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Phlebotomist

Healthcare

Draw blood for tests, transfusions, donations, or research. May explain the procedure to patients and assist in the recovery of patients with adverse reactions.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Allied Health

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Dispose of contaminated sharps, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, and policies.
  2. 2Organize or clean blood-drawing trays, ensuring that all instruments are sterile and all needles, syringes, or related items are of first-time use.
  3. 3Draw blood from veins by vacuum tube, syringe, or butterfly venipuncture methods.
  4. 4Match laboratory requisition forms to specimen tubes.
  5. 5Dispose of blood or other biohazard fluids or tissue, in accordance with applicable laws, standards, or policies.
  6. 6Conduct standards tests, such as blood alcohol, blood culture, oral glucose tolerance, glucose screening, blood smears, or peak and trough drug levels tests.
  7. 7Collect specimens at specific time intervals for tests, such as those assessing therapeutic drug levels.
  8. 8Process blood or other fluid samples for further analysis by other medical professionals.
  9. 9Provide sample analysis results to physicians to assist diagnosis.
  10. 10Administer subcutaneous or intramuscular injects, in accordance with licensing restrictions.
  11. 11Enter patient, specimen, insurance, or billing information into computer.
  12. 12Document route of specimens from collection to laboratory analysis and diagnosis.
  13. 13Draw blood from capillaries by dermal puncture, such as heel or finger stick methods.
  14. 14Draw blood from arteries, using arterial collection techniques.
  15. 15Monitor blood or plasma donors during and after procedures to ensure health, safety, and comfort.
  16. 16Conduct hemoglobin tests to ensure donor iron levels are normal.
  17. 17Transport specimens or fluid samples from collection sites to laboratories.
  18. 18Collect fluid or tissue samples, using appropriate collection procedures.
  19. 19Calibrate or maintain machines, such as those used for plasma collection.
  20. 20Determine donor suitability, according to interview results, vital signs, and medical history.
  21. 21Explain fluid or tissue collection procedures to patients.
  22. 22Train other medical personnel in phlebotomy or laboratory techniques.
  23. 23Serve refreshments to donors to ensure absorption of sugar into their systems.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • PST
  • Phlebotomist
  • Phlebotomists
  • Venipuncturist
  • Mobile Examiner
  • Mobile Phlebotomist
  • Travel Phlebotomist
  • Clinical Phlebotomist
  • Phlebotomy Technician
  • Research Phlebotomist

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationPost-secondary certificate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
BiologyDraws directly on Medicine and Dentistry — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Customer and Personal Service91%
  • English Language75%

    English

  • Administrative69%

    Business

  • Education and Training68%
  • Psychology64%
  • Computers and Electronics63%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time spent standingAlmost all the time

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

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

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

5%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

Related careers

If this interests you, these are worth a look too.

About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Phlebotomists

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org