Becoming a Phlebotomist in Pennsylvania
Quick Facts:
- Number of programs: 44
- Average graduation rate: 53%
- Average hourly wage: $16
- Projected job growth: 16% (average)
- New jobs created annually, avg.: 600
Compared to other states, Pennsylvania scores an ‘average’ mark when it comes to job growth opportunities for phlebotomists. Its cost of living is also only 10% lower than nation average.
However, what is attractive for future technicians in The Keystone State is a huge choice of schools and programs, both for phlebotomists and for medical technicians as well.
Description of Phlebotomy Training in Pennsylvania
Most of the programs are offered through community colleges. This means that entry requirements are often more strict (more or on pre-requisites below), but this has a positive impact on graduation rate which is higher compared to other states.
Programs are often short-paced – you can become a phlebotomist in Pennsylvania in as little as 15 weeks. The courses usually consist of 100 hours of classroom instruction and same amount (or slightly less – 75 hours) of clinical practice.
Requirements for Pennsylvania Phlebotomy Classes
As mentioned above, requirements to join a phlebotomy program in Pennsylvania are more complex than those of other states, where most schools are for-profit private institutions.
Apart of standard requirements of GED and 18+ age, and immunizations many schools perform extensive background checks, drug screenings, and even request a Child Abuse clearance.
Specific pre-requisites should be requested from the school of your choice, but you should be prepared for more extensive process than in other states.
List of Pennsylvania Phlebotomy Classes
A wide network of community colleges and schools offer Phlebotomy and Medical Assistance Programs – 44 to be exact. This is a quite an impressive number even for fifth most-populated state in the country.
Alternatively, you can use the tool below to find even more colleges and even online schools:
Pennsylvania Phlebotomy Certification and Licensure
License required: No
Certification required: No
Pennsylvania doesn’t require licensing and certification at state level to start a career as phlebotomist. Still, the current competition level indicates that if you want a better starting salary it’s better to verify your knowledge and skill via a voluntary certification offered by third-party institution.
Pennsylvania Phlebotomist Salaries
As mentioned above, Pennsylvania’s cost of living is comparable to nation-average, and so are the salaries for phlebotomists, at all levels.
However, 75th and 90th percentiles which traditionally represent more seasoned professionals with 4-5 years of experience show a discrepancy between Penn and rest of the USA. This, again, stresses the importance of maintaining your certification and upgrading your level within a chosen institution that certifies phlebotomists (i.e. ASCP or NHA).
| Percentile | USA, annual | Pennsylvania, annual | USA, hourly | Pennsylvania, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $25,020 | $26,420 | $12.03 | $12.70 |
| 25th percentile | $28,830 | $29,370 | $13.86 | $14.12 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $34,480 | $33,890 | $16.58 | $16.30 |
| 75th percentile | $40,500 | $38,450 | $19.47 | $18.49 |
| 90th percentile | $49,060 | $44,690 | $23.59 | $21.49 |
Below you can see a more detailed breakdown of salaries in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas across the state.
Resources
Pennsylvania Department of Health
Website: https://www.health.pa.gov
Phone: 717-787-8092
Address: 30 Kline Village, Harrisburg, PA 17104