# Phlebotomists

US SOC code 31-9097. Markdown version of https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/31-9097

Also called: Blood draw technician, Venipuncture technician, Phlebotomy technician, Laboratory phlebotomist, Mobile phlebotomist.

## In brief

In May 2025, [BLS](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip) counted **143,540** US phlebotomists, with median pay of **$45,230** a year. Of the BLS counts since 2012, the May 2025 count is the highest. The earliest figure here is [an estimate](https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed) of **15,000** from 1960, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for phlebotomists: Electronic health records and barcode positive patient identification, 2005 to 2018. Specimen labeling errors fell substantially at institutions implementing PPID workflows.

## What the sources say

### Official outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035. Source: [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9097&ioType=o).

### AI exposure studies

- **11%** of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. [Eloundou and others, 2023](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv)

Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.

## Phlebotomists employment and pay by year

- On record since: 1940
- Latest US employment: 143,540 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [5]
- Latest US median pay: $45,230 (May 2025). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 [7]
- Outlook: +6.8% by 2035. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025-35 [16]

### All 18 years of cited US data

| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1960 | 15,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., ASCP [1] |
| 1980 | 55,000 (estimate) | $11,500 (estimate) | Est., National Phlebotomy Association (employment) [2]; Est., University of Missouri Libraries (pay) [6] |
| 1990 | 80,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., Quest Diagnostics [3] |
| 2000 | 95,000 (estimate) | n/a | Est., O\*NET 31-9097.00 [4] |
| 2012 | 100,380 | $29,730 | BLS OEWS May 2012 [5] |
| 2013 | 108,210 | $30,150 | BLS OEWS May 2013 [5] |
| 2014 | 111,950 | $30,670 | BLS OEWS May 2014 [5] |
| 2015 | 118,160 | $31,630 | BLS OEWS May 2015 [5] |
| 2016 | 120,970 | $32,710 | BLS OEWS May 2016 [5] |
| 2017 | 122,550 | $33,670 | BLS OEWS May 2017 [5] |
| 2018 | 125,280 | $34,480 | BLS OEWS May 2018 [5] |
| 2019 | 128,290 | $35,510 | BLS OEWS May 2019 [5] |
| 2020 | 128,020 | $36,320 | BLS OEWS May 2020 [5] |
| 2021 | 132,750 | $37,380 | BLS OEWS May 2021 [5] |
| 2022 | 137,090 | $38,530 | BLS OEWS May 2022 [5] |
| 2023 | 137,080 | $41,810 | BLS OEWS May 2023 [5] |
| 2024 | 138,880 | $43,660 | BLS OEWS May 2024 [5] |
| 2025 | 143,540 | $45,230 | BLS OEWS May 2025 [5] |

## Sources (59)

### Employment series

1. [ASCP — History of Phlebotomy Certification (Board of Certification background)](https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed), American Society for Clinical Pathology
2. [National Phlebotomy Association — History of the Profession](https://www.nationalphlebotomy.org/), National Phlebotomy Association
3. [Quest Diagnostics — Corporate History (Wikipedia)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quest_Diagnostics), Wikipedia / Quest Diagnostics
4. [O\*NET 31-9097.00 — Phlebotomists (occupational summary, BLS SOC introduction context)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9097.00), O\*NET / BLS
5. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Wage series

6. [University of Missouri Libraries — "Prices and Wages by Decade: 1980s" (BLS hospital worker earnings)](https://libraryguides.missouri.edu/pricesandwages/1980-1989), University of Missouri Libraries / BLS historical sources
7. BLS OEWS, national cross-industry estimates (flat file), Bureau of Labor Statistics. Editions: [2012](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm12nat.zip), [2013](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm13nat.zip), [2014](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm14nat.zip), [2015](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm15nat.zip), [2016](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm16nat.zip), [2017](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm17nat.zip), [2018](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm18nat.zip), [2019](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm19nat.zip), [2020](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm20nat.zip), [2021](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm21nat.zip), [2022](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm22nat.zip), [2023](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm23nat.zip), [2024](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm24nat.zip), [2025](https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip)

