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- A phlebotomist is a medical technician who draws blood samples from patients for testing. She is responsible for the proper labeling of vials for drawing and testing so mix-ups do not occur. A phlebotomist works to minimize a patient's pain and discomfort during the blood draw by using proper equipment and choosing a good draw spot. The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that phlebotomists are the lowest-paid of medical technicians because the position requires the least medical training.
- As of May 2009, Tennessee was listed as the state with the second-highest concentration of medical and clinical technicians, the Bureau of Labor Statistics classification to which phlebotomists belong. The Occupational Employment Statistics listed 5,490 working medical and clinical technicians that year or just over two people for every 1,000 working Tennesseans. Medical and clinical technicians in Tennessee took home a mean salary of $33,990 or $16.34 an hour.
- The average wage for medical and clinical technicians, including phlebotomists, varies by metro area in Tennessee. Chattanooga technicians could expect a mean $17.12 an hour or $35,600 annually while those in Knoxville made a mean $15.39 an hour or $32,010 a year. Technicians in Nashville averaged the highest wage at $35,500 a year or $17.07 per hour. Memphis medical and clinical technicians made the closest to the Tennessee state average wage of $33,910 per year or $16.30 an hour.
- The Occupational Employment Statistics lists the national mean salary or wage for medical and clinical laboratory technicians in May 2009 as $37,860 a year or $18.20 hourly. The median or 50th percentile was slightly lower at $17.32 hourly or $36,030 annually. In comparison, Tennessee's average wage was just over 94 percent of the national average wage.
What is a Phlebotomist?
Tennessee Wages
Metropolitan Comparison
National Comparison
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