Phlebotomist Career Responsibilities and Salary

The job description of a phlebotomist varies slightly depending on the facility. Like for example, phlebotomists that work in a hospital is responsible for drawing blood samples from the patients where as those phlebotomists working in blood banks does the job of collecting blood from people and stores it in a bag. Those who are involved in pharmaceutical companies have a different job description from the others working in a health care setting. But, it is the responsibility of all phlebotomist to follow the rules for drug testing and disposal of all tools being used. When the patient is ready, the role of the phlebotomist is to prepare the area where samples are needed to be drawn. The specified area is cleaned with a specific solution and blood is drawn by applying pressure. The collected blood samples are prepared in different ways. Some may be placed in containers or vials, some samples have been added with solutions or stains depending on the doctor’s order. During the whole blood drawing procedure, a phlebotomist is expected to wear e gears and follow safety precautions. Other duties include the handling of patient’s records, verifying patient’s information and giving basic patient care.

Becoming a phlebotomist will allow you to work in a rewarding job. The phlebotomist will draw blood from the patient’s vein. Medical offices, clinics, hospitals, laboratories are just some of the places where a phlebotomist can attain employment. A certificate is required for a person to be eligible in this field. A phlebotomist will learn to work with the patients, document records and prepare the samples of the blood for testing. Completing the certificate will prepare the person for employment as they learn more skills. Further education is always a choice. To have higher salaries, an associate or bachelor degree is always considered as a factor. To achieve these degrees, time and cost are needed but it is worth it. Some phlebotomist schools offer financial aids for the students. While a certificate can be completed in about six months, it takes 2 years to complete an associate degree and four years for a bachelor degree.

The annual average phlebotomist salary can range around $24,000 to $40,000. The job outlook for phlebotomists is excellent. The job opportunities in this field are still expected to grow faster compared to other average occupations. Phlebotomists are in high demands and a lot of vacancies are still there that makes phlebotomy an excellent career to break into. The demand for these phlebotomists also increases as the advancements in the medical and laboratory field increases. Hospitals need phlebotomists and it is expected to grow faster in medical laboratories. The phlebotomist’s salary depends on the level of experiences, education, location of the employment and the geographic location. The salary also differs from one state to another. If one has supervisory positions for phlebotomists it starts around $35,000. The earnings of these phlebotomists vary like in physician offices, these phlebotomists earn $30,000. In medical laboratories they earn $30,000 and in Hospitals $32,000.