Skip to content
Blood Test Tracker

Testosterone, Total

Counts all the testosterone in your blood, both free and protein-bound. Usual levels differ a lot by sex, age and the time of day of the draw.

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert reviewAlso called Total TLOINC 2986-8

Check your result

Sex (optional)

The usual range for Testosterone depends on sex. Choose female or male above to see where you stand.

Nothing you type here leaves your browser.

What it is

Testosterone is the main male sex hormone, but everyone makes some. In men, most is made in the testicles. In women, the ovaries and adrenal glands make smaller amounts, and much of it comes from other hormones changed in tissues. It supports sex drive, muscle and bone, red blood cell production and body hair. Total testosterone counts all the testosterone in your blood: the small free part plus the part attached to SHBG and albumin.

Why it matters

Doctors use total testosterone as the first test for symptoms linked to low testosterone in men, such as low sex drive or trouble with erections. In women, it is used when there is unwanted hair growth, acne or irregular periods. One result cannot show why a level is high or low. Timing, age, body weight, the lab method and other tests such as SHBG, LH and FSH all matter. Guidelines ask for two early-morning results before a man's level is called low.

If it’s low

Testosterone drifts down with age and varies from day to day, so one low result does not settle anything. In men, a level that stays low on repeat early-morning tests, together with symptoms, is worth talking through with a clinician, who may look at the testicles or the pituitary gland. In women, low levels are usual, and very low levels are only sometimes linked to adrenal, pituitary or ovarian conditions. Many other things can cause a low result, and your clinician can put it in context.

Common causes

  • A sample drawn late in the day or after eating, since levels are highest in the morning
  • Normal aging, which lowers levels slowly over adult life
  • Extra body weight (obesity)
  • Low SHBG, which can make total testosterone look low while free testosterone is fine
  • Poor sleep, including sleep apnea
  • Long-lasting illness, including liver or kidney disease
  • Alcohol use disorder
  • An underactive thyroid
  • Medicines, including steroids and hormone treatments for advanced prostate cancer
  • Overtraining from too much exercise
  • Problems with the testicles, such as injury, infection or Klinefelter syndrome
  • A pituitary gland or hypothalamus disorder

What can help

  • Ask whether to repeat the test on another early-morning, fasting sample
  • Talk with your clinician about sleep, weight, alcohol use and medicines, which can all be linked with testosterone levels
  • Ask whether LH, FSH, prolactin, SHBG, free testosterone or thyroid tests would help explain the result

If it’s high

A result above your lab's range can have simple explanations, such as testosterone or steroid use, or a high SHBG that raises the total without raising free testosterone. In women, higher levels are often linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Less often they are linked to the adrenal glands, the ovaries or the testicles. Many other things can cause this, and your clinician can put it in context.

Common causes

  • Testosterone therapy, anabolic steroids, or supplements that raise hormone levels
  • High SHBG, which can raise total testosterone while free testosterone stays the same
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in women
  • Congenital adrenal hyperplasia or other adrenal gland conditions
  • Problems with the ovaries, including ovarian tumors (uncommon)
  • A tumor in the testicles (uncommon)
  • A pituitary gland disorder (uncommon)
  • Resistance to the action of male hormones, called androgen resistance (rare)

What can help

  • Share every hormone, steroid and supplement you use with your clinician
  • Ask whether the test should be repeated, or run by mass spectrometry if you are a woman
  • Ask whether free testosterone, SHBG, DHEA-S or other tests would help put the number in context

Usual ranges

What labs print as the reference range, by who was tested. Ranges differ a little between labs, so the range on your own report is the one your result is judged against.

The usual range depends on sex and age. Choose women or men to see the one that applies.

Children and teens 18 ranges

See Testosterone by age and sex, with the U.S. survey numbers where they exist.

AUA 2018 low-testosterone cut-off (men)

  • Below the AUA cut-off for low testosteronebelow 300 ng/dL
  • At or above the AUA cut-off300 and above ng/dL

EAU 2026 testosterone threshold (men)

  • Below the EAU threshold (repeat testing advised)below 12 nmol/L
  • At or above the EAU threshold12 and above nmol/L

If this applies to you

Testosterone means a little more for some people. Open the one that fits you.

Endurance athlete

In men, eating too little for the training load (low energy availability), for a long time or by a lot, can lower testosterone. The IOC lists low testosterone as a sign of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs), the health effects of under-fuelling.

Blood tests for endurance athletes

PCOS

Total testosterone is the first blood test for raised androgens in PCOS. The 2023 international guideline asks labs to use mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) rather than direct immunoassays, which have limited accuracy for this.

Blood tests for PCOS

Strength training

Taking testosterone or other steroids switches off the body's own testosterone signal. After stopping, natural testosterone can stay low for months or longer.

Blood tests for strength training and bodybuilding

Trying to conceive

For partners who produce sperm, NICE suggests considering testosterone and gonadotropin (FSH and LH) tests after 2 or more abnormal semen analyses, and the AUA and ASRM suggest FSH and testosterone when sperm counts are low. For people with ovaries, ASRM suggests testosterone when there are signs of extra androgens.

