On your lab requisition: Quest “Cortisol, P.M.” (test code 4213)
The short answer
Measures afternoon cortisol levels to evaluate adrenal function and the normal diurnal cortisol pattern, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $34.99 plus a $6 lab processing fee, needs no fasting, and results post in 1–3 business days. Physician-authorized with no doctor's visit or insurance needed; draw at Quest.
Hospital Lab
$180
cash pay
Other Labs
$55
+ lab fees
TestWell
$34.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Cortisol follows a natural diurnal rhythm — highest in the early morning and lowest in the late evening. A PM cortisol test measures levels in the afternoon or evening to evaluate whether this pattern is intact. Abnormally high PM cortisol can indicate Cushing's syndrome, chronic stress, or HPA axis dysregulation. When paired with an AM cortisol test, the PM result provides a more complete picture of adrenal function. This test is commonly ordered for patients with symptoms of adrenal dysfunction, including fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, anxiety, and difficulty recovering from stress.
Measures serum cortisol — the body's primary stress hormone. PM (4 PM) measurement evaluates afternoon cortisol decline; useful for Cushing's screening and HPA axis assessment.
Anyone evaluating chronic stress, fatigue, weight gain, hypertension; suspected Cushing's syndrome (centripetal weight gain, purple striae, easy bruising); HPA axis dysfunction workup.
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Not required
Results In
1–3 business days
Performed At
Quest
Your Cortisol, PM results will include values for each of the 1 biomarker tested, along with reference ranges. Results are reviewed by a licensed physician before being released to your secure portal.
If any values fall outside the normal range, your report will include guidance on what that may mean and recommended next steps. You'll receive an email notification when your results are ready, typically within 1–3 business days.
Typical reference range layout
Lab reports show where your value sits relative to established reference intervals—your physician interprets this in context for you. Already have results? Analyze them with your AI assistant against our physician-reviewed ranges.
Blood should be drawn between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM for accurate PM cortisol assessment.
What can throw off this result
Physician-reviewed “Before your test” pages — what each factor does, for how long, and what to do about it.
A PM Cortisol test costs $34.99 at TestWell — $40.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $180.00 self-pay for the same test, and often more. With insurance, what you pay depends on your deductible and your plan's negotiated rate; TestWell's price is fixed before the draw and is HSA/FSA-eligible.
| Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TestWell (drawn at Quest) | $34.99 | $40.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| TestWell (drawn at BioReference — New York & New Jersey) | $27.99 | $33.99 | New York and New Jersey orders route to BioReference; Quest Health and Labcorp OnDemand don't take self-ordered draws in those states |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $180.00 | $180.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
Lab test codes: Quest test code 4213 · Labcorp test no. 104026 · BioReference code 0067-9. Competitor prices are read from the linked public pages and re-checked regularly; the labs' sites may add taxes or change prices without notice.
Compare more: Quest Diagnostics price list · Labcorp price list · Quest vs Labcorp · Lab test price checker
Cortisol follows a strong diurnal rhythm — peaks at 7-9 AM (10-20 µg/dL) and drops to <5 µg/dL by 4 PM. An elevated PM cortisol can be the earliest sign of Cushing's syndrome (when AM cortisol still looks normal). PM cortisol is also useful for evaluating shift workers and stress-related HPA dysfunction.
Afternoon (4 PM): 3-10 µg/dL. Below 3 µg/dL may indicate adrenal insufficiency. Above 10 µg/dL in the afternoon (especially with elevated AM cortisol) is suspicious for Cushing's and warrants follow-up testing (24-hour urine free cortisol or low-dose dexamethasone suppression).
AM cortisol (7-9 AM) for screening adrenal insufficiency (Addison's). PM cortisol (4 PM) for screening Cushing's syndrome or evaluating HPA-axis dysrhythmia. Many endocrinologists order both at baseline to see the full diurnal pattern.
On TestWell, Cortisol is $34.99. Quest Direct lists the same test at $55, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $120-180 without insurance.
The CPT code for serum cortisol (total) is 82533. Free cortisol (rare) is 82530. Salivary cortisol uses 82530 also.
No fasting required. Avoid stressful events (intense exercise, conflict, surgery) for 24 hours before the draw, as acute stress dramatically spikes cortisol and produces uninterpretable results.
Different uses. Serum measures Total cortisol (mostly bound); salivary measures Free cortisol (bioavailable). For Cushing's screening, late-night salivary or 24-hour urine free cortisol is more sensitive than serum. For HPA assessment, salivary 4-point testing maps the full rhythm best. Serum is fine for initial workup.
PM Cortisol test results are typically ready in 1–3 business days after your draw at Quest. TestWell emails you the moment they post, and your results dashboard shows each marker against its reference range with a plain-English explanation.
Time of day, common medications, caffeine and smoking and nicotine can change a PM Cortisol test result without anything being wrong. Time of day can shift Cortisol — A.M. cortisol at 7–9 a.m.; P.M. cortisol as the lab specifies. Common medications can lower Cortisol — cortisol testing needs prescriber guidance. Caffeine can raise Cortisol — no caffeine the morning of a cortisol draw. Smoking and nicotine can raise Cortisol — no cigarettes, vapes or nicotine products the morning of the draw. Each factor is covered on our physician-reviewed "Before your test" pages; when one applies, the fix is usually to remove it and retest.
Order the PM Cortisol test online from TestWell for $34.99 (plus a $6 per-order lab processing fee) — no doctor's visit, referral or insurance needed. A licensed physician authorizes the order, then you walk into any Quest patient service center near you for the draw (the lab locator on our site lists the closest ones by ZIP code), and results arrive in 1–3 business days.
The PM Cortisol test is Quest Diagnostics test code 4213 ("Cortisol, P.M."), Labcorp test number 104026, BioReference code 0067-9 (CPT 82533). TestWell orders it under those codes for $34.99 at Quest, Labcorp or BioReference — no doctor's visit or insurance required, results in 1–3 business days. Codes verified against the labs' catalogs in 2026.
Medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD · Last reviewed September 2026
TestWell Price
$34.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
Better value: the Sleep Health Panel
Save $100.93This test is part of the Sleep Health Panel — 8 tests · 11 biomarkers for $129.99, $100.93 less than à la carte.
$129.99$230.92
8 tests · 11 biomarkers
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