CareerFacts

All careers › Phlebotomists › California

Phlebotomist salary in California

Updated October 30, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$56,040median pay per year in California, or $26.94 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $45,490lowest 10% earn less
  2. $47,80025th percentile
  3. $56,040median
  4. $62,79075th percentile
  5. $74,340top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $45,230[3]

Phlebotomists in California had a median pay of $56,040 a year in May 2025[1]. That was the highest median of any state[5].

Jobs in CA
13,520[4]
Rank by median pay
1 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+23.9%[6]

How much do phlebotomists make in California?

The median means half of the phlebotomists in California earned more than $56,040 a year and half earned less[1]. That works out to $26.94 an hour[1]. The average was a little higher, at $56,600 a year[7].

Across the US, the median for phlebotomists was $45,230 a year[3]. California was $10,810 (23.9%) above that[6]. Compared with all jobs in California, which had a median of $58,240[8], phlebotomists were $2,200 lower[9].

At the low end, the lowest-paid 10% earned less than $45,490[2]. At the high end, the top-paid 10% earned more than $74,340[2]. Among metro areas, Santa Rosa-Petaluma had the highest median at $62,350[10]. Among the metro areas with the most phlebotomist jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had the highest median, at $60,600[11]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].

California vs US pay

Pay for phlebotomists in California next to the national figures[1][3].

CAUS
Median per year$56,040[1]$45,230[3]
Median per hour$26.94[1]$21.75[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$45,490[2]$35,780[13]
Top 10% earn more than$74,340[2]$58,780[13]
Jobs13,520[4]143,540[3]

Pay by metro area in California

Metro areas in California with the most jobs for phlebotomists, and the median pay in each[11].

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA[11]$52,9404,720
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$58,9001,410
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$51,4901,400
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$58,1701,300
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$52,560790
Fresno, CA$49,570440
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$60,600350
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$47,200240

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for phlebotomists in the states that border California, highest first[14].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Oregon[14]$49,1601,800
Arizona$46,2603,430
Nevada$45,7601,300

Median pay for phlebotomists in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for phlebotomists are projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[16].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does a phlebotomist make in California?
The median was $56,040 a year in May 2025[1]. The average was $56,600 a year[7].
How much does a phlebotomist make an hour in California?
The median was $26.94 an hour[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $21.87 an hour[2][17]. The top-paid 10% earned more than $35.74 an hour[2][17].
Which city in California pays phlebotomists the most?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma had the highest median among metro areas with a published figure, at $62,350 a year[10].
Is California a good state for phlebotomists?
California had the 1st highest median annual wage for phlebotomists out of the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $10,810 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become a phlebotomist in California?
Across the US, the typical entry education is a postsecondary nondegree award, with no related work experience and no on-the-job training typically needed[16]. This is a US figure, not a California one.

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Phlebotomists in California was $56,040 per year and $26.94 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Phlebotomists in California: 10th percentile $45,490, 25th percentile $47,800, 75th percentile $62,790, 90th percentile $74,340. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Phlebotomists in the US as a whole was $45,230 per year and $21.75 per hour, with about 143,540 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 13,520 people worked as Phlebotomists in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 1st highest median annual wage for Phlebotomists out of the 50 states and DC with a published median (the highest of all). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Phlebotomists in California ($56,040) was $10,810 (23.9%) higher than the US median ($45,230). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Phlebotomists in California was $56,600 per year and $27.21 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Phlebotomists in California was $2,200 lower than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 23 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Phlebotomists, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA had the highest median annual wage, $62,350. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Phlebotomists in the US: 10th percentile $35,780, 25th percentile $38,190, 75th percentile $48,930, 90th percentile $58,780. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Phlebotomists in states that border California (highest first): Oregon $49,160; Arizona $46,260; Nevada $45,760. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Phlebotomists is projected to grow 6.8% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 18,000 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
  16. BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Phlebotomists: education needed for entry: Postsecondary nondegree award; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: None. BLS Employment Projections
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Phlebotomists in California: 10th percentile $21.87, 25th percentile $22.98, 75th percentile $30.19, 90th percentile $35.74. BLS OEWS, May 2025

State figures cover only California. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.