Phlebotomist Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Phlebotomists in San Francisco draw blood for hospital floors, outpatient labs and research studies, and California requires a state certificate before you can draw on the job. Starting pay often lands between $25 and $29 an hour. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get certified.
Current phlebotomist Openings in San Francisco, CA
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Phlebotomist Work in San Francisco
Blood draws in San Francisco happen in three kinds of places. Outpatient patient service centers, like Quest Diagnostics' sites on Valencia Street in the Mission and on Clay Street near Chinatown, run steady weekday schedules with early starts for fasting patients. Primary care offices such as One Medical's West Portal and Inner Sunset locations pair phlebotomy with front desk work. Hospital and research labs, from UCSF Health to the research programs at Zuckerberg San Francisco General on Potrero Avenue, need phlebotomists on inpatient floors and in study clinics, often on early, evening or weekend shifts.
What makes the job different here is the state rule. California certifies phlebotomists at the state level, so employers here ask for a state certificate before your first shift. Pay also runs higher than most of the state, because San Francisco's own minimum wage is $19.61 an hour and California's health care worker minimum wage sets higher floors at large health systems and clinics.
Top San Francisco Employers Hiring Phlebotomists
These employers have posted phlebotomy roles in San Francisco or just over the county line:
- Quest Diagnostics - the national lab hires Phlebotomist I staff for its patient service centers on Valencia Street and Clay Street, with weekday shifts and rotating Saturdays.
- UCSF - UCSF Health hires Hospital Lab Technicians who draw blood for inpatient floors and clinics, and UCSF research programs at Zuckerberg San Francisco General post research phlebotomist roles.
- One Medical - the primary care group hires combined phlebotomist and administrative assistant staff at its West Portal and Inner Sunset offices.
- Kaiser Permanente - the health system hires Laboratory Assistant II staff who perform blood draws and need a CPT I or CPT II certificate, including at its South San Francisco hospital.
Phlebotomist Salaries in San Francisco
- Entry level: about $25 to $29 an hour for newly certified phlebotomists in outpatient offices and clinics.
- Experienced: roughly $30 to $38 an hour for phlebotomists with a few years of draws in hospital and lab settings.
- Senior / lab assistant: about $40 to $42 an hour for senior laboratory assistant roles at large unionized systems.
These are estimates built from posted pay on employer sites. One Medical lists $26.25 to $28.25 an hour for its West Portal role, and Kaiser lists $39.79 to $41.87 for a part-time Laboratory Assistant II in South San Francisco. Pay moves with the employer type, shift, union contract and whether the job adds front desk or specimen processing duties. Large health systems are held to a higher state health care minimum wage than small clinics.
How to Become a Phlebotomist in San Francisco
California requires a phlebotomy certificate from the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services. With no experience, the Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) route takes a high school diploma or GED, 40 hours of classroom training, 40 hours of clinical practice with at least 50 venipunctures and 10 skin punctures, and a passing score on an approved national exam. City College of San Francisco offers a Phlebotomy Technician certificate at the John Adams Center at 1860 Hayes Street, near the Panhandle, that takes one semester and prepares you for the CPT I exam. Some employers, Quest among them, say they do not accept an NHA certification in California, so check before you pick an exam.
What the Job Involves
Phlebotomists identify patients, check orders, draw blood by venipuncture or skin puncture, and label and process each specimen so the lab can run it. Daily work includes calming nervous patients, drawing from children and older adults, spinning and packaging samples, entering data into the lab system and keeping the draw station stocked and clean.
Skills Employers Look For
- A current California CPT I or CPT II certificate
- Steady venipuncture technique across all ages
- Accurate specimen labeling and handling
- Calm, friendly patient communication
- Data entry and lab system experience
- A second language such as Cantonese, Mandarin or Spanish
- Reliability on early and weekend shifts
Career Path and Advancement
Many San Francisco phlebotomists start at an outpatient draw site or a clinic, then move into hospital lab assistant roles with higher union pay scales. From there the ladder runs to senior lab assistant, specimen processing lead and trainer. Some go back to school for a medical laboratory or clinical laboratory science license, while others combine phlebotomy with medical assisting to widen their options across the city's clinics.
Related Careers in San Francisco
If phlebotomy interests you, these related San Francisco roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to be a phlebotomist in San Francisco?
Yes. California requires a phlebotomy certificate from the California Department of Public Health, Laboratory Field Services, before you can draw blood on the job. Most new phlebotomists start with the Certified Phlebotomy Technician I (CPT I) certificate.
How much do phlebotomists make in San Francisco?
Newly certified phlebotomists commonly start around $25 to $29 an hour, and experienced hospital phlebotomists earn more. Senior laboratory assistant roles at large unionized systems can pay about $40 to $42 an hour.
How long does it take to become a phlebotomist in San Francisco?
The City College of San Francisco Phlebotomy Technician certificate takes one semester. After training, you pass an approved national exam and apply to the state for your CPT I.
Which exam should I take for California phlebotomy certification?
The state accepts several national phlebotomy exams, including those from ASCP, AMT, NCCT, NHA, AMCA and ACA. Some San Francisco employers, including Quest, say they do not accept an NHA certification in California, so it pays to check the employers you want before you choose.
Do San Francisco phlebotomy jobs require a second language?
Not always, but it helps. Many clinics in Chinatown, the Mission and the Excelsior serve patients who speak Cantonese, Mandarin or Spanish, and bilingual applicants often stand out.
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