Also known as: Ferritin Blood Test, Iron Stores Test
The short answer
Measures your body's iron stores — the most sensitive early indicator of iron deficiency, measured from a standard blood draw. At TestWell it costs $24.99 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 or Labcorp.
Hospital Lab
$100
cash pay
Other Labs
$30
+ lab fees
TestWell
$24.99
+ $6 lab processing fee
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your cells. It's the most sensitive single test for detecting iron deficiency, often becoming abnormal before other iron markers or CBC results change. Low ferritin can cause fatigue, weakness, hair loss, and difficulty concentrating even before frank anemia develops. It's also an acute phase reactant, meaning it can be elevated during inflammation or infection.
Measures iron stores. The most sensitive single test for diagnosing iron-deficiency anemia, which is widespread (especially in menstruating women and endurance athletes).
Anyone with fatigue, hair thinning, restless legs, frequent dizziness, or heavy menstrual periods. Athletes monitoring training capacity. Pre- and post-pregnancy screening. Family history of hemochromatosis.
Sample Type
Blood draw
Fasting
Not required
Results In
1–3 business days
Performed At
Quest or Labcorp
Your Ferritin 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.
No fasting required, though morning fasting may improve accuracy.
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.
The short answer
Yes when fatigue, hair loss, or iron questions are on the table. Ferritin is the most sensitive early marker of iron deficiency - it falls before a CBC turns abnormal - so it catches low iron long before full-blown anemia.
We would rather you order the right test than the most expensive one.
Ferritin is a venous blood draw at Quest or Labcorp, or an at-home mobile draw where available. No fasting is needed. Because ferritin also rises with inflammation, pairing it with [iron and TIBC](/tests/iron-and-tibc) or a [CRP](/tests/crp) helps interpret a borderline result.
The markers that matter most and what an out-of-range value can mean. Reference ranges vary by lab, age and sex.
| Marker | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | ~30-400 (men) / ~15-150 (women) ng/mL | Under ~30 ng/mL strongly suggests iron deficiency even without anemia; high levels can mean inflammation, liver issues, or iron overload. |
This section medically reviewed by Youmna DiStefano, MD — updated June 2026. General health information, not medical advice; interpret results with a qualified clinician.
A Ferritin test costs $24.99 at TestWell — $30.99 all-in when ordered alone, because the $6 lab processing fee is charged once per order, with no draw fee or physician fee added. Ordered directly from the labs' own consumer sites, the same test lists at $59.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (list prices checked Sep 12, 2026). Hospital outpatient labs typically bill around $100.00 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. Full cost breakdown →
| Where you order | Price | One test, all-in | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| TestWell (drawn at Quest) | $24.99 | $30.99 | Includes the one $6 lab processing fee, charged once per order |
| TestWell (drawn at Labcorp) | $25.99 | $31.99 | Labcorp's own cost for this test is higher; same order, same portal, same physician review |
| TestWell (drawn at BioReference — New York & New Jersey) | $25.99 | $31.99 | New York and New Jersey orders route to BioReference; Quest Health and Labcorp OnDemand don't take self-ordered draws in those states |
| Labcorp OnDemand (Labcorp's own site) | $59.00 | $59.00 | list price checked Sep 12, 2026 |
| Hospital outpatient lab, self-pay (typical) | $100.00 | $100.00 | Reference figure; hospital charges vary widely by facility and are often higher |
47% less than the lower lab-direct list price, for the same draw at the same lab. Lab test codes: Quest test code 457 · Labcorp test no. 004598 · BioReference code 0088-5. 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
Serum iron measures iron currently in your blood; ferritin measures the iron in storage. Ferritin drops first when stores deplete — making it the earliest indicator of iron deficiency, often months before hemoglobin drops on a CBC.
Lab ranges typically start at 15-20 ng/mL, but many functional clinicians target 50-100+ for energy and exercise tolerance. Hair loss often resolves only when ferritin is above 70. Above 200 ng/mL warrants evaluation for iron overload (especially in men) or inflammation (ferritin is also an acute-phase reactant).
On TestWell, the Ferritin test is $24.99. Quest Direct lists the same test at $30, walk-in hospital labs typically bill $80-100 without insurance. Same CLIA-certified labs, same biomarker — TestWell just removes the markup.
The CPT code for serum ferritin is 82728. Cash-pay patients don't need a CPT code to order through TestWell.
No fasting required. But ferritin can be artificially elevated by recent infections, inflammation, or alcohol — repeat after 2-3 weeks if results don't match symptoms.
Yes — ferritin alone misses functional iron deficiency. The Iron Panel (Complete) adds serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, and CBC. Or pair ferritin + Iron, TIBC at a small discount.
Annually. Heavy periods, vegetarian/vegan diets, and endurance training all deplete iron stores faster than dietary intake replaces them. Every 6-8 weeks during iron supplementation to confirm absorption.
Ferritin measures your stored iron and is the best single early marker of deficiency. An iron and TIBC panel adds serum iron and your body's iron-carrying capacity, which helps separate iron-deficiency from other causes. Many people start with ferritin and add the panel if it is borderline.
Ferritin is an acute-phase reactant, meaning infection, inflammation, or recent illness can push it up and mask true deficiency. If symptoms persist with a 'normal' ferritin, checking iron and TIBC alongside a CRP can reveal deficiency that ferritin alone hid.
Lab ranges start around 15-30 ng/mL, but many clinicians target higher for symptoms like hair shedding and fatigue (often 40-70 ng/mL or more). Ranges vary and this is general information, not medical advice - discuss your target with a provider.
Ordered directly, a Ferritin test lists at $59.00 at Labcorp OnDemand (prices checked September 2026). TestWell orders the same test at the same Quest or Labcorp patient service centers for $24.99 — $30.99 all-in with the $6 per-order lab processing fee — paid out of pocket at checkout with no insurance, doctor's visit or draw fee; HSA and FSA cards are accepted.
Ferritin test results are typically ready in 1–3 business days after your draw at Quest or Labcorp. TestWell emails you the moment they post, and your results dashboard shows each marker against its reference range with a plain-English explanation.
Cycle day, recent illness, oral contraceptives and estrogen and recent blood donation can change a Ferritin test result without anything being wrong. Cycle day can lower Ferritin — test mid-cycle for a stable iron picture. Recent illness can raise Ferritin — wait 2 weeks — illness can mask iron deficiency. Oral contraceptives and estrogen can raise Ferritin — expected; ferritin often improves because periods are lighter. Recent blood donation can lower Ferritin — tell the clinician the donation date; a low ferritin soon after donating is expected, not a mystery. 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 Ferritin test online from TestWell for $24.99 (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 or Labcorp 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 Ferritin test is Quest Diagnostics test code 457, Labcorp test number 004598, BioReference code 0088-5 (CPT 82728). TestWell orders it under those codes for $24.99 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
Related guide
Ferritin vs Iron: What Each Blood Test Measures, Which One You Need, and How to Read Them Together
Related guide
Blood Tests for Athletes
Related guide
CBC With Differential Explained: What Each Value Means and How to Read Your Results
TestWell Price
$24.99
+ $6 lab processing fee at checkout
No insurance needed · HIPAA compliant
Better value: the Baseline Anemia Panel
Save $56.96This test is part of the Baseline Anemia Panel — 5 tests · 20 biomarkers for $74.99, $56.96 less than à la carte.
$74.99$131.95
5 tests · 20 biomarkers
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