Checking your testosterone levels requires a simple blood test, typically ordered by your doctor or purchased directly from a lab. The most common version is a total testosterone test, which measures all the testosterone in your blood. For the most accurate results, the blood draw should happen in the morning, ideally before 10 a.m., when testosterone peaks.
Total vs. Free Testosterone Tests
Most of the testosterone circulating in your blood is bound to proteins, primarily one called sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and another called albumin. Your body can’t easily use testosterone when it’s attached to these proteins. Only a small fraction floats around unbound, and this “free” testosterone is what’s most readily available for building muscle, maintaining bone density, and other functions.
A total testosterone test measures both bound and free testosterone together. This is the standard first test doctors order and the one used for diagnosis. A free testosterone test measures only the unbound portion and is less commonly ordered, but it can help clarify the picture when total testosterone falls in a borderline range or when conditions like obesity or aging alter how much protein is binding up your testosterone. In some labs, free testosterone isn’t measured directly. Instead, the lab measures your total testosterone, SHBG, and albumin levels, then calculates free testosterone using a formula.
Why Morning Timing Matters
Testosterone follows a daily rhythm. In men with a typical sleep schedule (roughly 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), levels peak between 3 and 8 a.m. The drop-off is steep: 32 to 39 percent of the day’s total decline happens within just the first 30 minutes after waking. By afternoon, your levels can be significantly lower than your true baseline.
For this reason, guidelines recommend having your blood drawn in the early morning, preferably before 10 a.m. or within three hours of waking up. Your sleep-wake pattern should also be stable at the time of testing. If you’re adjusting to a new shift schedule, recovering from jet lag, or sleeping irregularly, the results may not reflect your true levels. Fasting before the test is sometimes recommended as well. Your doctor will let you know, but plan on skipping breakfast just in case.
One Test Isn’t Enough for Diagnosis
Testosterone levels naturally fluctuate from day to day. Even in healthy men, two measurements taken on separate days can differ by up to 30 percent due to normal biological variation. A single low reading doesn’t necessarily mean you have a testosterone deficiency.
The American Urological Association’s guidelines are clear on this: a diagnosis of low testosterone should only be made after two total testosterone measurements, taken on separate occasions, both drawn in the early morning. If your first result comes back low, your doctor will schedule a second test, sometimes a few weeks later, to confirm. This two-test requirement exists specifically because one-off results can be misleading.
Normal Testosterone Ranges by Age
Testosterone is measured in nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL). For adult men (18 and older), the general normal range is 193 to 824 ng/dL. For adult women, normal levels fall below 40 ng/dL. During puberty, levels change dramatically. Boys aged 11 to 15 can have levels anywhere from near zero to 830 ng/dL as their bodies ramp up production.
Keep in mind that “normal” ranges vary between labs depending on the testing method and equipment used. Your results will always be interpreted against the specific reference range printed on your lab report, not a universal standard. A result of 250 ng/dL might fall within range at one lab and below range at another. This is one reason your doctor interprets results in context, combining the number with your symptoms and medical history, rather than treating any single cutoff as definitive.
Where to Get Tested
The most straightforward path is asking your primary care doctor to order the test. If you have symptoms like persistent fatigue, low sex drive, difficulty building muscle, or mood changes, most providers will order a total testosterone panel without hesitation. The blood draw itself takes a few minutes at a lab.
You can also order the test yourself through direct-to-consumer lab services. Labcorp’s online platform, for example, offers a comprehensive testosterone test for $159 out of pocket. You purchase the test online, visit a local Labcorp location for the blood draw, and receive results electronically. With insurance, the cost through your doctor’s office is often lower, though coverage depends on your plan and whether the test is considered medically necessary.
At-Home Saliva Kits
At-home hormone tests, often using saliva samples, have become widely available. Saliva testing works on a different principle than blood testing. About 95 to 99 percent of steroid hormones in your bloodstream are bound to carrier proteins, but saliva contains only the unbound, bioavailable fraction. This means saliva tests specifically measure free hormones rather than total levels.
Saliva-based hormone tests are considered sensitive and accurate for measuring free hormone concentrations. However, there’s an important limitation: clinical guidelines for diagnosing testosterone deficiency are built around blood-based total testosterone measurements. If you use a saliva kit and get a concerning result, your doctor will almost certainly want to confirm it with a standard blood test before making any treatment decisions. Saliva kits can be a useful screening tool or a convenient way to track trends over time, but they aren’t a substitute for the blood test that drives clinical diagnosis.
Factors That Can Skew Your Results
Beyond time of day and sleep disruption, several other factors can temporarily push your testosterone reading up or down. Certain medications, including opioids, corticosteroids, and some antidepressants, can suppress testosterone levels. Acute illness, recent intense exercise, heavy alcohol use, and high stress can all influence results. Obesity is a particularly common confounder: excess body fat increases SHBG production, which binds more testosterone and can make total levels appear lower or alter the balance between total and free testosterone.
If any of these factors apply to you, mention them to your doctor before testing. In some cases, it makes sense to retest after the temporary factor has resolved rather than acting on a result that doesn’t reflect your true baseline.