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Medical Assistant vs Phlebotomist: pay, jobs and what each takes
Medical assistants and phlebotomists side by side: what each earns by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and by the jobs open today, how many jobs there are, and the education and credentials each takes.
Medical Assistant vs Phlebotomist, side by side
| Medical assistant | Phlebotomist | |
|---|---|---|
| Open jobs on this board today | 9,894 | 2,091 |
| Median posted hourly pay (open jobs) | $24.33 | $22.56 |
| Median hourly pay (BLS, May 2025) | $21.97 | $21.75 |
| Median yearly pay (BLS) | $45,690 | $45,230 |
| Projected employment change (BLS, 2025-2035) | +12.9% | +6.8% |
| Openings a year (BLS) | 109,700 | 18,000 |
| Typical education to enter (BLS) | Postsecondary nondegree award | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Credentials | Certified medical assistant, CMA (AAMA); Registered medical assistant (RMA) | Phlebotomy technician, PBT(ASCP); Registered phlebotomy technician (RPT) |
Medical Assistant vs Phlebotomist: common questions
Who makes more, an MA or a phlebotomist?
Medical assistants, by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025): a median of $21.97 an hour ($45,690 a year), against $21.75 ($45,230 a year) for phlebotomists, $0.22 an hour more. The open jobs on this board today post medians of $24.33 an hour for medical assistants and $22.56 for phlebotomists.
Are there more medical assistant or phlebotomist jobs?
On this board today: 9,894 open medical assistant jobs and 2,091 phlebotomist jobs, read from each employer's own job board. BLS expects about 109,700 openings a year for medical assistants and 18,000 for phlebotomists, with employment changing +12.9% and +6.8% over 2025-2035.
What is the difference between an MA and a phlebotomist?
Medical assistants room patients, take vital signs and history, give injections, draw blood and keep the schedule moving for doctors and nurse practitioners, in clinics and practices. Phlebotomists draw blood from patients for tests and donations, label samples and keep patients calm, in hospitals, outpatient labs, blood banks and plasma centers.
How do you become an MA or a phlebotomist?
A medical assisting certificate or associate degree, or on-the-job training. (BLS: Postsecondary nondegree award.) A short phlebotomy program (a few weeks to a few months) or on-the-job training. (BLS: Postsecondary nondegree award.) Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Medical assistants, Phlebotomists.
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Sources and method
Pay and outlook are BLS's figures for each occupation's main SOC code; open jobs and their posted median are this board's, counted as each occupation's own page counts them.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025-2035)
- CareJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
CareJobs.Now. (2026). Medical Assistant vs Phlebotomist: Pay, Jobs and Requirements Compared. Data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://carejobs.now/compare-careers/medical-assistant-vs-phlebotomist