The healthcare industry is bigger than ever before. Finding your career niche within this broad organization ticks every box. Compensation is above average, and don’t forget the fact that you’re going to helping people. Filling needs within your community is important. What about a career in phlebotomy?
As a phlebotomist, you can expect to make about $34k annually on average. On the low end, the bottom 10 percent make around $25k annually. On the high end, the top 10 percent make about $49k annually. You would want to look at the market in your specific geographical area to know what you can expect in terms of a salary.
Yet geographical areas aren’t the only factors in play when it comes to what you make each year working as a phlebotomist. These healthcare professionals typically work in either lab or hospital environments. The primary job of a phlebotomist is to draw blood.
You could work at a dedicated donation center or even go mobile. Perhaps you aspire to work out of a hospital instead. In the case of blood donations, the phlebotomist is sometimes the only professional contact that patients have. Phlebotomists also handle transfusions, identity verification and labeling and are responsible for the cleanliness and sanitation of the work environment.
While the healthcare industry is booming in general, employment prospects in the field of phlebotomy are expected to grow at a rate of nearly 25 percent over the next ten years. That is a rather impressive statistic, and you can imagine it is tied to an increased need for building and maintaining blood banks.
Yet a career in phlebotomy is not just about these blood donation centers. As mentioned, phlebotomists also handle transfusions. Plus, they also work with facilities to get blood donations for laboratory testing. Much blood is needed for lab testing, increasingly so these days.
As a phlebotomist, you might also be responsible for providing assistance to patients who have had adverse reactions. And you might also be tasked with inputting information into patient databases. What you do will certainly depend on the setting in which you work.
If you aspire to get a job in this career field, you want to know all of the reputable organizations to network with in terms of certification. You’re also going to want to know what the educational requirements are for such a position. Would you like to also compare similar careers and their salaries?
Other similar careers include medical transcription, health information technician, medical assistant and medical laboratory technologist. What is your current occupation? Are you prepared to take a risk? It is time for a leap of faith.
You don’t need a four year degree to become a phlebotomist. In fact, you can enter into a program at a vocational or technical school. A postsecondary non-degree award is all that is necessary. Under certain circumstances, all that is required is a high school diploma and on the job training. Yet you can imagine that education, experience and certification can go a long way towards a better salary in this field.
