Phlebotomist job description template: draw setting, state certification lines, bloodborne pathogens and volume
On this page
- Name the draw setting and the volume
- State credentials: write the line in your state's words
- Bloodborne pathogens and the health questions you cannot ask
- The phlebotomist job description template
- Pay and EEO
- From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
- Common mistakes in phlebotomist job descriptions
- Before you publish
- Questions people ask
"Phlebotomist needed, must be certified, experience preferred" leaves out the three things a phlebotomist checks first: where the draws happen, how many, and which credential your state actually requires. Drawing 4 a.m. rounds on a hospital's oncology floor is a different job from a patient service center with 60 walk-ins a day, a mobile route to nursing homes, or a plasma center. And "must be certified" means something specific in California, Washington, Nevada and Louisiana, and something you define yourself everywhere else. A useful phlebotomist job description names the setting, the volume and patient mix, the credential in your state's words, and the safety training you provide. Below are the settings, the state and OSHA lines with sources, a copy-ready template, screening and scorecard rows, and common mistakes. For the phone screen, use phlebotomist screening questions.
Not legal advice. The state credential and OSHA points below were checked against the California Department of Public Health, the Washington Administrative Code, the Nevada Administrative Code, the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, OSHA and BLS as of October 2026. Rules change; confirm with the state agency before posting.
Name the draw setting and the volume
| Setting | What the shift looks like | Must-have that separates it |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital inpatient | Early morning rounds, timed draws, ICU and pediatric patients, difficult veins, STAT orders | Inpatient experience, pediatric or geriatric draws, blood culture collection |
| Outpatient lab or patient service center | Walk-ins and appointments, high volume, specimen processing and shipping | Pace with accuracy at a stated volume, plus processing (spinning, aliquoting, labeling) |
| Mobile or home draw | A route of homes or facilities, driving, working alone, specimen transport temperatures | Driver's license and car, comfort working alone, transport handling |
| Physician office or clinic | Draws mixed with medical assistant tasks, lower volume | Clinic workflow; check whether your state treats this as an MA role |
| Plasma or blood donor center | Donor screening, collection equipment, donor reactions | Donor-center procedures; note that California does not count blood bank experience toward its certificate |
Then settle with the lab manager: draws per shift (as an estimate), patient populations (pediatric, geriatric, oncology), any arterial or line draws, processing duties, and the shift. If the role blends front-desk and clinical tasks in a clinic, compare it with the medical assistant screening questions.
State credentials: write the line in your state's words
- California. The Department of Public Health certifies three levels: Limited Phlebotomy Technician (skin puncture only), Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (skin puncture and venipuncture) and CPT II (adds arterial puncture). Applicants with no or little experience need 40 hours of didactic training and 40 clinical hours from an approved program, including at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures and observation of arterial punctures, plus an approved national exam. Experience in a blood bank does not count toward the certificate's on-the-job experience. Write "active California CPT I certificate" rather than "certified."
- Washington. The state credentials medical assistant-phlebotomists. Routes include a postsecondary phlebotomy program, a current certification from one of six named national organizations, or a training program approved by a licensed health care practitioner (WAC 246-827-0400).
- Nevada. Nevada certifies laboratory assistants; one qualifying route is a phlebotomy certification from an approved organization, alongside approved training or qualifying laboratory experience (NAC 652.4855).
- Louisiana. The State Board of Medical Examiners licenses phlebotomists as clinical laboratory personnel, which involves a board-approved national exam and an application to the board.
Elsewhere, the employer sets the bar. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile for phlebotomists (last modified September 14, 2026) says phlebotomists typically enter with a certificate from a postsecondary program and that employers may prefer certified candidates. If you accept national certification in place of a state credential, list the organizations you accept.
Bloodborne pathogens and the health questions you cannot ask
Phlebotomists have occupational exposure under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard. The employer must train them at initial assignment and at least annually, and make the hepatitis B vaccine available at no cost, after training and within 10 working days of initial assignment; an employee who declines signs the declination statement and can still accept it later (29 CFR 1910.1030). Put "hepatitis B vaccine offered at no cost" in the posting. Do not ask about vaccination status, latex allergies or other health conditions on the application: the ADA allows disability-related inquiries and medical examinations only after a conditional offer (42 U.S.C. 12112(d)). See pre-employment medical exams and the ADA for the post-offer side.
The phlebotomist job description template
Phlebotomist — [Inpatient / Patient Service Center / Mobile /
Clinic / Donor Center], [Day / Evening / Night] Shift
[Employer], [street area or neighborhood, city, state]
Pay: $[min]–$[max] per hour, plus [shift differential, mileage
for mobile routes]. [Benefits summary, if required.]
SUMMARY
You will collect blood specimens from [patient population] in
[setting], about [N] draws a shift (an estimate). Shifts are [days
and times]. You will report to the [lab supervisor / manager].
