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Boston Career Explorer

Healthcare Support

Phlebotomists

Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.

Also called: Lab Liaison Technician, Mobile Examiner, Patient Service Technician (PST), Phlebotomist Lab Assistant (Phlebotomist Laboratory Assistant), Phlebotomy Technician (Phlebotomy Tech), Registered Phlebotomist

Median pay in Greater Boston
$50,420
$24.24/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,700
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+1.9%
360 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$46,710$48,560$50,420$60,060$64,570

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Confirm the identities of patients by verifying their personal information.
  • Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
  • Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
  • Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
  • Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
  • Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Moderate exposure35 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 39
  • Language-model AIOE 40
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 25

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Phlebotomy has moderate AI exposure, but little or no AI use has been observed so far. AI tools could help with checking patient IDs, matching labels, and tracking timed collections. Drawing blood, calming patients, and safely handling sharps and biohazards still need trained hands. Massachusetts is projected to add about 1.9% more jobs from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Checking patient IDs and specimen labels
  • Tracking timed specimen collection schedules

Still relies on people

  • Drawing blood from patients
  • Safely disposing of sharps and biohazards

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

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Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

3 programs near Boston

Related occupations

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