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Phlebotomy Technicians


Outlook

Employment Prospects

Employers

Approximately 331,700 medical and clinical laboratory technicians, including phlebotomy technicians, are employed in the United States. Phlebotomy technicians work in a variety of health care settings. The majority work in hospitals or in outpatient settings such as clinics, physicians' offices, reference laboratories, or blood banks. A few are hired by private industry or by insurance companies.

Starting Out

Many of the associations serving health care professionals list job advertisements, as do job posting Web sites. One such association resource is American Medical Technologists' Career Connection (https://www.healthecareers.com/amt). In addition, some employers actively recruit employees by contacting students who are graduating from accredited programs. Some programs offer job placement assistance, as well.

Advancement Prospects

At some hospitals, phlebotomy technicians advance through several different levels of responsibility and pay, depending on their training and experience.

One of the most common career paths for phlebotomy technicians is to work for a few years in a hospital or laboratory and then return to school to study medical laboratory technology or some other branch of clinical laboratory medicine.

There may also be supervisory advancement opportunities within blood bank centers. For example, you can return to school, obtain a bachelor's degree, attend a specialized fifth-year program, and become a certified specialist in blood bank technology.

Tips for Entry

Acquire a driver's license and keep a clean driver's record to be eligible for a position on a mobile blood unit.

Consider which work environment will be best for you (e.g., blood bank, hospital, nursing home) by either visiting, volunteering, or speaking to phlebotomy professionals.

Join clubs in high school and college that help you to develop your teamwork, communication, and interpersonal skills. Developing these skills will make you a more attractive job candidate.

Become certified through one of the following certifying boards:

  • American Medical Technologists (https://www.americanmedtech.org)
  • American Society of Phlebotomy Technicians (https://www.aspt.org)
  • Board of Registry of the American Society for Clinical Pathology (https://www.ascp.org)