Would starting a career in phlebotomy be a good move?
Asked by ~kRiStEn*LyNn~
I am currently a hair dresser but I have found myself looking for more, I live in NC and the economic state is horrible. I live in the hickory area where all of the furniture is made and we have been hit the hardest in the state by unemployment. My hair business has decreased to nearly nothing!!! I am very interesting in phlebotomy but I am worried about finding a job in my area any suggestions?

Best Answer:
Phlebotomy is not a career. Anything that take 4 weeks to learn is not a career. It's a job. And quite frankly its a waste of your time and money. In the US, with the economic crisis, employers are not going to hire 1 person to draw blood and 1 person to take care of the patient. They will hire 1 person who has both skills, so they don't have to pay 2 different people. Especially in areas like yours, you should not expect to find employment. I live in NJ which is the most populated state, and we don't even have any phlebotomy positions available. The hospitals and labs get the nurses to do that stuff. I have 2 friends who took the couple-week class and who became certified 2 years ago, and they are STILL trying to find a phlebotomy position. 1 was offered employment at a lab making $8/hour. Thats an insult, that wouldn't even help her pay for the course she took. Thats on the brink of minimum wage. You should pursue something like nursing - something that is in demand in all areas of the US right now. You would never have a shortage of work because people will always be sick, injured, or unable to take care of themselves. Also, you would make enough money that you could do hair on the side. You would financially be in a good spot. The way that you describe your town/city, you should seek something solid like nursing. And part of your job would be to draw blood. So you would still learn phlebotomy, and some other skills too. There are LPN (Licensed Practical Nursing) programs that only take 1 year to do - you could still work doing hair and take classes. You could study when the salon is slow :) LPN's normally start out about $17-22/hour. RN's (Registered Nurses) go to school for a few more years, and they make on average about $30/hour . You can do it! Although I am not trying to discourage you from becoming familiar with phlebotomy, don't use it as a easy way to get what you want. If it was that easy, everyone would want to draw blood. Good luck :)