Licensed Practical Nurse vs Phlebotomist
If you're a Licensed Practical Nurse weighing whether to go for Phlebotomist, the usual advice is 'always worth it.' The data is more nuanced — here's the honest trade-off.
payments Salary
Salary edge
Licensed Practical Nurses earn $18,680 more per year at the median. That's roughly $1,557/month before taxes — a gap that compounds over a career but needs to be weighed against any difference in training time or upfront costs.
State-by-state pay
| State | Licensed Practical Nurse | Phlebotomist | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $77,170 | $55,460 | +21,710 |
| Washington | $79,700 | $47,700 | +32,000 |
| Rhode Island | $77,940 | $47,650 | +30,290 |
| Massachusetts | $76,560 | $48,270 | +28,290 |
| Oregon | $76,570 | $47,510 | +29,060 |
| Alaska | $77,670 | $46,110 | +31,560 |
| New Hampshire | $74,660 | $46,460 | +28,200 |
| New Jersey | $71,180 | $46,840 | +24,340 |
| District of Columbia | $70,420 | $47,110 | +23,310 |
| Maryland | $69,870 | $47,100 | +22,770 |
checklist Requirements at a glance
| Factor | Licensed Practical Nurse | Phlebotomist |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time | 1-2 years | 2-4 months |
| Est. total cost | — | $800 |
| Exam | NCLEX-PN | National certification exams (e.g., NHA CPT, ASCP PBT, AMT RPT, NCCT NCPT, NPCE CPT) |
| License required | Most states | Some states |
| Education | Completion of a state-approved practical nursing program | High school diploma or GED and completion of a state-approved phlebotomy training program. |
| CE hours / cycle | 22 hrs | 12 hrs |
Barrier to entry
Timeline differs: Licensed Practical Nurse typically takes 1-2 years, while Phlebotomist takes 2-4 months. Licensed Practical Nurse licensing is more universal — required in 100% of states versus 10% for Phlebotomist.
trending_up Job market
Market outlook
Growth projections are similar — Licensed Practical Nurse at +2.6% and Phlebotomist at +5.6%. If market size matters to you, Licensed Practical Nurse is the larger field: about 54,400 openings annually against 18,400. That gap shows up most clearly in smaller metro areas where the narrower profession may have zero open positions in a given month. Licensed Practical Nurse carries lower AI automation risk, which matters for long-term career stability.
flag Bottom line
Nationally, Licensed Practical Nurse pulls in roughly $18,680 more per year than Phlebotomist. Whether that's enough to justify a different training path depends on your state's specific labor market and how your own earnings scale with experience.
Licensed Practical Nurse is 1-2 years of training; Phlebotomist is 2-4 months. The opportunity cost of the extra school time is often larger than people estimate, especially if you're already working.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes more, licensed practical nurse or phlebotomist? expand_more
Which is harder to get into, licensed practical nurse or phlebotomist? expand_more
Is it common to transition from licensed practical nurse to phlebotomist? expand_more
Which has better job prospects, licensed practical nurse or phlebotomist? expand_more
Which states require licenses for licensed practical nurse vs. phlebotomist? expand_more
Explore each career
More comparisons
source Sources
- Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), most recent annual release.
- Career outlook and annual openings: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
- Licensing requirements: compiled per-state from primary state licensing boards; per-state sources are cited on each Licensed Practical Nurse and Phlebotomist state page.
See our full methodology for data refresh schedule and known limitations. Updated 2026.