WHAT YOU WILL DO
- Identify patients with two identifiers and confirm orders before
every draw.
- Collect specimens by venipuncture and skin puncture [and
arterial puncture, if CPT II or equivalent], in the correct
order of draw.
- Label at the bedside or chair, and [process, spin, aliquot and
package] specimens for transport.
- Handle timed draws, STAT orders and difficult draws, and escalate
after [N] unsuccessful attempts per policy.
- Follow bloodborne pathogen and sharps procedures.
- [Drive a route of [N] stops and keep specimens at the required
temperature.]
YOU MUST HAVE
- [State line, in your state's words, e.g. "Active California
CPT I certificate" / "Washington medical assistant-phlebotomist
credential" / "National phlebotomy certification from [list]".]
- [Experience: [N] months drawing in [setting] / new graduates
welcome.]
- Availability for [shift, weekends, holidays].
- [Valid driver's license, insurance and reliable car for mobile
routes.]
NICE TO HAVE
- Pediatric or geriatric draw experience.
- [Lab information system] experience.
- [Language] for patients who speak it.
If you meet the must-haves and none of these, please apply.
SAFETY
We train on bloodborne pathogens before your first draw and
annually. Hepatitis B vaccination is offered at no cost.
[EEO STATEMENT]
To request an adjustment to apply or interview, contact [contact].Pay and EEO
Post the hourly range and differentials. The BLS profile linked above publishes pay data; this page does not quote figures. Close with an EEO statement covering the characteristics the EEOC lists.
From must-haves to screening questions and scorecard rows
| Must-have | Screening question | Scorecard competency | Evidence of a strong answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| State credential | "Which phlebotomy credential do you hold, from which state or organization, and when does it expire?" | Not scored | Names the certificate and number so you can verify it |
| Volume and setting | "How many draws did you do on a typical shift, and on what patients?" | Experience match | A number, a setting and patient types close to yours |
| Patient identification | "A patient's wristband name matches the order but the birth date doesn't. What do you do?" | Patient safety | Stops, does not draw, resolves with the nurse or registration before collecting |
| Order of draw and handling | "Which tubes do you draw first for a blood culture, a coag and a CMP, and why does order matter?" | Technical skill | Blood cultures first, then light blue before serum and heparin tubes; mentions additive carryover |
| Difficult draws | "You've missed twice on an anxious patient. What happens next?" | Judgment and patient care | Follows the attempt limit, gets a colleague, reassures the patient |
| Exposure response | "You get a needlestick after a draw. Walk me through the next ten minutes." | Safety | Washes the site, reports immediately, follows the exposure protocol |
If phlebotomists in your lab also process specimens alongside lab scientists, the medical lab scientist screening questions show where the roles divide. For panel interviews, the interview guide for healthcare roles keeps scoring consistent.
Common mistakes in phlebotomist job descriptions
"Certified" without a state or credential
In four states the word has a specific legal meaning. Elsewhere, list the certifications you accept.
No volume
Draws per shift is the clearest signal of pace. Give an estimate.
Health questions on the application
Offer the vaccine in the posting; handle health information only after a conditional offer.
Counting the wrong experience
If you hire in California, donor-center experience does not count toward state certification. Say what experience you count.
Before you publish
- Setting, patient population and draw volume are in the summary.
- The credential line uses your state's exact term.
- Bloodborne pathogen training and the free vaccine are stated; no health questions.
- Pay, shift, EEO statement and accommodation contact are present.
Questions people ask
Which states require phlebotomists to hold a state credential?
California, Washington, Nevada and Louisiana have state rules that reach phlebotomy, each in a different way: California certifies phlebotomy technicians through the Department of Public Health; Washington credentials medical assistant-phlebotomists; Nevada certifies laboratory assistants, with phlebotomy certification as one qualifying route; and Louisiana licenses phlebotomists through the State Board of Medical Examiners. In other states, employers usually set their own requirement, often a national certification.
What does California require to become a Certified Phlebotomy Technician?
For applicants with little or no experience, the California Department of Public Health requires 40 hours of didactic training and 40 hours of clinical training from an approved program, including at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures and observation of arterial punctures, plus passing an approved national certification exam. California has three levels: Limited Phlebotomy Technician (skin puncture), CPT I (skin puncture and venipuncture) and CPT II (adds arterial puncture).
Do phlebotomists have to get the hepatitis B vaccine?
Under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, the employer must make the hepatitis B vaccine available at no cost within 10 working days of initial assignment to employees with occupational exposure, after training. Employees may decline by signing the declination statement and can accept the vaccine later. A posting can say the vaccine is offered; it should not ask applicants about their vaccination or health status before an offer.
Should a phlebotomist job description require national certification?
In states without a state credential, it is the employer's choice. BLS notes that employers may prefer certified candidates and that phlebotomists typically enter with a certificate from a postsecondary program. If you require it, list the certifying organizations you accept; if you train, say so.