Will AI replace phlebotomists?

Some tasks are already being done by AI or machines; the rest still needs a person. About 2h 47m of a typical shift is made up of tasks that AI or robots have done on their own in real use somewhere. That doesn't mean those hours are automated in a typical workplace. The other 5h 13m (65%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 6.8% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

None of this job's tasks show regular AI use yet. That can mean the work is hands-on or in person, or simply that it rarely comes up in AI usage data.

For some tasks, yes. Robots have done 3 of this job's tasks in workplaces like this one, about 2h 47m of a typical shift. 9 more tasks have only been done in factory setups built around the machine, so they stay with people here. For 6 physical tasks, no robot has shown it can do the work yet.

• Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods. (2h 27m a shift; e.g. Aletta Autonomous Robotic Phlebotomy Device (ARPD), in use)
• Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories. (13m a shift; e.g. Moxi (Diligent Robotics), in use)
• Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal. (7m a shift; e.g. OrSense NBM-200 non-invasive hemoglobin monitor, in use)

5h 13m of a typical shift, or 65%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes. (40m a shift)
• Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals. (33m a shift)
• Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer. (33m a shift)
• Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients. (27m a shift)
• Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use. (20m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 90% say a mistake would be very or extremely serious
• 82% carry high or very high responsibility for other workers' safety
• 82% spend more than half the day on their feet

We track 1 sourced company move that affects this job. Most recent:

• Aug 21, 2026: FDA authorizes Vitestro's Aletta robot to draw blood on its own (Announced)

On Indeed, job postings in the Medical Technician sector are at 125% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 2.6% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 18,000 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $45,230 a year ($21.75 an hour), 11% below the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $35,780 and $58,780 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 154,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 18,000 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 144,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.09% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 222nd largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 154,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a post-secondary certificate: about 45% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Instructing, Coordination
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 5h 13m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Office software, JavaScript, MEDITECH software, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook

Yes. Occupational experts recently added these to the official task list, a sign of how the work itself is shifting. New tasks aren't rated for AI or robots yet:

• Confirm the identities of patients by verifying their personal information.

These use similar skills. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Medical Assistants (19m touched, $46k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 3 with robots in real deployments, 20 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.