Hormones
Cortisol test cost: $17–$55
By Elo. Last updated September 1, 2026.
A cortisol test costs $17, and when you're drawn matters more than what you pay. Cortisol runs on a daily rhythm, so the same healthy person can produce a normal-looking result in the morning and a low one in the afternoon.
MedlinePlus describes the standard approach: blood is drawn twice, “once in the morning when cortisol levels are normally at their highest, and again around 4 p.m., when levels are normally much lower.” A single random draw, which is what most direct-to-consumer orders get you, can't distinguish a real problem from ordinary daily variation or the stress of the blood draw itself.
Below, we compare what a cortisol test costs at each lab, inside a bundle, and what insurance pays.
How much does a Cortisol test cost?
Cortisol costs $17–$55 on its own, or $190–$499 in a bundle. Those are cash prices, so that's also what Cortisol costs without insurance.
Lowest Cortisol self-pay prices
The lowest cash price we found for Cortisol is $17–$23 at Mito Health, followed by DrSays ($24), Marek Diagnostics ($35), Ulta Lab Tests ($42), and Walk-In Lab ($55). These are all-in prices that include the draw fee: Mito Health lists Cortisol at $7.56 and adds a $9.50–$15 draw fee, for $17.06–$22.56 total.
Cost of Cortisol in a bundle
Nine packages we track include Cortisol, and every one of them tests dozens of other markers from the same draw. The cheapest bundle with Cortisol is Empirical Health's 100-biomarker panel at $190, then Parsley Health ($275 for 41 markers), Mito Health ($315 for 99 markers), WHOOP Advanced Labs ($349 for 65 markers), Function Health ($365 for 114 markers), Vitals Vault ($399 for 58 markers), Everlywell ($399 for 86 markers), Marek Health ($495 for 56 markers), and InsideTracker ($499 for 48 markers).
How much does a Cortisol test cost at Quest Diagnostics?
At Quest Diagnostics, a Cortisol test costs $85 on its own.
Is a Cortisol test worth it?
Usually not. A single random cortisol is one of the least useful tests you can buy, because the hormone follows a daily rhythm and spikes with ordinary stress, including the stress of getting your blood drawn. Real adrenal problems are diagnosed with timed or suppression testing that a direct-to-consumer draw doesn't do. Skip it unless a clinician has asked for it as part of a specific workup.
Either way, the price shouldn't be what decides it: Mito Health sells Cortisol for $17 all-in. The cheapest panel that includes it is Empirical Health at $190, which is only worth it if you want the other 99 markers too.
Does insurance cover a Cortisol test?
Insurance usually covers Cortisol when a doctor orders it for symptoms or a known condition, though you may still owe a copay or deductible. The in-network negotiated cost is about $15 to $35, against $17 if you pay cash. At a hospital lab the billed charge can reach $150 to $700.
The $24 allowed amount is an estimate, about 1.5x Medicare's $16.30 rate for CPT 82533, and it moves with the lab and the market: the same test is contracted around $18 at one national lab and into the $40s at another. Coinsurance is assumed at 20% once your deductible is met. Your own plan decides both, and most plans apply lab work to the deductible first, so the second outcome above is the one most people land on.
Cortisol is billed as CPT 82533. That's the code to quote if you call your insurer to ask what you'd owe.
Frequently asked questions about Cortisol testing
What is the cheapest way to get a Cortisol test?
The cheapest Cortisol test is $17–$23 at Mito Health. If you'd rather get more markers out of the same draw, Empirical Health's 100-biomarker panel is $190.
Do I need a doctor's order to get a Cortisol test?
No. The standalone Cortisol tests listed above include the physician order in their price, so you can buy online and have your blood drawn without seeing a doctor first. You'd only need your own doctor's order if you want to bill the test to insurance.
How much does a Cortisol test cost at LabCorp?
LabCorp doesn't publish a flat consumer price for Cortisol, and what you're charged varies by location. The cheapest way to have Cortisol drawn at a LabCorp Patient Service Center is through DrSays, a LabCorp-network lab, at $23.98 all-in ($13.99 + $9.99 collection fee).
What is a normal morning cortisol level?
A typical morning serum cortisol, drawn around 8 a.m., runs about 6 to 23 mcg/dL and then falls through the day. Because of this rhythm, the time of the draw matters as much as the number.
When should a cortisol test be done?
Cortisol is highest in the early morning, so a baseline blood test is usually drawn around 8 a.m. Abnormal results are often followed by further testing, such as a late-night salivary cortisol or a suppression test.