Patient care technician vs phlebotomist

The differences between patient care technicians and phlebotomists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a phlebotomist has an average salary of $33,713, which is higher than the $32,806 average annual salary of a patient care technician.

The top three skills for a patient care technician include patients, vital signs and phlebotomy. The most important skills for a phlebotomist are patients, customer service, and blood samples.

Patient care technician vs phlebotomist overview

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomist
Yearly salary	$32,806	$33,713
Hourly rate	$15.77	$16.21
Growth rate	9%	10%
Number of jobs	167,520	11,707
Job satisfaction	5	4.4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 22%
Average age	34	41
Years of experience	-	2

What does a patient care technician do?

Patient care technicians are medical workers who work in clinics, hospitals, or other medical facilities under the supervision of doctors or other health professionals. They provide assistance to health professionals and patients. They help patients with mobility concerns get into hospital beds, bathrooms, wheelchairs, and more. They also help patients with their physical therapy sessions and other physical needs. They handle patient concerns and communicate these to attending physicians. They may be assigned to administer basic medical procedures such as checking vital signs and collecting samples from patients, among others.

What does a phlebotomist do?

Phlebotomists are workers in the medical field who specialize in drawing blood from patients. They ensure that patients are prepared by explaining the procedure to them, showing them tools they will use and where their blood will be stored, and answering any questions the patients may have. Phlebotomists then draw blood from the patient, patch up the area where the blood was drawn, and store the blood samples in properly labeled vials or blood bags. After the procedure, they send the blood samples to the laboratory for testing, transfusion, or any other use that there may be.

Patient care technician vs phlebotomist salary

Patient care technicians and phlebotomists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomist
Average salary	$32,806	$33,713
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $43,000	Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Rochester, NH	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Vermont	California
Best paying company	Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center	University of California, Berkeley
Best paying industry	Health Care	Health Care

Differences between patient care technician and phlebotomist education

There are a few differences between a patient care technician and a phlebotomist in terms of educational background:

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 27%	Associate Degree, 22%
Most common major	Nursing	Medical Assisting Services
Most common college	Emory University	-

Patient care technician vs phlebotomist demographics

Here are the differences between patient care technicians' and phlebotomists' demographics:

	Patient Care Technician	Phlebotomist
Average age	34	41
Gender ratio	Male, 19.0% Female, 81.0%	Male, 16.7% Female, 83.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 14.3% Unknown, 6.2% Hispanic or Latino, 20.1% Asian, 6.4% White, 51.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.7% Asian, 9.3% White, 55.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	15%	8%

Differences between patient care technician and phlebotomist duties and responsibilities

Patient care technician example responsibilities.

Manage care and prepare medical records, transcription and supply orders.
Manage daily care of high acuity patients with neurological trauma/disorders and post-surgery.
Qualify to perform patient care responsibilities on catheter patients.
Transport patients using wheelchairs and stretchers and assist patients to ambulate safely.
Assist with transferring patients in and out of wheelchairs, recliners, and stretchers.
Apply protective restraints safely and appropriately, assist in the admission, discharge and transfer of patients as needed.

Phlebotomist example responsibilities.

Take patient histories and vital signs; record all information on patients EHR.
Measure vital signs including but not limit to blood pressure, pulse, height, weight, body measurements and EKG.
Perform triage for oncology and radiology patients that require sedation.
Verify patient information and carefully follow all safety procedures during phlebotomy work.
Exhibit compassion by answering patient questions thoroughly and educating patients on procedures being perform.
Assist inTrauma situations, CPR, wind care.

Patient care technician vs phlebotomist skills

Common patient care technician skills

Patients, 24%
Vital Signs, 9%
Phlebotomy, 7%
CPR, 6%
Direct Patient Care, 5%
Customer Service, 5%

Common phlebotomist skills

Patients, 21%
Customer Service, 9%
Blood Samples, 5%
Blood Specimens, 5%
Data Entry, 5%
OSHA, 4%

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Patient Care Technician vs Phlebotomist

Updated January 8, 2025

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