Blood tests for trying to conceive, including IVF

On gender-affirming hormones

On testosterone, guidelines suggest checking total testosterone about every 3 months until it reaches the goal, timed to the type you use. On estrogen-based therapy, it is checked to see how far your own testosterone has come down.

Blood tests on gender-affirming hormones

On testosterone therapy

Total testosterone shows where your dose lands. The Endocrine Society aims for the middle of the normal range. The right time to draw depends on the type of testosterone you use.

Blood tests on testosterone therapy

How common is your level?

NHANES describes the US civilian, non-institutionalized population, not a 'healthy' reference group. People with disease, on medication, fasting or not (except fasting-subsample markers), smokers and so on are all included. A percentile says where a value sits among Americans of that sex and age, not whether it is normal.

How Testosterone varies with age in the U.S.Shaded: middle 90% and middle 50% of people. Line: the median. ng/dL. Point at any age, or focus the chart and use the arrow keys, to read both sexes in words.

Use the left and right arrow keys to read each age. Shift moves five years.

Reference data derived from CDC/NCHS National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), cycles 2015-2016, August 2021-August 2023. Analysis by bloodtesttracker.com; not endorsed by CDC, NCHS or HHS.

Explore Testosterone by age and sex: every percentile as a table, with a download.

What can affect your result

  • Time of day: levels are highest in the early morning, roughly 7 to 10 a.m., and guidelines ask for a fasting sample
  • Age: levels fall gradually in men, and Labcorp notes that the average at 75 is about 65% of the level in young adults
  • Sex: men and women have very different ranges, and women's ranges also differ before and after menopause
  • Body weight: the main reference range comes from non-obese men, and extra body weight is linked with lower total testosterone
  • SHBG: high or low SHBG moves total testosterone without necessarily changing free testosterone
  • Hormones and medicines: testosterone therapy and steroids, estrogen, birth control and prostate-cancer treatments all change levels
  • Long-lasting illness, poor sleep and heavy alcohol use are linked with lower levels
  • Assay method: immunoassays and mass spectrometry agree in men but can differ a lot at the low levels found in women and children
  • High-dose biotin (vitamin B7) can interfere with immunoassays. Labcorp asks that biotin be stopped at least 72 hours before the draw. Check with your clinician first.
  • Immunoassays are imprecise and inaccurate at low levels, such as in women and children, so mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is recommended there (ARUP).
  • Rarely, treatment with mouse (monoclonal) antibodies or very high levels of antibodies to streptavidin or ruthenium can distort an immunoassay result (Labcorp).
  • Medicines and hormones change results: testosterone and anabolic steroids, estrogen and birth control pills, some anti-seizure medicines, glucocorticoids and hormone treatments for advanced prostate cancer. Some act by changing SHBG (EAU 2026). Tell your clinician about everything you take.
  • Oxalate, EDTA and citrate plasma tubes are not accepted (Labcorp).

Early morning, roughly 7 to 10 a.m. (EAU, MedlinePlus; 6 to 10 a.m. at ARUP), when levels are highest. Guidelines ask for a fasting sample. Testosterone moves up and down within a day. Changes from treatment are usually checked weeks to months later, as your clinician advises.

When to talk to a clinician

Talk with a clinician if a man's total testosterone is below about 300 ng/dL (10.4 nmol/L) on two early-morning tests and he has symptoms (the AUA cut-off). The European Association of Urology calls levels under 6 nmol/L (about 175 ng/dL) severe, and when LH and FSH are not raised it suggests a clinician may consider imaging the pituitary gland. In women, see a clinician for new or quickly worsening facial or body hair, a deepening voice or missed periods, or if a result is well above your lab's range. For a child with very early or very late puberty, see a pediatrician.

Questions you could ask

  • Was my sample drawn at the right time of day for this test?
  • Which method did my lab use, and does it have a range for my age and sex?
  • Could any medicine, supplement or hormone treatment I use be affecting this result?
  • Should we check free testosterone, SHBG or other hormones such as DHEA-S?
  • Should this be repeated, or measured by mass spectrometry?
  • Should we repeat this on another early-morning, fasting sample?

Questions people ask

Why do labs give different normal ranges for men?

Labs use different assays and different groups of healthy men. A widely used range is 264 to 916 ng/dL, from healthy non-obese men aged 19 to 39 whose results were matched to a CDC reference method. Other labs print different limits, for example ARUP's upper limits of 720 to 1,080 ng/dL depending on age. Older men often sit lower, which is why some labs give age-specific limits. Compare your result with the range on your own report.

Why do doctors ask for two early-morning tests?

Testosterone changes through the day and from day to day, and it is highest in the morning. The American Urological Association says a man's level should be called low only after two early-morning measurements on separate days. The Endocrine Society and the European Association of Urology also ask for a fasting morning sample that is repeated.

How do I convert ng/dL to nmol/L?

