How Much Does a Phlebotomist Make in Merced, CA in 2026?
Typical pay for Phlebotomists in Merced, from federal wage data (May 2025), with the ten-year trend and how the city compares across California.
BLS OES May 2025 · Merced metro area
A typical Phlebotomist in Merced, California earns $24.61 per hour, or $51,180 per year, according to the latest government wage data for the area (May 2025). Calculated from the annual figure, that is roughly $4,265 a month. Entry-level positions typically offer around $45,020, and the top 10% of earners make over $72,160.
That pay is 9% below the California figure of $56,040 and 13% above the national figure of $45,230. Merced ranks 18th of 23 metro areas in California for Phlebotomist pay. About 90 Phlebotomists work in the Merced area.
Phlebotomist pay in Merced at a glance
- Typical pay is $24.61 an hour, or $51,180 a year.
- That is 9% below the California figure, ranking 18th of 23 metro areas in the state.
- Entry-level positions typically offer around $45,020; the top 10% make over $72,160.
- Typical pay rose +37% from 2015 to 2025, against +49% for California as a whole.
BLS OES May 2025
How much does a Phlebotomist make in Merced?
Pay in Merced runs from entry-level positions at around $21.64 an hour to more than $34.69 for the top 10% of earners. The table sets each career stage against the California and national figures.
Phlebotomist pay by career stage in Merced
| Career stage | Merced | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | $45,020$21.64 an hour | $45,490$21.87 an hour | $35,780$17.20 an hour |
| First years | $48,650$23.39 an hour | $47,800$22.98 an hour | $38,190$18.36 an hour |
| Typical Phlebotomist | $51,180$24.61 an hour | $56,040$26.94 an hour | $45,230$21.75 an hour |
| Experienced | $62,150$29.88 an hour | $62,790$30.19 an hour | $48,930$23.53 an hour |
| Top 10% | $72,160$34.69 an hour | $74,340$35.74 an hour | $58,780$28.26 an hour |
BLS OES May 2025 · city figures cover the Merced area as BLS defines it
Phlebotomist pay growth in Merced
Typical (median) annual wage for Phlebotomists in the Merced area · BLS OES May estimates, 2015 to 2025 · hover a bar for the year-over-year change
In 2015, typical Phlebotomist pay in Merced was $37,310 a year. By 2025 it had reached $51,180, a change of +37%, compared with +49% for California over the same years.
How Merced compares with other California cities
Petaluma pays Phlebotomists the most in California at $62,350 a year, $11,170 more than Merced. The lowest-paying area in the state is El Centro at $46,910.
| # | City | Typical pay | Hourly | Vs Merced | Phlebotomists employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petaluma metro incl. Santa Rosa | $62,350 | $29.98 | +22% | 100 |
| 2 | Santa Clara | $60,600 | $29.13 | +18% | 350 |
| 3 | Santa Barbara metro incl. Santa Maria | $60,290 | $28.98 | +18% | 190 |
| 4 | Vallejo | $59,920 | $28.81 | +17% | 140 |
| 5 | Napa | $59,840 | $28.77 | +17% | 30 |
| 6 | Watsonville metro incl. Santa Cruz | $59,800 | $28.75 | +17% | 50 |
| 7 | Redding | $59,320 | $28.52 | +16% | 90 |
| 8 | Chico | $59,100 | $28.42 | +15% | 100 |
| 9 | Fremont metro incl. Oakland · San Francisco | $58,900 | $28.32 | +15% | 1,410 |
| 10 | Carlsbad metro incl. San Diego · Chula Vista | $58,170 | $27.97 | +14% | 1,300 |
| 11 | Ventura metro incl. Thousand Oaks · Oxnard | $55,740 | $26.80 | +9% | 190 |
| 12 | Paso Robles metro incl. San Luis Obispo | $53,560 | $25.75 | +5% | 100 |
| 13 | Salinas | $52,940 | $25.45 | +3% | 110 |
| 14 | Los Angeles metro incl. Long Beach · Anaheim | $52,940 | $25.45 | +3% | 4,720 |
| 15 | Folsom metro incl. Roseville · Sacramento | $52,560 | $25.27 | +3% | 790 |
| 16 | Modesto | $51,960 | $24.98 | +2% | 190 |
| 17 | Ontario metro incl. San Bernardino · Riverside | $51,490 | $24.75 | +1% | 1,400 |
| 18 | Merced | $51,180 | $24.61 | this city | 90 |
| 19 | Lodi metro incl. Stockton | $50,770 | $24.41 | -1% | 180 |
| 20 | Fresno | $49,570 | $23.83 | -3% | 440 |
| 21 | Visalia | $49,390 | $23.74 | -3% | 110 |
| 22 | Delano metro incl. Bakersfield | $47,200 | $22.69 | -8% | 240 |
| 23 | El Centro | $46,910 | $22.55 | -8% | 110 |
Every metro area in California with Phlebotomist wage data · BLS OES May 2025 · California typical pay $56,040
Is Merced a good place to work as a Phlebotomist?
Phlebotomists in Merced earn a strong wage by national standards: typical pay is $51,180 a year, 13% above the national figure. For every 1,000 jobs in the Merced area, about 1.1 are Phlebotomist positions; nationally, the figure is closer to 0.9. That makes the local economy more reliant on Phlebotomists than most places, and turnover keeps positions opening through the year.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Phlebotomist make in Merced, CA?
- A typical Phlebotomist in Merced earns $51,180 a year, or $24.61 an hour, according to BLS wage data for May 2025. Entry-level pay runs about $45,020 and the top 10% earn over $72,160.
- How much does a Phlebotomist make an hour in Merced?
- Typical hourly pay for Phlebotomists in Merced is $24.61. Entry-level hourly pay runs about $21.64, and the top 10% earn over $34.69 an hour.
- What is the starting pay for a Phlebotomist in Merced?
- Entry-level Phlebotomist positions in Merced typically offer around $21.64 an hour, or $45,020 a year.
- Is Phlebotomist pay in Merced higher than in the rest of California?
- Merced pay is 9% below the California figure of $56,040 a year, ranking 18th of 23 metro areas in the state. Petaluma pays the most in California at $62,350.