison Technician, Phlebotomy Technician (Phlebotomy Tech), Registered Phlebotomist, Registered Phlebotomy Technician (RPT)Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 22 rated tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 6.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.0 hires for every 10 job openings in health care and social assistance, which employs about 97% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37,220 | $35,430 to $41,600 | 2,350 |
| Alaska | $45,900 | $44,100 to $49,080 | 210 |
| Arizona | $46,260 | $40,590 to $47,840 | 3,430 |
| Arkansas | $37,450 | $35,240 to $42,180 | 1,100 |
| California | $56,040 | $47,800 to $62,790 | 13,520 |
| Colorado | $47,180 | $44,660 to $49,520 | 2,420 |
| Connecticut | $45,820 | $43,370 to $48,970 | 1,630 |
| Delaware | $48,110 | $39,670 to $51,120 | 430 |
| District of Columbia | $51,980 | $46,290 to $56,500 | 180 |
| Florida | $40,230 | $37,250 to $45,820 | 10,220 |
| Georgia | $45,840 | $36,750 to $50,250 | 5,280 |
| Hawaii | $47,750 | $45,850 to $50,450 | 110 |
| Idaho | $43,400 | $37,310 to $46,110 | 1,010 |
| Illinois | $46,010 | $39,710 to $49,720 | 7,910 |
| Indiana | $39,250 | $37,400 to $45,620 | 2,410 |
| Iowa | $38,240 | $37,270 to $44,120 | 1,100 |
| Kansas | $39,100 | $37,700 to $46,540 | 1,120 |
| Kentucky | $42,480 | $37,960 to $46,130 | 2,500 |
| Louisiana | $36,120 | $30,900 to $44,130 | 3,410 |
| Maine | $45,640 | $39,360 to $48,010 | 500 |
| Maryland | $43,480 | $38,890 to $49,380 | 2,040 |
| Massachusetts | $50,170 | $47,260 to $57,960 | 2,580 |
| Michigan | $39,860 | $37,870 to $45,760 | 3,540 |
| Minnesota | $46,000 | $43,600 to $48,760 | 2,090 |
| Mississippi | $36,290 | $30,940 to $38,820 | 1,200 |
| Missouri | $43,120 | $36,530 to $46,970 | 1,890 |
| Montana | $45,470 | $38,920 to $48,480 | 370 |
| Nebraska | $39,540 | $37,120 to $45,310 | 920 |
| Nevada | $45,760 | $38,010 to $52,710 | 1,300 |
| New Hampshire | $48,660 | $45,580 to $52,310 | 630 |
| New Jersey | $48,650 | $45,690 to $50,080 | 5,230 |
| New Mexico | $42,910 | $37,420 to $45,660 | 760 |
| New York | $50,530 | $44,990 to $60,320 | 6,400 |
| North Carolina | $43,330 | $37,430 to $46,860 | 5,410 |
| North Dakota | $47,430 | $41,770 to $53,730 | 220 |
| Ohio | $39,770 | $37,800 to $46,520 | 5,120 |
| Oklahoma | $39,030 | $36,240 to $46,570 | 1,670 |
| Oregon | $49,160 | $45,860 to $58,370 | 1,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $43,910 | $38,530 to $47,370 | 5,510 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,880 | $26,850 to $33,640 | 770 |
| Rhode Island | $46,380 | $42,640 to $50,890 | 970 |
| South Carolina | $39,010 | $37,540 to $44,600 | 2,760 |
| South Dakota | $39,560 | $36,320 to $43,100 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $38,550 | $36,310 to $45,630 | 3,520 |
| Texas | $40,450 | $36,560 to $47,690 | 12,820 |
| Utah | $40,630 | $37,090 to $44,860 | 1,680 |
| Vermont | $46,000 | $41,430 to $48,550 | 200 |
| Virginia | $46,340 | $40,010 to $49,900 | 3,600 |
| Washington | $48,880 | $45,820 to $58,370 | 2,820 |
| West Virginia | $39,250 | $37,770 to $44,570 | 1,530 |
| Wisconsin | $46,470 | $40,000 to $48,690 | 3,610 |
| Wyoming | $38,180 | $35,700 to $47,980 | 190 |
Nationally: $45,230. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 4 of its 22 rated tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not rated | Confirm the identities of patients by verifying their personal information. | Not published |
| Not much | Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels. | Not published |
| Not much | Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods. | Not published |
| Not much | Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use. | Not published |
| Not much | Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| Not much | Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies. | Not published |
| AI + software | Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer. | Not published |
| Not much | Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories. | Not published |
| Not much | Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods. | Not published |
| Not much | Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests. | Not published |
| Not much | Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals. | Not published |
| AI alone | Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor blood or plasma donors during and after procedures to ensure health, safety, and comfort. | Not published |
| AI + software | Provide sample analysis results to physicians to assist diagnosis. | Not published |
| Not much | Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal. | Not published |
| Not much | Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures. | Not published |
| Not much | Calibrate or maintain machines, such as those used for plasma collection. | Not published |
| Not much | Serve refreshments to donors to ensure absorption of sugar into their systems. | Not published |
| AI + software | Determine donor suitability, according to interview results, vital signs, and medical history. | Not published |
| Not much | Draw blood from arteries, using arterial collection techniques. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 20 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collect environmental or biological samples | |||
| Dispose of waste or debris | |||
| Prepare specimens or materials for testing | |||
| Administer diagnostic tests to assess patient health | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Explain medical information to patients or family members | |||
| Verify personal information | |||
| Assess living, work, or social needs or status of individuals or communities |
Show all 20 activities
| Interview people to obtain information | |||
| Monitor health conditions of humans or animals | |||
| Collect information about patients or clients | |||
| Prepare health or medical documents | |||
| Assist individuals with special needs | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Train others on health or medical topics | |||
| Confer with healthcare or other professionals about patient care | |||
| Maintain health or medical records | |||
| Prepare medical equipment or work areas for use | |||
| Maintain medical equipment or instruments | |||
| Clean medical equipment or facilities |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer85%
- Advice or a recommendation3%
- Creative writing3%
- A document or report3%
- Teaching material3%
How they worked with Claude
18% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for phlebotomists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 37,998 moves out
- 1 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 12%
- 2 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 9%
- 3 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 7%
- 4 Medical and Health Services Managers High +24.2% 4%
- 5 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 32,453 moves in
- 1 Medical Assistants Moderate +12.9% 17%
- 2 Nursing Assistants Low +2.6% 11%
- 3 Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians 8%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Health Technologists and Technicians, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 1% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 48% some college
- 14% associate's
- 8% bachelor's
- 2% master's
- 1% professional degree
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,162 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
1 program: Phlebotomy Technician/Phlebotomist.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
74.1% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 12.9% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | 44.4% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (PHLEBOTOMIST; Phlebotomist). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Phlebotomists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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