Multiply ng/dL by 0.0347, so 300 ng/dL is about 10.4 nmol/L. To go the other way, multiply nmol/L by 28.84. Some labs report ng/mL, which is 100 times larger than ng/dL, so 5 ng/mL is 500 ng/dL.

Why do women's results need a mass spectrometry test?

Women's levels are low, and standard immunoassays are imprecise and inaccurate at low levels. ARUP recommends mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for women and children, and the 2023 international PCOS guideline asks labs to use it. If you are a woman, check which method your lab used before comparing your result with a range.

Does a normal total testosterone mean my free testosterone is normal?

Not always. If SHBG is unusually high or low, total and free testosterone can move apart. When a man's total testosterone is near the lower edge, or something that changes SHBG is present, the Endocrine Society recommends a free testosterone measured by equilibrium dialysis or calculated with an accurate formula.

Show the science and sources

Units

  • 1 ng/dL = 1 ng/dL
  • 1 ng/dL = 0.03467 nmol/L
  • 1 ng/dL = 0.01 ng/mL
  • 1 ng/dL = 10 pg/mL

Open the Testosterone unit converter

Is a change real?

Testosterone naturally varies about 10% from test to test in the same healthy person. Between two results from the same lab, a change of roughly 31% or more is unlikely to be day-to-day noise or lab variation (95% reference change value). Source: The European biological variation study (EuBIVAS): Biological variation data for testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone, prolactin, luteinizing hormone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in men (Itkonen O et al.; corrigendum 2024;559:119720).

For clinicians and researchers

Total testosterone is the sum of free testosterone (about 1 to 4%), testosterone weakly bound to albumin and testosterone tightly bound to SHBG. LC-MS/MS is the most accurate method (EAU 2026). Automated immunoassays correlate well with it at normal and high concentrations in men but are imprecise and inaccurate at the low concentrations found in women, children and hypogonadal men (ARUP), and the 2023 international PCOS guideline recommends LC-MS/MS over direct immunoassays. Assay standardization matters: the CDC Hormone Standardization Program (HoSt) certifies assays, and the EAU asks labs to use CDC-certified thresholds. The Travison 2017 harmonized range (2.5th to 97.5th percentile, 264 to 916 ng/dL, in healthy non-obese men aged 19 to 39 across four cohorts) is the basis of Labcorp's adult male interval, which Labcorp applies at all adult ages. Labs that report age-specific limits show lower upper limits with age (ARUP: 1080, 890, 720 ng/dL). Women's ranges differ even more between labs and methods (ARUP 9-55 and 5-32, Labcorp 10-55 and 7-40 ng/dL by mass spectrometry, MedlinePlus 8.4-48.1 and 2.9-40.1). Diagnostic thresholds are guideline-specific. The Endocrine Society (2018) asks for a fasting morning sample on an accurate assay, a repeat measurement, and a comparison with rigorously derived reference ranges, and recommends free testosterone (equilibrium dialysis or an accurate formula) when total is near the lower limit or SHBG is altered. The AUA (2018, reviewed 2024) uses a cut-off of 300 ng/dL on two early-morning samples and notes free testosterone may help when total is 230 to 317 ng/dL. The EAU (2026) uses 12 nmol/L as a threshold, repeats testing when below 12 nmol/L, and describes under 8 nmol/L as more severe hypogonadism, and suggests pituitary MRI below 6 nmol/L with inadequate gonadotropins (limited evidence). In women, the 2019 global consensus statement says a total testosterone level should not be used to diagnose hypoactive sexual desire disorder, and that direct assays are appropriate only when mass spectrometry is not available, for example to exclude high baseline or supraphysiologic levels. Birth control raises SHBG and makes androgen assessment in women unreliable (2023 PCOS guideline).

LOINC 2986-8 (primary), 14913-8, 105121-8, 83116-4, 83115-6, 49041-7. Specimen: serum.

Sources

  1. Testosterone, Total (test 004226), Labcorp
  2. Testosterone, Total, Women, Children, and Hypogonadal Males, LC/MS-MS (test 070001), Labcorp
  3. Testosterone (Adult Males or Individuals on Testosterone Hormone Therapy) (test 0070130), ARUP Laboratories
  4. Testosterone (Adult Females, Children, or Individuals on Testosterone-Suppressing Hormone Therapy) (test 0081058), ARUP Laboratories
  5. Testosterone (MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia), MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
  6. Testosterone Levels Test, MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine)
  7. Harmonized Reference Ranges for Circulating Testosterone Levels in Men of Four Cohort Studies in the United States and Europe, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2017)
  8. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2018)
  9. Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency: AUA Guideline, American Urological Association (2018)
  10. EAU Guidelines on Sexual and Reproductive Health: Male Hypogonadism, European Association of Urology (2026)
  11. Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2023)
  12. Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2019)
  13. Testosterone (PubChem compound 6013), PubChem (National Library of Medicine)

AI-verified against cited sources. Awaiting expert review. Last reviewed 2026-10-03. How we build and check these pages.

Calculators

Related markers