### Tool eras

8. [Becton Dickinson — BD Vacutainer blood collection tubes (BD is inventor)](https://www.bd.com/en-us/products-and-solutions/products/product-families/bd-vacutainer-blood-collection-tubes), Becton Dickinson
9. [ASCP Board of Certification — Phlebotomy Technician (PBT) credential history](https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed), American Society for Clinical Pathology
10. [Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (Public Law 106-430, enacted November 6, 2000)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-106publ430/html/PLAW-106publ430.htm), U.S. Government Publishing Office
11. [Healthcare IT Leaders — What is Epic Beaker? (LIS and Rover phlebotomy workflow)](https://www.healthcareitleaders.com/blog/what-is-epic-beaker/), Healthcare IT Leaders
12. [HealthIT.gov — HITECH Act Enforcement (EHR incentive program background)](https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/hitech-act-enforcement-interim-final-rule/index.html), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
13. [AccuVein — AV500 Vein Visualization System (device history and clinical evidence)](https://www.accuvein.com/vein-visualization-system/), AccuVein
14. [Getlabs — Mobile Phlebotomy Service (company and service description)](https://www.getlabs.com/), Getlabs
15. [Vitestro — Aletta Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device (clinical trial status and Series B)](https://vitestro.com/aletta/), Vitestro

### Forecasts and exposure studies

16. [BLS Employment Projections 2025-35, National Employment Matrix: 31-9097 Phlebotomists (2025: 143.9 thousand; 2035: 153.7 thousand; +6.8%)](https://data.bls.gov/projections/nationalMatrix?queryParams=31-9097&ioType=o), Bureau of Labor Statistics
17. [Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin & Rock (2023), "GPTs are GPTs", occupation-level exposure data occ\_level.csv (O\*NET-SOC 31-9097.00, human-rated β 0.11)](https://github.com/openai/GPTs-are-GPTs/blob/main/data/occ_level.csv), OpenAI

### Historical notes

18. [American Red Cross — Our History (World War I, World War II and beyond)](https://www.redcross.org/about-us/who-we-are/history.html), American Red Cross
19. [Becton Dickinson — BD Vacutainer blood collection tubes product page](https://www.bd.com/en-us/products-and-solutions/products/product-families/bd-vacutainer-blood-collection-tubes), Becton Dickinson
20. [ASCP Board of Certification — Get Credentialed: Phlebotomy Technician](https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed), American Society for Clinical Pathology
21. [National Phlebotomy Association — About the NPA](https://www.nationalphlebotomy.org/), National Phlebotomy Association
22. [Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (Public Law 106-430, enacted November 6, 2000)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-106publ430/html/PLAW-106publ430.htm), U.S. Government Publishing Office
23. [AccuVein — AV500 Vein Visualization System (product line history)](https://www.accuvein.com/vein-visualization-system/), AccuVein
24. [Quest Diagnostics — Scarlet Health Mobile Phlebotomy Service](https://www.questdiagnostics.com/), Quest Diagnostics
25. [Vitestro — Aletta Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device (US clinical trials and Series B)](https://vitestro.com/aletta/), Vitestro

### Predecessors & successors

26. [ASCP Board of Certification — Phlebotomy Technician credential background](https://www.ascp.org/content/board-of-certification/get-credentialed), American Society for Clinical Pathology

### Present-day analysis

- [BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — Phlebotomists (2024-2034)](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/phlebotomists.htm), accessed 2026-06-05
- [O\*NET 30.3 — Phlebotomists (31-9097.00)](https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/31-9097.00), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Eloundou et al. 2024 — GPTs are GPTs (Science)](https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Vitestro — Aletta Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device](https://vitestro.com/aletta/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Qualora — Will AI Replace Phlebotomists? (2026)](https://qualora.io/blog/will-ai-replace-phlebotomists), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Healthcare IT Leaders — What is Epic Beaker?](https://www.healthcareitleaders.com/blog/what-is-epic-beaker/), accessed 2026-06-05
- [Sapio Sciences — The Future of AI Diagnostics](https://www.sapiosciences.com/blog/the-future-of-ai-diagnostics-transforming-the-lab-and-patient-care/), accessed 2026-06-05

How to read these figures: https://futurehistory.earth/methodology. Every figure links to its own source; gaps stay gaps.